I'm always intrigued by these gimmick movies and am long past the point of feeling disappointed if the gimmick doesn't deliver. In this film's case, the opening narration advises the viewer with a warning for your personal welfare as the events one is about to see are so shocking. And when it's over, don't tell your neighbor what your saw, because what the heck, we want to get his movie ticket money too.
In retrospect, one wonders how old Doc Barrett (William Prince) expected to get away with the kidnapping scam involving his own daughter. All one needed to do was crack the undertaker Quigley (Jonathan Kidd), and that didn't take very much when push came to shove near the finale. Told utilizing a couple of flashback scenes, the story does manage to build a bit of suspense, but in attempting a resolution, the effort results in some genuine hilarity. I especially got a kick out of old Wetherby (Philip Tonge) doing the Redd Foxx heart attack gimmick to hilarious effect, practically crawling into his daughter's grave at the midnight funeral ceremony.
With my best recollection of Jim Backus as the voice of Mr. Magoo and playing the fabulously wealthy Thurston Howell on 'Gilligan's Island, it was somewhat distracting to see him here as the creepy Sheriff Tyloe. Even more stunning was seeing his sometimes gal pal Nancy Wetherby (Christine White) tooling along the highway while totally blind! OK, she had someone alongside to help guide the car, but that seemed just a bit daring, don't you think?
The best scenes in the picture had to do with the graveyard hunt when the Doc and his assistant Polly (Jacqueline Scott) try to locate the place where the mysterious voice on the phone suggested the doctor's young daughter was buried. The fog enshrouded set and spooky atmosphere was about as good as 1941's "The Wolf Man", and if the film makers had thought of it, they might have used his help to knock off Wetherby a bit sooner. Who knows, Barrett might even have gotten away with it.
In retrospect, one wonders how old Doc Barrett (William Prince) expected to get away with the kidnapping scam involving his own daughter. All one needed to do was crack the undertaker Quigley (Jonathan Kidd), and that didn't take very much when push came to shove near the finale. Told utilizing a couple of flashback scenes, the story does manage to build a bit of suspense, but in attempting a resolution, the effort results in some genuine hilarity. I especially got a kick out of old Wetherby (Philip Tonge) doing the Redd Foxx heart attack gimmick to hilarious effect, practically crawling into his daughter's grave at the midnight funeral ceremony.
With my best recollection of Jim Backus as the voice of Mr. Magoo and playing the fabulously wealthy Thurston Howell on 'Gilligan's Island, it was somewhat distracting to see him here as the creepy Sheriff Tyloe. Even more stunning was seeing his sometimes gal pal Nancy Wetherby (Christine White) tooling along the highway while totally blind! OK, she had someone alongside to help guide the car, but that seemed just a bit daring, don't you think?
The best scenes in the picture had to do with the graveyard hunt when the Doc and his assistant Polly (Jacqueline Scott) try to locate the place where the mysterious voice on the phone suggested the doctor's young daughter was buried. The fog enshrouded set and spooky atmosphere was about as good as 1941's "The Wolf Man", and if the film makers had thought of it, they might have used his help to knock off Wetherby a bit sooner. Who knows, Barrett might even have gotten away with it.