This film perhaps holds up better than the first Dr. Hitchcock film and can be seen with or without that film. It stands on its own. A good film for people to be introduced to director Freda's work with. It gets better with repeated viewings and the music score is very good. This is not, just as none of his films are, a supernatural movie. So just know that going in. The film still has a good Gothic feel to it. Sadly there is no really good DVD release version of the film. There is a key and very graphic murder scene that is either cut down or cut completely out of several versions available. Without that being intact the impact of the later part of the film is really reduced. Think about Psycho if you basically cut out the shower scene. Not that this is in Psycho's league but this scene I'm talking about really makes this film work. It would be nice if Freda's films got a box set release of proper versions of his film. He started Mario Bava's career and Argento says Freda had more of an influence on him than Bava was. For now you have to really look hard and watch pretty lousy versions of his films to try to discover him as a director. It's worth the effort but would be nice for him to get some decent releases.
45 Reviews
Slow, but entertaining gothic horror from Italy.
capkronos24 February 2004
Set in Scotland in the early 1900's, this very welcome sort-of-sequel to THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK (1962) concerns the sickly, wheelchair-bound Dr. John Hichcock (Elio Jotta), whose death is hurried along by his beautiful younger wife Margaret (Barbara Steele) and her handsome doctor/lover (Peter Baldwin), in whose care Dr. H had unwisely entrusted. They poison him and then can't seem to find the fortune that should have been stashed in his safe. While they search the grounds, under the watchful eye of the loyal housekeeper (Harriet White Medin), hubby's ghost seemingly returns to settle the score, driving the two of them to paranoia, madness and murder.
The routine storyline is given a boost by solid direction, atmospheric photography and, especially, a good cast. Though the dubbing is a bit sketchy at times, this is a must for Barbara Steele fans. She's impressively evil in her role and gets a lot of screen time. The twist ending is great and is worth waiting for, as well.
Score: 6 out of 10
The routine storyline is given a boost by solid direction, atmospheric photography and, especially, a good cast. Though the dubbing is a bit sketchy at times, this is a must for Barbara Steele fans. She's impressively evil in her role and gets a lot of screen time. The twist ending is great and is worth waiting for, as well.
Score: 6 out of 10
The Sixties Had Some Nice Ghost Stories
Hitchcoc24 January 2007
I remember getting my drivers' license. It allowed me to travel to towns a few miles from mine and see movies (only one was shown at a time in those days) at small local theaters. In the sixties we had Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Sebastian Cabot, and others entertaining us with lightweight, scary little films. Many were based loosely on the works of Poe. Though I never saw this until a few minutes ago, it fits in with that genre. It has wonderful atmosphere. The heroine is not blameless, but has a case for murdering the old meany. Of course, she's going to pay a price, as is her doctor lover, when the old guy comes back to haunt her. There's a little Rebecca and Gaslight here, but it all works nicely to a satisfying conclusion. He who laughs last, of course. The performances are good and the atmosphere of the castle and its bleak goings on is a lot of fun. There is an intensity at work here that build, till people become paranoid and suspicious. See this. It's not a bad ghost story.
suspenseful and atmospheric film, with some occasional well placed shockers
stevedee10 September 2003
I recently watched this film, which was part of a 10 pack horror collection that was put out by Brentwood. Unfortunately the source print for this dvd was a print that was in terrible condition, and barely watchable.
The first thing that struck me about this film was the music. Even during the opening credits I was watching the credits carefully to see who the composer was, half expecting it to be Ennio Morricone, (which it wasn't). If the music wasn't enough to hook me completely, seeing Barbara Steele on the screen, whom I immediately recalled from "Black Sabbath" definitely made me want to continue watching this film, bad print and all.
The setting of this film is a gloomy Scottish mansion, around the turn of the century. The young wife (Steele) of the creepy, crippled and rich Dr. Hitchcock, conspires with her handsome lover, to murder her husband. Her lover happens to be her husbands physician who is treating him by administering a lethal poison which is immediately followed with the antidote. Needless to say they decide not to administer the second part of the treatment one day and are able to fulfill their burning desire to be together, happy ,rich and rid of the husband. Unfortunately for them, things don't quite work out so well, and things begin to unravel during a succession of supernatural events that take place after the murder.
While this is a fairly predictable plot of greedy people being punished from beyond the grave, the director manages to create a suspenseful and atmospheric film, with some occasional well placed shockers. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would love to see an uncut well preserved print of it.
The first thing that struck me about this film was the music. Even during the opening credits I was watching the credits carefully to see who the composer was, half expecting it to be Ennio Morricone, (which it wasn't). If the music wasn't enough to hook me completely, seeing Barbara Steele on the screen, whom I immediately recalled from "Black Sabbath" definitely made me want to continue watching this film, bad print and all.
The setting of this film is a gloomy Scottish mansion, around the turn of the century. The young wife (Steele) of the creepy, crippled and rich Dr. Hitchcock, conspires with her handsome lover, to murder her husband. Her lover happens to be her husbands physician who is treating him by administering a lethal poison which is immediately followed with the antidote. Needless to say they decide not to administer the second part of the treatment one day and are able to fulfill their burning desire to be together, happy ,rich and rid of the husband. Unfortunately for them, things don't quite work out so well, and things begin to unravel during a succession of supernatural events that take place after the murder.
While this is a fairly predictable plot of greedy people being punished from beyond the grave, the director manages to create a suspenseful and atmospheric film, with some occasional well placed shockers. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would love to see an uncut well preserved print of it.
THE GHOST (Riccardo Freda, 1963) ***
Bunuel19769 May 2007
This highly-regarded example of the Italian Gothic Horror style had eluded me until now; even so, having caught up with it at long last, I still wasn't done with the 'Curse Of THE GHOST': the Retromedia DVD proved faulty, with a glitch around the one-hour mark (where the image skipped and the audio dropped out) and then experienced complete freezing after 88 minutes - so much so that I had to finish the film off on another player! This was after a public domain copy I rented from Hollywood when I was there in late 2005 (which, on a hunch, I decided to check before watching) reverted to the Main Menu midway through the climax!!
Anyway, the film itself is undeniably a highlight of the genre and one of Freda's best (which he made in just 12 days): a follow-up, not a sequel, to his previous collaboration with star Barbara Steele - THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK (1962) - despite the re-use of that notorious character's surname. In the earlier film, too, Steele had been overshadowed by a delightfully manic turn from Robert Flemyng but, here, she lives up to her iconic status as the Queen Of Gothic Horror: few actresses have managed to replicate her sensual mix of wickedness and vulnerability; as for the actor playing Hichcock this time around, who looks a bit like Howard Vernon, he's not too bad - if no match, ultimately, for Flemyng.
Like I said with respect to Hammer's FEAR IN THE NIGHT (1972), the plot twists aren't very original - but they make for a great ride regardless; besides, one could just soak in the colorful visuals (even if the print involved features a lot of wear and tear!). Incidentally, the film is rather gory for its time (witness the 'ghost' exhibiting its decaying flesh and the brutal razor murder, with its wonderful device of having blood dripping across the camera lens to simulate the victim's POV), but the lush score (actually a collection of compositions by Francesco De Masi, Franco Mannino and Roman Vlad - billed under one Americanized name, Franck Wallace!) and a reasonable quota of chills (the creepy scenes where the doctor speaks through his faithful and vaguely sinister housekeeper - played by the ubiquitous Harriet White Medin - who, conveniently, doubles as a medium and the various 'apparitions' - wheelchair stumbling down the stairs, dangling corpse) are certainly par for the course...as is, after all, the film's decidedly languid pace.
The deftly ironic climax is very effective - as a self-satisfied Hichcock expounds on his clever machinations while the immobilized Steele looks horridly on, fully knowing that she'll be blamed for the housekeeper's death and, worse still, that she killed her lover for no reason (i.e. he didn't betray her by stealing the jewels, as she had mistakenly assumed, and these were now once more in Hichcock's hands). The English dubbing isn't too bad considering; however, given the story's Scottish setting, it's odd that only one voice actor would deem it fit to attempt a pertinent accent (i.e. the solicitor who reads Dr. Hichcock's will) - which then causes it to seem unintentionally amusing alongside the less heavy inflections of his fellow dubbing artists!
While Freda is often accused of being indifferent to his films (which he often did purely so as to recoup his gambling losses!), he was undoubtedly a pioneer: not only making the first Italian horror effort, but his masterful use of color in the Dr. Hichcock pictures certainly pushed the genre into that corner - after a solitary stab at it by Giorgio Ferroni in MILL OF THE STONE WOMEN (1960) - as few gothics were shot in black-and-white thereafter (notably three films featuring Steele herself, namely CASTLE OF BLOOD [1964], THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH [1964] and NIGHTMARE CASTLE aka THE FACELESS MONSTER [1965]); certainly, Freda's protégé Mario Bava followed his example...and gradually took over the genre!
Anyway, the film itself is undeniably a highlight of the genre and one of Freda's best (which he made in just 12 days): a follow-up, not a sequel, to his previous collaboration with star Barbara Steele - THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK (1962) - despite the re-use of that notorious character's surname. In the earlier film, too, Steele had been overshadowed by a delightfully manic turn from Robert Flemyng but, here, she lives up to her iconic status as the Queen Of Gothic Horror: few actresses have managed to replicate her sensual mix of wickedness and vulnerability; as for the actor playing Hichcock this time around, who looks a bit like Howard Vernon, he's not too bad - if no match, ultimately, for Flemyng.
Like I said with respect to Hammer's FEAR IN THE NIGHT (1972), the plot twists aren't very original - but they make for a great ride regardless; besides, one could just soak in the colorful visuals (even if the print involved features a lot of wear and tear!). Incidentally, the film is rather gory for its time (witness the 'ghost' exhibiting its decaying flesh and the brutal razor murder, with its wonderful device of having blood dripping across the camera lens to simulate the victim's POV), but the lush score (actually a collection of compositions by Francesco De Masi, Franco Mannino and Roman Vlad - billed under one Americanized name, Franck Wallace!) and a reasonable quota of chills (the creepy scenes where the doctor speaks through his faithful and vaguely sinister housekeeper - played by the ubiquitous Harriet White Medin - who, conveniently, doubles as a medium and the various 'apparitions' - wheelchair stumbling down the stairs, dangling corpse) are certainly par for the course...as is, after all, the film's decidedly languid pace.
The deftly ironic climax is very effective - as a self-satisfied Hichcock expounds on his clever machinations while the immobilized Steele looks horridly on, fully knowing that she'll be blamed for the housekeeper's death and, worse still, that she killed her lover for no reason (i.e. he didn't betray her by stealing the jewels, as she had mistakenly assumed, and these were now once more in Hichcock's hands). The English dubbing isn't too bad considering; however, given the story's Scottish setting, it's odd that only one voice actor would deem it fit to attempt a pertinent accent (i.e. the solicitor who reads Dr. Hichcock's will) - which then causes it to seem unintentionally amusing alongside the less heavy inflections of his fellow dubbing artists!
While Freda is often accused of being indifferent to his films (which he often did purely so as to recoup his gambling losses!), he was undoubtedly a pioneer: not only making the first Italian horror effort, but his masterful use of color in the Dr. Hichcock pictures certainly pushed the genre into that corner - after a solitary stab at it by Giorgio Ferroni in MILL OF THE STONE WOMEN (1960) - as few gothics were shot in black-and-white thereafter (notably three films featuring Steele herself, namely CASTLE OF BLOOD [1964], THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH [1964] and NIGHTMARE CASTLE aka THE FACELESS MONSTER [1965]); certainly, Freda's protégé Mario Bava followed his example...and gradually took over the genre!
Good Gothic mystery chiller
The_Void21 March 2007
As you might expect, this film is really quite similar to Riccardo Freda's earlier horror flick "The Terror of Dr Hitchcock", although for my money; I'd say this one is slightly better. The two films share a director and a lead actress in common, as well as a lead character name. This film firmly fits into the 'Gothic' side of Italian cinema, which Steele often starred in, and Freda makes excellent use of this style with some real standout cinematography. It became clear that Riccardo Freda was, in fact, a hack; as it turned out that the great Mario Bava did most of the work on a lot of his films, and his later stuff - Tragic Ceremony and The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire to name a couple - was a million miles away from being brilliant. This film would appear to be Freda at his best, therefore, and it's actually not bad. The plot centres on Dr. John Hitchcock; a cripple who wants to die. His wife is, naturally, having an affair with her husband's doctor, and pretty soon the two of them conspire to murder Dr Hitchcock for his money. However, they didn't bargain for him haunting them after his death...
The film's title suggests that it's a ghost story, but I would say that The Ghost is more of a mystery chiller. There's not a great deal of real bona fide horror, and to be honest; I felt the film was a little too talky and would have proffered it to be a bit more visceral. The film's main draw is, obviously, Barbara Steele and the 'Queen of Horror' looks great throughout the film. The decor and set design is great too, and these allow Freda to build an oppressive and macabre atmosphere, which benefits the plot line quite well. The main problem with the film is the fact that a lot of it feels really amateurish. The dubbing is atrocious (even more so than usual) and some of the things the characters say are ridiculous. Whether or not that's down to the translation, I don't know. The climax is the best part of the film for me. Of course, it's not a completely sense-making ending and there are a few holes left; but it's a nice twist at least, and it does justify the shortfalls of some of the rest of the movie. Overall, I won't go as far as to say that The Ghost is a horror classic; but it's good entertainment, and fans of Gothic horror will enjoy it.
The film's title suggests that it's a ghost story, but I would say that The Ghost is more of a mystery chiller. There's not a great deal of real bona fide horror, and to be honest; I felt the film was a little too talky and would have proffered it to be a bit more visceral. The film's main draw is, obviously, Barbara Steele and the 'Queen of Horror' looks great throughout the film. The decor and set design is great too, and these allow Freda to build an oppressive and macabre atmosphere, which benefits the plot line quite well. The main problem with the film is the fact that a lot of it feels really amateurish. The dubbing is atrocious (even more so than usual) and some of the things the characters say are ridiculous. Whether or not that's down to the translation, I don't know. The climax is the best part of the film for me. Of course, it's not a completely sense-making ending and there are a few holes left; but it's a nice twist at least, and it does justify the shortfalls of some of the rest of the movie. Overall, I won't go as far as to say that The Ghost is a horror classic; but it's good entertainment, and fans of Gothic horror will enjoy it.
SOMETHING is coming to get you, Barbara!
Coventry23 August 2006
Ah, another Italian Gothic horror film starring the unearthly beautiful Barbara Steele! They always receive my full attention & appreciation! Apparently, this is some kind of sequel/spin-off to "The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock" that got released one year before and also starred stunning Barbara. The good news is that you absolutely don't require seeing that one in order to follow this story. Both movies simply revolve on the same pivot character, namely the uncanny Dr. Hitchcock, played in this movie by Elio Jotta. He's rich and arrogant, but bound to a wheelchair and forced to take a lot of medication to keep his bizarre disease under control. His much younger wife Margaret and her lover, Dr. Livingstone, plan to kill him quicker so that they can carelessly search the mansion for hidden fortunes. Shortly after the funeral, however, the greedy young couple becomes plagued by all kind of mysterious occurrences! It's Goth-horror, so you pretty much know what to expect. Wheelchairs falling down a flight of stairs, music boxes that start to play unsettling tunes all by themselves, strange noises coming from the family vault, etc
It looks like Dr. Hitchcock, or at least his vengeful spirit, has returned from the grave to prevent his unfaithful wife from inheriting his money. Ricardo Freda ("The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire") maintains a tense and ominous atmosphere throughout the entire film and the decors are effectively sinister. Particularly the tomb underneath the large mansion is quite an eerie place! The story's climax, albeit a bit implausible, is great horror material and will be appreciated by Italian horror fanatics, I'm sure. Barbara Steele's beauty and charisma simply can't be described and I'd recommend this movie, as well as everything else she ever starred in, if it were only to stare at her face for 95 minutes.
The eyes have it. Barbara steals the show.
Zeegrade16 February 2010
Official/unofficial sequel to "The Horrible Dr. Hichcock" with the captivating Barbara Steele now playing the doctor's wife Margaret instead of Cynthia and Elio Jotta taking in the role of Dr. Hichcock himself. Titled simply "The Ghost" on my DVD collection the Dr. is now confined to a wheelchair and is administered small doses of a poison in order to dilute whatever is ailing him. Assisting him in his matters of health is the handsome Dr. Charles Livingstone who also is having an affair with Margaret. Late one night after a séance Margaret confides in Charles that she cannot take being around him anymore and that maybe he can administer a deadly dose of the poison to her husband in order for her to claim his inheritance and live together in the Gothic Scottish castle as the lovers they were meant to be. When Dr. Livingstone agrees and murders Dr. Hichcock the castle becomes haunted by the corpse with ghastly reminders of the dastardly deed. Complicating things even more is Dr. Hichcock's faithful housekeeper Catherine who seems to keep an attentive eye on Margaret and Charles' suspicious actions. When the Hichcock fortune turns up missing Margaret begins to wonder if her husband's ghost has hidden it or perhaps her beau hasn't been as truthful as she thinks he is. Dr. Livingstone I presume? Maybe.
Not much that hasn't been done before here though it is a pretty decent effort with a rather graphic scene for a movie made in the early sixties. Without a doubt this movie was augmented greatly by the performance of the large-eyed "Queen of Gothic Horror" Barbara Steele. Her portrayal of a wife with so much disgust for her crippled husband which is trumped only by her greed is powerfully done. The climax actually proves that Margaret and Dr. Hichcock were cut from the same cloth concerning the lack of morality and how they treat others to gain what they think should be theirs. Can become a little plodding during the 95 minute running time though the ending will keep you glued to the screen. The print of "The Ghost" unfortunately was taken from a degraded copy as some of the scenes jump from frame to frame which gets rather annoying from time to time. The dubbing at times are suspect as well. Funny how the setting was supposed to be in Scotland yet only one person spoke with a Scottish brogue and rather poorly at that. Not the greatest work I've seen from the Gothic horror genre though I believe fans of Barbara Steele would enjoy this.
Not much that hasn't been done before here though it is a pretty decent effort with a rather graphic scene for a movie made in the early sixties. Without a doubt this movie was augmented greatly by the performance of the large-eyed "Queen of Gothic Horror" Barbara Steele. Her portrayal of a wife with so much disgust for her crippled husband which is trumped only by her greed is powerfully done. The climax actually proves that Margaret and Dr. Hichcock were cut from the same cloth concerning the lack of morality and how they treat others to gain what they think should be theirs. Can become a little plodding during the 95 minute running time though the ending will keep you glued to the screen. The print of "The Ghost" unfortunately was taken from a degraded copy as some of the scenes jump from frame to frame which gets rather annoying from time to time. The dubbing at times are suspect as well. Funny how the setting was supposed to be in Scotland yet only one person spoke with a Scottish brogue and rather poorly at that. Not the greatest work I've seen from the Gothic horror genre though I believe fans of Barbara Steele would enjoy this.
Delightfully Uncanny Gothic Tale With the Wonderful Barbara Steele
Witchfinder-General-66630 July 2009
Riccardo Freda's "Lo Spettro" aka. "The Ghost" of 1963 is yet another delightfully uncanny Italian Gothic Horror film starring the wonderful Barbara Steele (my favorite actress), and while it cannot possibly compare to the absolute highlights in Steele's career, such as Mario Bava's masterpiece "La Maschera Del Demonio" ("Black Sunday", 1960), Roger Corman's "Pit and the Pendulum" (1961, also starring the great Vincent Price) or Antonio Margheriti's "Danza Macabra" ("Castle of Blood", 1964), this is another mesmerizing experience that no lover of Gothic greatness can afford to miss. "Lo Spettro" is a sequel to Freda's earlier Gothic Horror film, "L'Orribile Segreto Del Dr. Hichcock" ("The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock", 1962; they obviously left out a "t" in order to avoid legal difficulties), also starring Steele, which I haven't yet seen. Her character is named 'Margaret' in this film whereas the name was 'Cynthia' in "Dr. Hichcock. This film doesn't require having seen "Dr. Hichcock" , however.
Scotland, 1910: The brilliant, but critically ill, wheelchair-bound Dr. Hichcock (Elio Jotta), who needs to take lots of medications against his mysterious disease, is working on a serum to cure paralysis. His beautiful young wife Margaret (Barbara Steele) is having an affair with his assistant/colleague Dr. Livingstone (Peter Baldwin), however, and the two do not intend to wait for the old Doctor to pass away by natural reasons. Shortly after his funeral, creepy things begin to happen in the uncanny mansion...
As mentioned above, the ravishing Barbara Steele, is my favorite actress, and she is once again great here. In my humble opinion, no other actress was ever capable of blending incomparable beauty with a genius for the uncanny as it is the case with this unchallenged Goddess of Gothic Horror, and no other actress ever will. Under the solid direction of Riccardo Freda, Miss Steele plays yet another typical role with typical greatness. As the credited director of the first (post-WW2) Italian Horror film, "I Vampiri" of 1957, Freda deserves praise as one of the pioneers of Italian Horror, though it must be said that it was actually the great Mario Bava (my choice for the greatest Horror director of all-time) who completed that gem and who is arguably responsible for its greatness. Besides our beloved Barbara, the rest of the cast is also very good, especially Elio Jotta is great as the sinister Dr. Hichcock. William Baldwin is good enough as Dr. Livingstone, as is Harriet Medin as the housekeeper, and the cast furthermore includes Umberto Raho, whom Italian Horror fans might recognize as a regular supporting actor in many films (including Margheriti's "Castle of Blood", Bava's "Baron Blood" and Ubaldo Ragona's "The Last Man on Earth" starring Vincent Price).
The film is almost entirely set inside Dr. Hichcocks eerie, castle-like mansion, which is a terrific setting for old-fashioned Goth-Horror indeed. Franco Mannino's score, which mainly consists of an eerily beautiful theme that is replayed throughout the film, greatly increases the film's rich atmosphere. Overall, "Lo Spettro" is not one of the greatest films in Barbara Steele's filmography, but it still is a very good and creepy Gothic Horror film that none of her fans could possibly afford to miss. Barbara Steele is once again stunningly beautiful, and brilliantly sinister - I simply cannot find enough words to adequately praise this wonderful lady. Barbara, we worship you!
Scotland, 1910: The brilliant, but critically ill, wheelchair-bound Dr. Hichcock (Elio Jotta), who needs to take lots of medications against his mysterious disease, is working on a serum to cure paralysis. His beautiful young wife Margaret (Barbara Steele) is having an affair with his assistant/colleague Dr. Livingstone (Peter Baldwin), however, and the two do not intend to wait for the old Doctor to pass away by natural reasons. Shortly after his funeral, creepy things begin to happen in the uncanny mansion...
As mentioned above, the ravishing Barbara Steele, is my favorite actress, and she is once again great here. In my humble opinion, no other actress was ever capable of blending incomparable beauty with a genius for the uncanny as it is the case with this unchallenged Goddess of Gothic Horror, and no other actress ever will. Under the solid direction of Riccardo Freda, Miss Steele plays yet another typical role with typical greatness. As the credited director of the first (post-WW2) Italian Horror film, "I Vampiri" of 1957, Freda deserves praise as one of the pioneers of Italian Horror, though it must be said that it was actually the great Mario Bava (my choice for the greatest Horror director of all-time) who completed that gem and who is arguably responsible for its greatness. Besides our beloved Barbara, the rest of the cast is also very good, especially Elio Jotta is great as the sinister Dr. Hichcock. William Baldwin is good enough as Dr. Livingstone, as is Harriet Medin as the housekeeper, and the cast furthermore includes Umberto Raho, whom Italian Horror fans might recognize as a regular supporting actor in many films (including Margheriti's "Castle of Blood", Bava's "Baron Blood" and Ubaldo Ragona's "The Last Man on Earth" starring Vincent Price).
The film is almost entirely set inside Dr. Hichcocks eerie, castle-like mansion, which is a terrific setting for old-fashioned Goth-Horror indeed. Franco Mannino's score, which mainly consists of an eerily beautiful theme that is replayed throughout the film, greatly increases the film's rich atmosphere. Overall, "Lo Spettro" is not one of the greatest films in Barbara Steele's filmography, but it still is a very good and creepy Gothic Horror film that none of her fans could possibly afford to miss. Barbara Steele is once again stunningly beautiful, and brilliantly sinister - I simply cannot find enough words to adequately praise this wonderful lady. Barbara, we worship you!
"I love you. Never forget that"
lost-in-limbo7 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Succulent typecast Gothic horror with campy melodramatics bestowing sly twists and turns at the back end and the stunning beauty and capability of actress Barbara Steele. What starts off creaky, forms into a strong and gripping story of betrayal, greed, secret love and possible madness? Where we find the slow-boil situations manipulated and the hysterical nature breaks free with some effective shivers and thrills. The best thing is watching Steele's character's restless transformation, as is she cracking under the pressure by seeing her dead husband (who she plotted to murder) or is there scheming going on by her doctor lover (a decent Peter Baldwin) or is someone plotting against the both of them. The straight-laced script perfectly dissects and hides the feverish mystery with an excellent bittersweet conclusion. Riccardo Fredo's direction is pedestrian, outside some camera framing (like a death scene where the blood sprays the screen) and the dank, but haunting mansion. Ellia Jotta is exemplary as Dr. John Hitchcock and Harriet Medin is good too. Contrived, but agreeable ghost story.
Forgetful murder-revenge-plot
chaypher12 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
An adulterous wife (Barbara Steele) impatiently awaits the demise of her moribund husband to inherit his wealth and mansion. Her dalliance with his personal doctor, virtually in plain sight, eventually tempt them both to bring about his premature death. Unfortunately, things soon start going bump in the night and their now public relationship rather quickly disintegrates as they become consumed by greed, guilt and suspicion. The whole sorry affair is ended abruptly by another murder and the inevitable plot-twist this genre seems to demand.
Although I respect Freda and his pioneering greatness for Italian horror cinema, I found this rather poor quality suspense film pretty slow and predictable. The story is so transparent, I had worked out all the plot details within the first 15 minutes! Visually, the film is very interesting though. There are some very creative shots which help in creating a moody, Gothic atmosphere.
The cast are capable enough, with particular mention to the husband's lawyer. But it is Barbara Steele who is the big name here; her at once vulnerable beauty and femme fatale guile give her such charisma, her on- screen presence lend as much to her performance as any of her acting skills do. However, in this film, I felt she could have did better in that department.
This murder mystery blends in to many of the others of the day and has nothing to offer of considerable value that makes it stand out from the rest. Not that it is a bad film though, rather it is a tame and vaguely entertaining piece which will do nothing more than amuse for 90 odd minutes.
Although I respect Freda and his pioneering greatness for Italian horror cinema, I found this rather poor quality suspense film pretty slow and predictable. The story is so transparent, I had worked out all the plot details within the first 15 minutes! Visually, the film is very interesting though. There are some very creative shots which help in creating a moody, Gothic atmosphere.
The cast are capable enough, with particular mention to the husband's lawyer. But it is Barbara Steele who is the big name here; her at once vulnerable beauty and femme fatale guile give her such charisma, her on- screen presence lend as much to her performance as any of her acting skills do. However, in this film, I felt she could have did better in that department.
This murder mystery blends in to many of the others of the day and has nothing to offer of considerable value that makes it stand out from the rest. Not that it is a bad film though, rather it is a tame and vaguely entertaining piece which will do nothing more than amuse for 90 odd minutes.
Italian Gothic Love Triangle - of Sorts
BaronBl00d25 December 2008
Riccardo Freda, an Italian director of skill who directed many Sword and Sandal films of the 60's as well as horror greats like I Vampiri, does a very serviceable job directing this thoughtful, mood-laden sequel of sorts to his earlier effort The Horrible Doctor Hitchcok. One does not need to have seen that earlier effort to follow what goes on here as they are really entities unto themselves with the same characters just going through different circumstances and having different motivations. In this film Dr. Hitchcock(living in Scotland - very implausible given the Mediterranean looks of most of the cast) is bound in a wheelchair and has nothing but sickly pity for himself as he wishes to die. Helping him remain alive is a local doctor giving him some sort of concoction to live and, of course, no love triangle would be complete without the love object of the other two sides - sultry, hypnotic breathless Barbara Steele - the 60's queen of the horror film - particularly the Gothic horror film. Steele is not a great actress by any stretch. She is lovely to look at and has the most impressive pair of - yes, I know where I could go here but really I intended to say eyes the entire time. Freda creates a slowly building tension between the central characters and the story is nothing exceptional in terms of creativity. You have seen this story before in various adaptations. Freda does; however, have a flair with the camera lens, and I was really surprised at how well he, the actors, and the story all combined to make an interesting film experience. The rest of the cast is all serviceable with Elio Jotta as Dr. Hitchcock being particularly effective and Harriet Medin(who was in the previous Hitchcock film also as a maid) doing a nice, creepy job as Catherine the housemaid. There are some very powerfully shot scenes: the tomb scene is genuinely eerie and the final denouement is quite good. Loads of atmosphere make this one of the best of its kind.
Very good....and with a nice twist.
planktonrules17 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Unlike many of Steele's other horror films, this one is in color--and the copy is in generally nice condition. As for the language, it's all dubbed into English and there were no captions. I assume it's been dubbed into other languages as well.
"The Ghost" is another Italian-made horror film starring Barbara Steele--everyone's favorite 1960s horror queen. The film begins with a rich doctor in intense pain and living out his final days through the use of two poisons which somehow work together to keep him alive. However, his wife (Steele) and her boyfriend (the guy's doctor) can't wait for him to die...so they help the process! However, after the husband's demise, they start to wonder if he's dead or if his spirit has somehow returned. They also discover that much of his fortune is hidden. And, considering that the dead man did experiments concerning the netherworld, you assume he has indeed come back to his 'loving wife'.
So is it worth seeing? Well, the film manages to have a nice spooky Gothic look. The story idea also is pretty good and has many creepy moments. I didn't particularly get some of Steele's actions near the end of the film but the overall film is pretty good--and it ended with some nice twists.
"The Ghost" is another Italian-made horror film starring Barbara Steele--everyone's favorite 1960s horror queen. The film begins with a rich doctor in intense pain and living out his final days through the use of two poisons which somehow work together to keep him alive. However, his wife (Steele) and her boyfriend (the guy's doctor) can't wait for him to die...so they help the process! However, after the husband's demise, they start to wonder if he's dead or if his spirit has somehow returned. They also discover that much of his fortune is hidden. And, considering that the dead man did experiments concerning the netherworld, you assume he has indeed come back to his 'loving wife'.
So is it worth seeing? Well, the film manages to have a nice spooky Gothic look. The story idea also is pretty good and has many creepy moments. I didn't particularly get some of Steele's actions near the end of the film but the overall film is pretty good--and it ended with some nice twists.
Barbara Steele forever!
BandSAboutMovies23 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
An Italian horror remake of 1955's Les Diaboliques, I'll give you one reason to watch this movie: Barbara Steele. Otherwise, it's a brooding take on murder and gaslighting. And while this is directed by Riccardo Freda, stars Steele and has a character named Dr. Hichcock, it is not the same movie as The Horrible Dr. Hichcock. While this movie was shot right around the same time, it is also not a sequel per se. There are some people who care about these kind of things. Like me.
The ailing Dr. Hichcock and his housekeeper Catherine are engaged in a seance whole his wife Margaret (Steele) is having a love affair with Dr. Livingstone (Peter Baldwin, who in addition to acting in this movie and I Married a Monster from Outer Space, went on to become a director, being behind the camera for TV movies such as the aborted Revenge Against the Nerds TV show pilot, The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island and The Brady Girls Get Married and The Brady Brides series follow-up).
Soon, the doctor is dead and Catherine, Margaret and Livingstone get none of the money. And the key to his safe? Well, he's literally taken it to the grave. Every time they think they get close or find the money, they're thwarted. And soon, Catherine the maid is possessed and throws shade on the lovers, convincing Margaret that she should kill the not so good doctor.
The close is where this movie turns the screw. Hichcock has been alive and well the entire time and he murders Catherine, his co-conspirator, and incriminates Margaret. She had been planning suicide and poured a glass of poison, which Hichcock thinks is poison. He begs for the antidote, but she walks away to be arrested for Catherine's murder. As the movie closes, Hichcock seals himself away inside his castle to die.
Should you watch it? Do you like gothic romantic horror ala Bava but want to see one with none of Bava's directorial flair? How much do you love Barbara Steele? That should inform your opinion.
The ailing Dr. Hichcock and his housekeeper Catherine are engaged in a seance whole his wife Margaret (Steele) is having a love affair with Dr. Livingstone (Peter Baldwin, who in addition to acting in this movie and I Married a Monster from Outer Space, went on to become a director, being behind the camera for TV movies such as the aborted Revenge Against the Nerds TV show pilot, The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island and The Brady Girls Get Married and The Brady Brides series follow-up).
Soon, the doctor is dead and Catherine, Margaret and Livingstone get none of the money. And the key to his safe? Well, he's literally taken it to the grave. Every time they think they get close or find the money, they're thwarted. And soon, Catherine the maid is possessed and throws shade on the lovers, convincing Margaret that she should kill the not so good doctor.
The close is where this movie turns the screw. Hichcock has been alive and well the entire time and he murders Catherine, his co-conspirator, and incriminates Margaret. She had been planning suicide and poured a glass of poison, which Hichcock thinks is poison. He begs for the antidote, but she walks away to be arrested for Catherine's murder. As the movie closes, Hichcock seals himself away inside his castle to die.
Should you watch it? Do you like gothic romantic horror ala Bava but want to see one with none of Bava's directorial flair? How much do you love Barbara Steele? That should inform your opinion.
Eerie, Atmospheric Italian Horrors
videodead200010 May 2001
Barbara Steele is great as the conniving wife of Dr. Hitchcock in this, Freda's sequel to The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock. She conspires with Dr. Hitchcock's physician (who is also her lover) to do away with her old, sick and wealthy husband, which leads to the old revenge-from-beyond-the-grave storyline. While clichéd and (mostly) predictable, this film remains a must-see for fans of atmospheric horror and, in particular, Italian horror films of the 1960's. Riccardo Freda's excellent work combining lighting, sound and camera movement creates an eerie and foreboding atmosphere which overcomes the films weaknesses and gives healthy punctuation to the films shocks. This movie is well worth tracking down, and is certainly deserving of wider recognition than it has thus far received.
Above average Italian horror movie with plenty of ghosts , chills , thrills and twisted intrigue
ma-cortes9 August 2021
Better than average Italian Gothic with astonishing crimes , surprises , atmospheric sets , scary happenings and frightening appearances . A genuinely creepy tale , competently musicalized and well photographed. It deals with a sadistic , crazy and mad doctor (Elio Jotta) conducting bizarre experiments and torturing his unfaithful wife (Barbara Steele) , while a suspect housekeper (Harriet Walter) is watching . Then the spouse and her lover (Peter Baldwin) murder her hubby . Soon, however, things go awry , and weird things begin happening, an eerie ghost of the slain go back to exact their bloody and lethal vendetta , as the wife experiences nightmares and hauntings in time ; then they wonder if they really killed him , or if he is coming back from the dead to haunt them . A mad, sadistic scientist on the loose! .So weird! ...So shocking! Do YOU dare see it! WARNING! See it with someone who's shockproof! Black Sign of Death Is On This House! Horror... sharp as a razor's edge! Written in Blood! The Ghost makes you shiver and quiver ¡ . Eerie , Horrific , Bloodcurling ¡
Enjoyable terror movie revolving around the house haunted plot , a scientific laboratory with its insane doctor and a relentless vengeance with a perturbed ghost appearing and seeking revenge , causing a real nightmare with creepy murders and ghastly events . Set at the ordinary sinister mansion where happens scabrous and horrifying events . In spite of a few escenarios and its low budget the picture is pretty well , thanks to the adequate filmmaking , stunning cinematography taking great use of lights and shades as well as camera positioning to complement appropriate horror set pieces . Surprisingly realized with startling visual content and decently scripted by Oreste Biancoli and director Riccardo Freda himself , resulting in an attractive and intriguing horror movie with sensational atmosphere . Great Barbara Steele , here become a terror myth . As Barbara Steele is splendid , as always , she was the most beautiful star of the greatest horror masterpiece of Italian film, Mario Bava's Black Sunday or Mask of the demon (1960) , after following its American success, AIP brought Barbara to America, to star in Roger Corman's The Pit and thee Pendulum (1961) , she won a role in Federico Fellini's Fellini 8½ (1963); she only had a small role, but it was memorable . Reportedly, Fellini wanted to use her more in the film, but she was contracted to leave Rome to start work on her next horror movie, The horrible secret of doctor Hitchcock (1962). More horror movies followed, such as Lo spettro (1963), Nightmare Castle (1964), Un angelo per Satana (1966) and others ; this success lead to her being typecast in the horror genre, where she more often than not appeared in Italian movies with a dubbed voice. Appearing in The Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968), which was mainly eye candy, with scantily-clad women in a cult. Unfortunately, Barbara got sick of being typecast in horror movies . Here Steele is well accompanied by a fine cast , such as : Elio Jotta gives a nice acting as jealous mad scientist , as well as Peter Baldwin as the unfortunate lover , Harriet Walter or Harriet Medin as the mysterious maid , Umberto Raho as Canon Owens , among others.
Displaying a thrilling and suspenseful musical score by Franco Mannino . It contains a dark and sinister cinematography by Raffaele Masciocchi with filled with lights and shades , reflecting paleness the victims . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Riccardo Freda. Rating 7/10. Essential and fundamental seeing for horror lovers. The picture will appeal to Italian Gothic aficionados and Barbara Steele fans .
Enjoyable terror movie revolving around the house haunted plot , a scientific laboratory with its insane doctor and a relentless vengeance with a perturbed ghost appearing and seeking revenge , causing a real nightmare with creepy murders and ghastly events . Set at the ordinary sinister mansion where happens scabrous and horrifying events . In spite of a few escenarios and its low budget the picture is pretty well , thanks to the adequate filmmaking , stunning cinematography taking great use of lights and shades as well as camera positioning to complement appropriate horror set pieces . Surprisingly realized with startling visual content and decently scripted by Oreste Biancoli and director Riccardo Freda himself , resulting in an attractive and intriguing horror movie with sensational atmosphere . Great Barbara Steele , here become a terror myth . As Barbara Steele is splendid , as always , she was the most beautiful star of the greatest horror masterpiece of Italian film, Mario Bava's Black Sunday or Mask of the demon (1960) , after following its American success, AIP brought Barbara to America, to star in Roger Corman's The Pit and thee Pendulum (1961) , she won a role in Federico Fellini's Fellini 8½ (1963); she only had a small role, but it was memorable . Reportedly, Fellini wanted to use her more in the film, but she was contracted to leave Rome to start work on her next horror movie, The horrible secret of doctor Hitchcock (1962). More horror movies followed, such as Lo spettro (1963), Nightmare Castle (1964), Un angelo per Satana (1966) and others ; this success lead to her being typecast in the horror genre, where she more often than not appeared in Italian movies with a dubbed voice. Appearing in The Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968), which was mainly eye candy, with scantily-clad women in a cult. Unfortunately, Barbara got sick of being typecast in horror movies . Here Steele is well accompanied by a fine cast , such as : Elio Jotta gives a nice acting as jealous mad scientist , as well as Peter Baldwin as the unfortunate lover , Harriet Walter or Harriet Medin as the mysterious maid , Umberto Raho as Canon Owens , among others.
Displaying a thrilling and suspenseful musical score by Franco Mannino . It contains a dark and sinister cinematography by Raffaele Masciocchi with filled with lights and shades , reflecting paleness the victims . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Riccardo Freda. Rating 7/10. Essential and fundamental seeing for horror lovers. The picture will appeal to Italian Gothic aficionados and Barbara Steele fans .
slow start fast finish
kairingler10 July 2013
as my subject line says,, the movie started of painstakingly slow, for the 1st hour,, then all of a sudden the last 30-35 mins, there was so much to take in and stuff was happening at break neck pace . never heard of Barbara Steele before, wow she's so sexy, and amazing her eyes are haunting to say the least. I can imagine any man doing exactly whatever she wanted him to do and be happ about it. Our poor Dr. Hitchcock plays a handicap bound to a wheel chair, his wife decides that she wants him gone and dead fast. so she get's the help of the family lawyer,, and they proceed to try and kill Dr. Hitchcock,, but did they really kill him.. appears so.. but watch and find out,, there are a lot of things I really liked about this one,, I just wish it wouldn't have taken forever for the movie to get a jumpstart,, but once it did I was very happy.. not a bad little movie at all, and enjoyed Barbara Steele immensely. .
Scream queen Barbara Steele doesn't get to much
hollywoodshack29 January 2019
The plot is just a dictionary of horror movie ingredients A to Z, causing a cartoon like effect on the characters difficult for me to relate to. Barbara Steele has so many frightening moments to scream, but she only moans, cries, suffers and laughs hysterically. One room is just filled with props like skulls, candles, and chandeliers to rattle around in. The twist ending is much like Les Diabolique except the bad guy doesn't win out. It's also hard to believe anyone could develop a drug to imitate death and return to life after a funeral.
Slow, boring but a classic tale
KHayes66628 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I can accept 1960's horror movies are nowhere near as scary as the ones from the 1980's but this looks more like a long episode of Tales From The Crypt than a horror movie.
The evil Dr. Hitchcock is now confined to a wheelchair, if you saw the first movie you'd understand why. Anyway, Cynthia Hitchcock and Charles plot to kill old Hitchcock himself and when they do, his ghost supposedly haunts them.
First, the whole plot is straight from the 50's but its definitely worth a look. The movie moves progressively slow, almost boring at times but its definitely has its moments. I will say the plot twist at the end was a nice touch but still everyone will be asleep before they see it
I'm not going to sit her and BS everyone, its old and anyone my age will probably fall asleep watching it but if you're willing to take a look, the highlight of the movie is Cynthia gets ticked off the wolf is too loud so Charles shoots it.
4 out of 10
The evil Dr. Hitchcock is now confined to a wheelchair, if you saw the first movie you'd understand why. Anyway, Cynthia Hitchcock and Charles plot to kill old Hitchcock himself and when they do, his ghost supposedly haunts them.
First, the whole plot is straight from the 50's but its definitely worth a look. The movie moves progressively slow, almost boring at times but its definitely has its moments. I will say the plot twist at the end was a nice touch but still everyone will be asleep before they see it
I'm not going to sit her and BS everyone, its old and anyone my age will probably fall asleep watching it but if you're willing to take a look, the highlight of the movie is Cynthia gets ticked off the wolf is too loud so Charles shoots it.
4 out of 10
"The black sign of death is on this house!"
morrison-dylan-fan27 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Having struggled for a number of months to find a good DVD edition for Riccardo Freda's first Gothic Horror collaboration with Barbara Steele, (The Terror of Dr.Hichcock) I was relived to discover on Amazon that Alpha Video had brought out their second,and final movie:The Ghost out on a DVD that was being sold at a super-cheap price.
Sadly,about 5 minutes after the Alpha DVD had arrived in the post,I realised that the reason the DVD was being sold at such a cheap price,was possibly connected to the picture quality looking like it had been chucked into a potato masher.Pulling my self backup from Alpha's disappointment,I decided to go on an extensive search in the hope of finding Freda's Technicolour glowing ghost.
The plot:
Scotland-1910:
Suffering from a crippling illness,Dr.John Hichcock relies on the good will of his wife Margaret and the advance medical protocol performed on him by Dr. Charles Livingston,who along with giving John tiny doses of poison,in order for it to loosen up his bones and muscles,also takes part in the séances that John holds with Margaret and their house keeper Catherine Wood.Unbeknowst to John,Margaret and Charles have become passionate lovers,who are sick of the very sight of him.
Taking part in a rather dangerous séance,Margaret convinces Charles that now is the perfect time to give John a little bit too much poison.Making sure to cover their tracks,the couple prepare for the hearing of the will,which will lead to them receiving all of the cash that "kind,old" Dr.Hichcock has left for them.Expecting to hear music to their ears,John and Margaret are instead given an unexpected surprise,when they are told that Hichcock has put all of the "will money" into a safe that only he has the key to.
Franticly searching round for the key,Charles and Margaret begin to fear that the séances John held may have left to something else being left behind from "the other side" with his will
View on the film:
With Ernesto Gastaldi's plodding screenplay being the main thing that led to The Terror of Dr.Hichcock being a huge disappointment,I was thrilled to discover that director Riccardo Freda had joined up with Oreste Biancoil to write the screenplay for this far superior film.
Keeping the movie set in Hichcock's atmospheric castle,Freda and Biancoil impressively transform the movie gradually from a chilling Gothic Horror filled with "empty" wheelchairs moving around and a key which seems to always disappear,into a dark Film Noir as cracks begin to appear in Margaret and Charles's passionate lives over if they can truly trust,that neither of them will leave the other empty handed and run off with Hichcock's wealth all for themselves.
For his terrificly stylised directing,Freda shows a surprisingly restrained approach to the Technicolour aspect of the movie,by filling the castle with mist and shadow to build up a shivering mood,that is ripped apart by bursting abrasive colours that Freda uses to give the movies most sinister moments a vibrant twist.
Featuring in almost every single scene of the movie,Barbara Steele gives a truly tremendous performance that causes the viewer to become completely transfixed on the film,thanks to Steele being able to perfectly mix the movie's deep in the eyes Gothic terror,with a ravishing,double crossing side that leads to this being an appointment with Dr.Hichcock that you will happily remember.
Sadly,about 5 minutes after the Alpha DVD had arrived in the post,I realised that the reason the DVD was being sold at such a cheap price,was possibly connected to the picture quality looking like it had been chucked into a potato masher.Pulling my self backup from Alpha's disappointment,I decided to go on an extensive search in the hope of finding Freda's Technicolour glowing ghost.
The plot:
Scotland-1910:
Suffering from a crippling illness,Dr.John Hichcock relies on the good will of his wife Margaret and the advance medical protocol performed on him by Dr. Charles Livingston,who along with giving John tiny doses of poison,in order for it to loosen up his bones and muscles,also takes part in the séances that John holds with Margaret and their house keeper Catherine Wood.Unbeknowst to John,Margaret and Charles have become passionate lovers,who are sick of the very sight of him.
Taking part in a rather dangerous séance,Margaret convinces Charles that now is the perfect time to give John a little bit too much poison.Making sure to cover their tracks,the couple prepare for the hearing of the will,which will lead to them receiving all of the cash that "kind,old" Dr.Hichcock has left for them.Expecting to hear music to their ears,John and Margaret are instead given an unexpected surprise,when they are told that Hichcock has put all of the "will money" into a safe that only he has the key to.
Franticly searching round for the key,Charles and Margaret begin to fear that the séances John held may have left to something else being left behind from "the other side" with his will
View on the film:
With Ernesto Gastaldi's plodding screenplay being the main thing that led to The Terror of Dr.Hichcock being a huge disappointment,I was thrilled to discover that director Riccardo Freda had joined up with Oreste Biancoil to write the screenplay for this far superior film.
Keeping the movie set in Hichcock's atmospheric castle,Freda and Biancoil impressively transform the movie gradually from a chilling Gothic Horror filled with "empty" wheelchairs moving around and a key which seems to always disappear,into a dark Film Noir as cracks begin to appear in Margaret and Charles's passionate lives over if they can truly trust,that neither of them will leave the other empty handed and run off with Hichcock's wealth all for themselves.
For his terrificly stylised directing,Freda shows a surprisingly restrained approach to the Technicolour aspect of the movie,by filling the castle with mist and shadow to build up a shivering mood,that is ripped apart by bursting abrasive colours that Freda uses to give the movies most sinister moments a vibrant twist.
Featuring in almost every single scene of the movie,Barbara Steele gives a truly tremendous performance that causes the viewer to become completely transfixed on the film,thanks to Steele being able to perfectly mix the movie's deep in the eyes Gothic terror,with a ravishing,double crossing side that leads to this being an appointment with Dr.Hichcock that you will happily remember.
Oh that evil Dr. Hitchcock, back again for more Gothic mayhem.
mark.waltz11 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Oh that sultry but sometimes evil looking Barbara Steele....beautiful in a very untraditional way that sadly got her typecast as evil Gothic females out for revenge. In the series of Italian made horror films she appeared in during the 1960's, she didn't even get to dub her own voice in English in spite of being from England! So once you get past that sad fact (and how the voices don't always mesh up with the actors onscreen), you can enjoy this Gothic thriller that shows a versatile Steele playing the troubled wife of Dr. Hitchcock (Elio Jotta), perhaps a relative of "the Horrible Dr. Hitchcock" (a film of the previous year also featuring Ms. Steele), in love with her husband's doctor (Peter Baldwin), yet standing by her crippled husband until she can't take it anymore. Shown stopping him from committing suicide, it is soon apparent that Steele regrets that, and she seduces lover Baldwin into injecting Jotta with his own poison that made him a cripple, with Jotta having earlier revealed that too much of that serum would cause a painful death. The very Mrs. Danvers like housekeeper (Harriet Medin) keeps a close watch on both Steele and Baldwin, and local ministers warn Steele of the rumors going around concerning her and the good doctor. Mistrust develops between the two lovers which results in some violent twists and a shocking revelation towards the end that concludes with some delicious irony.
If you remain patient with the bad dubbing and slow moving action during the exposition scenes, you will soon be drawn in to the secrets going on in the haunted halls of another horrible Dr. Hitchcock. None of the characters are particularly noble, all having motivations that seem suspect, and when the lovers begin to seemingly turn against each other, it takes some interesting bloody turns. Steele isn't completely cold blooded. She is haunted by the sounds of her husband's music box, and this leads her guilt to slowly eat away at her, eventually sending her on the road to madness. Steele doesn't always need her voice to act; She can reveal so much with those "steely" eyes. Little bits and pieces of detail indicate that Steele once did love her husband, but his own obsession with his experiments became his undoing, leading her to look for comfort elsewhere. Baldwin is suave and cool, a master of quiet coolness that leads Steele to conclude that he is out to betray her. Medin is not only a Mrs. Danvers type character; In her cool manner and tightly cropped hair and outfits, she could also be compared to "Downton Abbey's" sinister O'Brien, even though her character isn't nearly as malevolent as either Danvers or O'Brien. The twists at the end keep coming at you as if the emotions were in 3-D, and this makes for a hysterical conclusion that may have you laughing at the irony in delight.
If you remain patient with the bad dubbing and slow moving action during the exposition scenes, you will soon be drawn in to the secrets going on in the haunted halls of another horrible Dr. Hitchcock. None of the characters are particularly noble, all having motivations that seem suspect, and when the lovers begin to seemingly turn against each other, it takes some interesting bloody turns. Steele isn't completely cold blooded. She is haunted by the sounds of her husband's music box, and this leads her guilt to slowly eat away at her, eventually sending her on the road to madness. Steele doesn't always need her voice to act; She can reveal so much with those "steely" eyes. Little bits and pieces of detail indicate that Steele once did love her husband, but his own obsession with his experiments became his undoing, leading her to look for comfort elsewhere. Baldwin is suave and cool, a master of quiet coolness that leads Steele to conclude that he is out to betray her. Medin is not only a Mrs. Danvers type character; In her cool manner and tightly cropped hair and outfits, she could also be compared to "Downton Abbey's" sinister O'Brien, even though her character isn't nearly as malevolent as either Danvers or O'Brien. The twists at the end keep coming at you as if the emotions were in 3-D, and this makes for a hysterical conclusion that may have you laughing at the irony in delight.
I'm Shocked That I Didn't Care For This Film That Much
Rainey-Dawn18 April 2016
Generally speaking, I love this type of film: slow, Gothic, ghosts, mystery and horror but this one is just OK - not nearly as good as I thought it would be. I'm extra shocked because Barbara Steele is in the film - and I like her a lot.
Dr. John Hichcock is in a wheelchair is married to the lovely Margaret. Margaret and Dr. Charles Livingstone are having an affair and Dr. Hichcock knows it. Dr. Hichcock also knows he's being poisoned and even asks his personal doctor, Dr. Charles Livingstone, to give him the antidote. One day Dr. Livingstone and Margaret decides they want John dead so Charles refuses to give John the antidote after his daily poisoning. Margaret and Charles are now happy until they see the "ghost" of John. Is it John's ghost or is John still alive?
It's s-l-o-w-l-y paced until the ending. As I said earlier, I like slow films but this one is just OK - and extremely slow.
4/10
Dr. John Hichcock is in a wheelchair is married to the lovely Margaret. Margaret and Dr. Charles Livingstone are having an affair and Dr. Hichcock knows it. Dr. Hichcock also knows he's being poisoned and even asks his personal doctor, Dr. Charles Livingstone, to give him the antidote. One day Dr. Livingstone and Margaret decides they want John dead so Charles refuses to give John the antidote after his daily poisoning. Margaret and Charles are now happy until they see the "ghost" of John. Is it John's ghost or is John still alive?
It's s-l-o-w-l-y paced until the ending. As I said earlier, I like slow films but this one is just OK - and extremely slow.
4/10
A diamond in the rough
LJ277 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I'd read that THE GHOST (English title for Lo Spettro) was a sequel to THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK. It has the same character names - in some cases but in almost every case, the character from HICHCOCK is either played by someone different from the first movie or has a slightly different name than they had in the first movie. I honestly don't see how you can call it a sequel because it seems to have no direct connection to HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK other than a couple of actors returning from the first movie. However, I am getting away from the point, which is that you do not have to see the first movie to enjoy THE GHOST. I've now seen both and they can stand alone as films. I am only speculating but I suspect it may have originated as a sequel to HICHCOCK (both were filmed back to back over a span of 12 days if I am not mistaken) or maybe someone tried to make it a sequel to HICHCOCK during the dubbing. Who knows? Having seen both films, I personally like THE GHOST much better than HICHCOCK. Both are very pretty to look at with great cinematography and awesome sets. I think THE GHOST is a better told story and moves at a swifter pace I think. I'd not really tried very hard to track down THE GHOST after seeing HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK. HICHCOCK suffers from the fact that director Riccardo Freda got behind schedule and removed 10 pages from the script in order to stay on schedule. The American distributor removed another 10 minutes from the finished film and that kind of renders the final film very difficult to understand. In fact, I didn't really understand it until I read a long analysis of HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK on a fan site which basically explained what the film did not. In contrast to HICHCOCK, THE GHOST was apparently filmed as written. I was lucky enough to be able to see what appears to be an intact copy of the film complete with a murder sequence that must have seemed pretty graphic to viewers in 1963. It seemed graphic to me in 2010. One review of this film called it "almost bloodless" so I assume the film was heavily cut, for theatres as well as television. The copy I saw had a scene so bloody, I was shocked to find it in a film released in 1963, but then again, maybe people then didn't see the same film I saw recently. With Freda and probably most of the crew long dead, I guess we may never know if these cuts were only for the English releases or if they were inflicted on the Italian copy as well. If you are wondering why I praise the film so much, here are a few reasons. For starters, the story is excellent. The actors are dubbed so it's hard to judge their performances but the characters are pretty well drawn for a dubbed foreign film and all the production credits like music score, make-up, special effects, sets, cinematography are all top drawer. Like most Italian horror films from the 1960s, it starts off a little slow but give it a chance. If you manage to see an uncut print like I did, you will be very satisfied with the twists and turns that come fast and furious. I honestly got caught off guard by this movie. I may be dense but I didn't see some of the things in this film coming ahead of time, and I've watched horror movies all my life. Director Riccardo Freda proves he was definitely a better than average talent when he had the schedule, the script and the right actors. All the stars aligned for this one. I think it's Freda's masterpiece...easily his best horror film (I've seen this, HICHCOCK and TRAGIC CEREMONY). It's a shame that the credits call him "Robert Hampton." He should have had his real name on this since I think it's a movie he would be proud of.
Now, here is the only thing I do not understand about THE GHOST and that is why this film is not commercially available in it's uncut form. There are budget DVDs of it out there usually featuring a transfer from some old battered 16mm TV print and most of those are cut. THE GHOST is now one of my all-time favourite examples of the golden age of Italian horror films and ranks right up there with the best works from Mario Bava and Antonio Margheriti. I can only conclude this is another sad case of being unable to locate the original negative or not being able to find a usable and uncut copy of the film. THE GHOST is one of the most entertaining and satisfying examples of Gothic Italian motion picture horror and does not deserve it's relative obscurity. I'm just glad I waited until I could see an uncut print of it. It's not in the best condition but at least it is complete. Don't miss this one. THE GHOST is well worth whatever trouble you have to go to in order to see it. Hopefully someone will give it a pristine and restored release to DVD or Blu-Ray. Someday it will be recognized for the fine film that it is.
Now, here is the only thing I do not understand about THE GHOST and that is why this film is not commercially available in it's uncut form. There are budget DVDs of it out there usually featuring a transfer from some old battered 16mm TV print and most of those are cut. THE GHOST is now one of my all-time favourite examples of the golden age of Italian horror films and ranks right up there with the best works from Mario Bava and Antonio Margheriti. I can only conclude this is another sad case of being unable to locate the original negative or not being able to find a usable and uncut copy of the film. THE GHOST is one of the most entertaining and satisfying examples of Gothic Italian motion picture horror and does not deserve it's relative obscurity. I'm just glad I waited until I could see an uncut print of it. It's not in the best condition but at least it is complete. Don't miss this one. THE GHOST is well worth whatever trouble you have to go to in order to see it. Hopefully someone will give it a pristine and restored release to DVD or Blu-Ray. Someday it will be recognized for the fine film that it is.
Wait till the end.
BA_Harrison25 October 2020
Lo Spettro (The Ghost), by director Riccardo Freda, is, for the most part, fairly routine Italian Gothic horror - slow moving, atmospheric, and for the most part, rather predictable. It is, however, bolstered by a superb performance from genre great Barbara Steele, some lovely visuals, and best of all, a preposterous but deliciously dark final act that ties everything up very nicely with an unexpected twist.
The film is set in Scotland in 1910. Steele plays Margaret, wife of crippled doctor John Hichcock (Elio Jotta), whose experiments involving the supernatural are upsetting the superstitious locals. Meanwhile, Margaret is carrying on a secret love affair with Dr. Charles Livingstone, John's physician, who, according to his patient's instructions, has been using a deadly poison (and the requisite antidote) as part of a radical treatment. Margaret hates her husband so much that she talks Charles into neglecting to administer the antidote, leading to a painful death for John. However, after his burial, it appears that John's spirit has returned to haunt Margaret and Charles, who are busy searching the house for the dead man's hidden fortune.
To give away the ending would be to ruin the best part of the whole film, so I'll keep tight-lipped about the twist, suffice to say that it gives Steele the opportunity to let loose, the actress giving a wild-eyed (and what eyes they are!), memorably manic performance that steals the show. If the gradual pace tempts you to switch off before the end, try to be patient - the wait is definitely worth it.
The film is set in Scotland in 1910. Steele plays Margaret, wife of crippled doctor John Hichcock (Elio Jotta), whose experiments involving the supernatural are upsetting the superstitious locals. Meanwhile, Margaret is carrying on a secret love affair with Dr. Charles Livingstone, John's physician, who, according to his patient's instructions, has been using a deadly poison (and the requisite antidote) as part of a radical treatment. Margaret hates her husband so much that she talks Charles into neglecting to administer the antidote, leading to a painful death for John. However, after his burial, it appears that John's spirit has returned to haunt Margaret and Charles, who are busy searching the house for the dead man's hidden fortune.
To give away the ending would be to ruin the best part of the whole film, so I'll keep tight-lipped about the twist, suffice to say that it gives Steele the opportunity to let loose, the actress giving a wild-eyed (and what eyes they are!), memorably manic performance that steals the show. If the gradual pace tempts you to switch off before the end, try to be patient - the wait is definitely worth it.
Things Going Bump In The Night
bkoganbing22 April 2011
The Ghost finds Barbara Steele and Peter Baldwin as the lady of the house and the live in physician doing a whole lot of kanoodling right under the nose of husband Elio Jotte. The husband has been lingering on death's door for some time and Steele and Baldwin would just like it if were to go just do it quickly so they can start spending the fortune Jotte's alleged to have left.
There does come a point when the two decide to hurry things a long and even raise a few eyebrows among the neighborhood when Baldwin continues to live at the estate. But when all kinds of things start to go bump in the night the relationship starts to come apart at the seams. Housekeeper Harriet Medin who is the only other person living in the estate is loyal to her late master and makes no attempt to conceal her disgust with Steele and Baldwin.
The Ghost is an Italian production with foreign players from the USA and UK and is not too bad in the thrill department. It won't give any competition to Alfred Hitchcock. Might however for William Caste.
There does come a point when the two decide to hurry things a long and even raise a few eyebrows among the neighborhood when Baldwin continues to live at the estate. But when all kinds of things start to go bump in the night the relationship starts to come apart at the seams. Housekeeper Harriet Medin who is the only other person living in the estate is loyal to her late master and makes no attempt to conceal her disgust with Steele and Baldwin.
The Ghost is an Italian production with foreign players from the USA and UK and is not too bad in the thrill department. It won't give any competition to Alfred Hitchcock. Might however for William Caste.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
