ASYLUM

Robert Powell 

ASYLUM (1972). Director: Roy Ward Baker. Screenplay by Robert Bloch.

Dr. Martin (Robert Powell) arrives at the Dunsmoor Asylum to be interviewed for a job by Dr. Starr. Martin is told by Starr's assistant, Rutherford (Patrick Magee), that Starr has gone crazy and is now one of the institution's patients! Rutherford tells Martin that he can have the job if he is able to tell which of the inmates he's going to see is actually Dr. Starr. The patients then tell Martin their rather horrific stories as he tries to figure out who's who.

Richard Todd wants his wife to "rest in pieces!"

The first story, an EC Comics pastiche, has a man (Richard Todd) taking an ax to his wife (Sylvia Sims) so that he can be with his mistress (Barbara Parkins). Unfortunately for both of them, the wife's pieces, wrapped in paper, come alive to get revenge upon them. In the second and arguably best story a financially-desperate tailor (Barry Morse) accepts a commission from a strange man (Peter Cushing of The Beast Must Die) who wants him to make a special suit -- but he can only work on it at certain hours. 

Charlotte Rampling and Britt Eklund

The third story is a fairly obvious split-personality tale of a sick woman (Charlotte Rampling) and her best friend (Britt Eklund) and murders that ensue. The final story has an inmate (Herbert Lom) putting his soul into a tiny robot-like replica of itself, a murderous "doll" that has realistic internal organs and blood inside of it. Despite some lame aspects -- and its lack of real scares -- Asylum is probably the best horror anthology put together by Amicus Studios. The film is well-acted, fast-paced, and extremely entertaining. Barry Morse [No Trace], who is marvelous as the tailor, certainly shows off his  versatility in this.

Verdict: Lots of fun! ***. 

NO TRACE

Hugh Sinclair

NO TRACE (1950). Director: John Gilling. 

Robert Southley (Hugh Sinclair) is a best-selling mystery writer, radio host, and former actor. Patronizing and chauvinistic, he has a secretary, Linda (Dinah Sheridan), who puts up with him probably because she's in love with him. Inspector MacDougall (John Laurie) doesn't think much of Southley's crime novels, and thinks he should learn more about police procedure. This opportunity presents itself when Southley murders a blackmailer (Michael Brennan), and MacDougall invites him to tag along on their investigation. Southley finds himself in a bit of a sticky wicket, and now Linda is beginning to have suspicions herself ...

No Trace is an entertaining and well-acted British suspense film -- Laurie is especially good in this -- and other cast members include Dora Bryan as the dead-common Maisie, who lives in the same boarding house as the victim, and Barry Morse as Sgt Harrison, who is an assistant to MacDougall and is also sweet on Linda. 13 years later Morse became famous as the policeman hunting David Janssen on the long-running TV series, The Fugitive. You would never have known that Morse was actually an Englishman who emigrated to Canada and eventually got many American roles; he amassed about 150 TV and film credits, and that's not even counting his numerous stage credits. 

Verdict: The acting, a fast-pace, and interesting situations put this over. ***.