Review #2600: Mr. Sardonicus.
Cast:
Oskar Homolka (Krull), Ronald Lewis (Sir Robert Cargrave), Audrey Dalton (Maude Sardonicus), Guy Rolfe (Baron Sardonicus / Marek Toleslawski), Vladimir Sokoloff (Henryk Toleslawski), Erika Peters (Elenka), and Lorna Hanson (Anna)
Produced and Directed by William Castle (#369 - House on Haunted Hill (1959), #1071 - 13 Ghosts, #1418 - The Night Walker, #1703 - Undertow, #2261 - Macabre, #2300 - Homicidal, #2301 - Strait-Jacket. #2436 - The Tingler)
Review:
The Castle-mania of gimmicks and loose ideas of what to do in horror had to go with a "punishment poll" to really drive up some curiosity, really. William Castle bought the rights to the short story "Sardonicus" by Ray Russell and got him to write the screenplay (as for the title of the story/film, it refers to Risus sardonicus or rictus grin that involves a spasm of the facial muscles that looks like a grin, with a good chunk of observations believing it as a sign of tetanus). The gimmick this time revolved around a "punishment poll" involving glow-in-the-dark cards that you could either hold up or down to try and determine a possible ending, with Castle "hosting" as if he is seeing the poll taking place himself. Released by Columbia Pictures in October 1961 that soon saw it paired in a double feature with Valley of the Dragons, Castle followed a different path for his next film with Zotz! (1962), a fantasy comedy (the gimmick for that movie? a plastic replica of an amulet that had a hole for a key chain) before getting back to horror with a remake of The Old Dark House (1963).
Okay, there wasn't actually two endings to choose from, although for many years it was believed to be the case, with Castle even claiming as such in his autobiography. But it does make for a delightful note to get started in talking about an average but delightful time spent in the attempts at imagination with Castle and company. It dwells heavily on dialogue and its one estate set while having its one trump card being the occasional effects shot of the title character; with five separate facial appliance fittings, Rolfe couldn't wear that thing for very long and thus is shown mostly with a mask over his face. Homolka got top billing as the one-eyed leering butler, for whatever reason, although he was talented enough at one point in time (as you could say for an Academy Award-nominated actor) to make it worthwhile, which is done here with a bit of unsettling curiosity. There isn't much for Rolfe to really chew on beyond cheap villainy, but he does make a go at it with a type of relish that at least makes the setup for the climax seem plausible enough to invest time with. Lewis and Dalton would make a curious part of a triangle with Rolfe in a duel for attention, but it doesn't really go too far; at least Lewis has some charm to keep the ship afloat in likability. The mask is actually a bit creepy at times, which might make up for the fact that he basically is the ridiculous type of evil in "for...reasons" type, which involves ordering leeches on someone's face or wanting to pick out a woman from a lineup to do...things in the chambers (the townspeople sure treat his name like he was a vampire) or the eventual pressing of our hero to get to work. So, there's the backstory with the man and the grin. Apparently, it all stems from trying to rob the grave of his father to obtain...a lottery ticket, because his wife sure would think of it as a way to prove his love (as if being married wasn't enough). By the time it lumbers to the conclusion, it has made for an adequate film that used its trappings (soundstages doubling for 19th century Europe) and some showmanship to at least make a watchable experience. It's not exactly as rambunctious as The Tingler or even House on Haunted Hill, but it will work just fine for those who love Castle's little tricks and energy in the horror sense.
Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
*The review at the time for The New York Times said that Castle was "not Edgar Allan Poe" with its execution, as if that somehow was an own.
