Boris Karloff's assured performance alone makes this otherwise routine British B-movie one to watch. It's in much the same vein as its companion piece, CORRIDORS OF BLOOD, also made in the same year, although this film lacks a solid supporting cast and the lurid sensationalism that that film holds (although it does come close at times). GRIP OF THE STRANGLER has an excellent twist in its tale - that the killer Karloff is hunting turns out to be himself, and that he is unable to convince the police of his guilt - and the whole film rides on Karloff's performance. I'm pleased to say that it's a typically excellent one.
Karloff plays his tormented murderer with just the right touch of humour and sympathy. Essentially his role is a Jekyll and Hyde one, although unlike other screen monsters he has very little - if any - makeup in his Hyde role. Instead, all he does is distort his arm to make it seem paralysed, close one eye, and curl his upper lip. The effect is devastating, and disturbingly good, and a mark of Karloff's skill as an actor to be able to convincingly pull off such a effect by merely contorting his features. His Jekyll, on the other hand, is an innocent, friendly man who wants only the best for his family and friends. Essentially he's a schizophrenic, and the way that he manages to be both scary and sad is skilled. Bear in mind that the actor was about seventy when this film was made, and his achievement seems all the more impressive.
Sadly, he is let down by his lacklustre supporting cast, who simply don't cut it when they should. Where are all those British character actors when you need them? The best of the lot is Anthony Dawson, who is effective as the leading police investigator, but Tim Turner, who plays the younger doctor, is wooden in the extreme. Diane Aubrey is unassured as Karloff's wife, and minor roles become caricatures. Most of the women in this film are can-can girls, and a fair amount of time is taken up with their performances which certainly helps to pad the running time out a bit.
This is a film undoubtedly influenced by Hammer's THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, which had of course had worldwide success a year previously. This is evident in the Gothic Victorian setting of the film, and the fact that genre staples like grave-digging and lunatic asylums are brought into play to good effect. The murky black and white photography effectively conjures up just the right atmosphere for a film such as this. While the first hour is mainly build up with a few shock scenes, the climax is excellent and classic stuff. We see Karloff ingeniously escape from his asylum cell by setting fire to his bed and slashing the guard with a piece of glass. He then roams the countryside and woods, hunted down by police, before attacking his daughter. I had to laugh at the scene in which he jumps through a greenhouse window, which is pushing Karloff's ability a bit too far, considering his age. I mean, even made up to look younger than he is, he still appears to be in his late 50s at youngest, and the stuntman is obviously thirty years younger.
This asylum horror, complete with its implied gore, brings to mind the full-blown and bloody horrors of FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL, which is a good thing. Compare the end of the movie with the shocking finale of Bob Clark's DEAD OF NIGHT and the similarity is remarkable, and undoubtedly an influence. GRIP OF THE STRANGLER may just be another B-movie, but the interesting plot and Karloff's performance make it hold together much better than other, more typical pictures from the period.
Karloff plays his tormented murderer with just the right touch of humour and sympathy. Essentially his role is a Jekyll and Hyde one, although unlike other screen monsters he has very little - if any - makeup in his Hyde role. Instead, all he does is distort his arm to make it seem paralysed, close one eye, and curl his upper lip. The effect is devastating, and disturbingly good, and a mark of Karloff's skill as an actor to be able to convincingly pull off such a effect by merely contorting his features. His Jekyll, on the other hand, is an innocent, friendly man who wants only the best for his family and friends. Essentially he's a schizophrenic, and the way that he manages to be both scary and sad is skilled. Bear in mind that the actor was about seventy when this film was made, and his achievement seems all the more impressive.
Sadly, he is let down by his lacklustre supporting cast, who simply don't cut it when they should. Where are all those British character actors when you need them? The best of the lot is Anthony Dawson, who is effective as the leading police investigator, but Tim Turner, who plays the younger doctor, is wooden in the extreme. Diane Aubrey is unassured as Karloff's wife, and minor roles become caricatures. Most of the women in this film are can-can girls, and a fair amount of time is taken up with their performances which certainly helps to pad the running time out a bit.
This is a film undoubtedly influenced by Hammer's THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, which had of course had worldwide success a year previously. This is evident in the Gothic Victorian setting of the film, and the fact that genre staples like grave-digging and lunatic asylums are brought into play to good effect. The murky black and white photography effectively conjures up just the right atmosphere for a film such as this. While the first hour is mainly build up with a few shock scenes, the climax is excellent and classic stuff. We see Karloff ingeniously escape from his asylum cell by setting fire to his bed and slashing the guard with a piece of glass. He then roams the countryside and woods, hunted down by police, before attacking his daughter. I had to laugh at the scene in which he jumps through a greenhouse window, which is pushing Karloff's ability a bit too far, considering his age. I mean, even made up to look younger than he is, he still appears to be in his late 50s at youngest, and the stuntman is obviously thirty years younger.
This asylum horror, complete with its implied gore, brings to mind the full-blown and bloody horrors of FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL, which is a good thing. Compare the end of the movie with the shocking finale of Bob Clark's DEAD OF NIGHT and the similarity is remarkable, and undoubtedly an influence. GRIP OF THE STRANGLER may just be another B-movie, but the interesting plot and Karloff's performance make it hold together much better than other, more typical pictures from the period.