For veteran B movie director William Castle, his first film with a gimmick was far more interesting during its initial release for that gimmuck: insurance policies for death by fright. I'm sure that audience members were entranced by the possibility of that happening, but this film is about as scary as a hiccup. Certainly, the atmosphere was spooky, in appearance, with foggy cemeteries and the theme of being buried alive setting up the plot. The premise of the missing girl rumored to be buried alive leads several relatives to the cemetery and unfortunately, there's nothing more than a few gruesome looking dummies (or extras) utilized for "sudden shock".
Instantly recognizable are Jim Backus and Ellen Corby, with William Prince the only other semi-recognizable name. For everybody else though, they are unknowns outside a few B filma here and there, and because there's really no impact from them, no one in the cast really deserves to be singled out. The buildup is a complete letdown, and there are no surprises even in the sudden twists. The ending credits, however, will be worth staying through. Of William Castle's films with publicity building gimmicks, it is by far his weakest.
Instantly recognizable are Jim Backus and Ellen Corby, with William Prince the only other semi-recognizable name. For everybody else though, they are unknowns outside a few B filma here and there, and because there's really no impact from them, no one in the cast really deserves to be singled out. The buildup is a complete letdown, and there are no surprises even in the sudden twists. The ending credits, however, will be worth staying through. Of William Castle's films with publicity building gimmicks, it is by far his weakest.