CASTLE OF EVIL

Bad things always happen after there's talk of a will

CASTLE OF EVIL (1966). Director: Francis D. Lyon. 

On an isolated island near Nassau, a woman named Lupe (Shelley Morrison) gathers together a group of people who knew her late employer, Kovic (William Thorlby). Lupe, who was the housekeeper, tells the assemblage that Kovic blamed one of them -- all of whom he hated and vice versa -- for an accident that disfigured and eventually killed him, and that the others must uncover who the culprit is before they can inherit his vast fortune. 

Virginia Mayo

Here is where you might imagine that someone starts killing off the heirs one by one, but, alas, that is not the case, although at least one person does kick off. Kovic has built a mechanical man in his own image and it begins to stalk the heirs in the film's final minutes. The most interesting thing about Castle of Evil is its cast, which is comprised of a few former movie stars who perform with perhaps more professional polish than the picture deserves: Virginia Mayo, as a former lover of Kovic; David Brian as a lawyer; Hugh Marlowe [Earth vs. the Flying Saucers] as a doctor; Scott Brady [They Were So Young] as a former associate of Kovic's; and Lisa Gaye as his girlfriend. Gaye gives the most vivid performance, but the others are all good as well, with attractive Mayo being the most appealing. They all deserved a better script and more vital director. Francis D. Lyon also directed Cult of the Cobra. 

Verdict: Minimal excitement. **. 

THE MIGHTY GORGA

THE MIGHTY GORGA (1969.) Director David L. Hewitt.

Anthony Eisley of The Wasp Woman plays a circus owner who teams up with a female animal trapper (Megan Timothy) to find a mythical giant ape in the supposed jungles of Africa. (This section of the jungle is referred to as "Green Hell" and is supposed to be an area where no white man has ever gone -- even though the natives are all played by white guys!) Climbing to the top of the plateau (shades of The Lost Continent with Cesar Romero), the couple encounter a hilarious forced perspective T Rex with a flapping bottom jaw, as well as a kind of cave lizard or dragon brought to life by a few seconds of crude stop motion animation (the only time it's employed in the film). 

Gorga turns out to be man in an ape suit and a mask with immobile eyes. Miniature props are used to make the ape seem giant-sized. Director Hewitt's script is an affectionate homage to great and not-so-great old monster movies like King Kong (giant ape), The Lost World (plateau with dinosaurs), Monster from Green Hell, and so on, but the film lacks the budget and imagination to make it work and the whole thing comes off like an ambitious home movie. This is a cheapjack, ultra low-budget film devoid of pacing, style or suspense. The actors aren't bad at all, and give the film more than it deserves. Kent Taylor and Scott Brady are also in the cast. Even if you think you love monster movies you should probably skip this one. 

Verdict. 1/2* for the creditable acting.

THEY WERE SO YOUNG

Johanna Matz and Scott Brady

THEY WERE SO YOUNG (aka Mannequins fur rio/1954). Written and directed by Kurt Neumann. 

In a prologue, a young woman's body is found washed up on the beach. Then we meet Eve Ullmann (Johanna Matz), who has emigrated from Germany to South America, and winds up working for a fashion house in Rio. It isn't long, however, before she realizes that she and the other women will have to do "favors" for male clients, and that they won't be able to leave their employ no matter what. After an initial disagreement with mining engineer Richard Lanning (Scott Brady), Eve comes to him in desperation for help. Richard takes Eve to the estate of Jaime Coltos (Raymond Burr of Bride of the Gorilla), for whom he works, for safekeeping, but later Lanning discovers that he may have tossed Eve out of the frying pan and into the fire ... 

Raymond Burr and Scott Brady

They Were So Young downplays the prostitution angle but makes it pretty clear that the bad guys in this are running a white slavery racket. The lead actress Johanna Matz, was Viennese and made virtually all of her movies in Germany, including Otto Preminger's German-language version of The Moon is Blue, in which she played Maggie McNamara's role. Matz is cute and charming in this, and plays well with Scott Brady, who offers one of his most winning and charismatic performances. Unfortunately, although the film has a modicum of suspense, the promised climax never quite materializes, and the story is wrapped up quickly and without much excitement. Burr was saved from movies like this by being signed to star in Perry Mason, but he plays Coltos with just the right amount of restrained menace. The premiere of this film did not lead to Matz having any kind of American career, but as the film was released by bargain basement Lippert Pictures, it probably was never intended to. Gert Frobe plays a henchman in this but I didn't spot him, probably because his signature title role in Goldfinger was ten years later. 

Verdict: Low-budget film noir of sorts has an interesting cast but never really catches fire. **1/4.