Horrors of the Black Museum (1959)

Director:

Arthur Crabtree

Writers:

Herman Cohen (writer)
Aben Kandel (writer)

Release Date:

24 November 1959 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

SEE! The Fantastic Binocular Murder! SEE! The Vat of Death!

Plot:

The promotion announced that this film was released in "Hypnovision" which gives an idea of the story...

Plot Keywords:

Assistant | Police | Park Bench | Stabbed In The Eye | Decapitation

Cast

Michael Gough	...	Edmond Bancroft
June Cunningham	...	Joan Berkley
Graham Curnow	...	Rick
Shirley Anne Field	...	Angela Banks
Geoffrey Keen	...	Supt. Graham
Gerald Anderson	...	Dr. Ballan
John Warwick	...	Insp. Lodge
Beatrice Varley	...	Aggie
Austin Trevor	...	Commissioner Wayne
Malou Pantera	...	Peggy (Gail's roommate)
Howard Greene	...	Tom Rivers
Dorinda Stevens	...	Gail Dunlap
Stuart Saunders	...	Strength-Test Barker
Hilda Barry	...	Woman in Hall
Nora Gordon	...	Woman in Hall
Vanda Godsell	...	Miss Ashton
Gerald Case	...	Bookshop Manager
Geoffrey Denton	...	Sergeant at Jail
William Abney	...	Patrol Constable #1
Howard Pays	...	Patrol Constable #2
Frank Henderson	...	Medical Examiner
Garard Green	...	Fingerprint Expert
Ingrid Cardon	...	Little Girl
Emile Franchel	...	Introductory Lecturer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sydney Bromley	...	Neighbor
John Harvey	...	Man in Bookshop
Maya Koumani	...	Hypnotized Woman
Marianne Stone	...	Neighbor
Carole Ann Ford	...	Teen in Hall of Mirrors (uncredited)
Norah Hammond	...	Elderly woman (uncredited)
Susan Raie	...	Dark-haired girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Arthur Crabtree

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Herman Cohen		writer
Aben Kandel		writer

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	producer
Herman Cohen	....	producer
Jack Greenwood	....	producer

Original Music by
Gerard Schurmann

Cinematography by
Desmond Dickinson

Film Editing by
Geoffrey Muller

Art Direction by
C. Wilfred Arnold

Makeup Department
Gordon Bond	....	hair stylist
Jack Craig	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jim O'Connolly	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Shore	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Ronald Abbott	....	sound
Derek Holding	....	sound effects editor
Sidney Rider	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Harry Gillam	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maude Churchill	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Ken Jones	....	dance music by
Muir Mathieson	....	musical director

Other crew
James H. Nicholson	....	presenter
Marjorie Owens	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Carmel Productions
• Merton Park Studios

Distributors

• Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (1959) (UK) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Films (1959) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Lumiere Pictures (1993) (UK) (VHS)
• Cinema Club (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• VCI Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Battersea Fun Fair, Battersea Park, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

Carmel Productions

Trivia:

Actor Graham Curnow was the lover of Victor Spinetti and used his salary from this film to buy a flat on Manchester Street in London, where they set up housekeeping.

Quotes:

Bancroft:No woman can hold her tongue. They're a vicious, unreliable breed!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Creepy Classics (1987) (V)

Probably saved by its gimmick

It was only after looking at the director of "Fiend without a face" that I realised that 'Fiend' and "Horrors of the Black Museum" were directed by the same person. Both movies are very good British horror movies (though it's a pity that it's so difficult to find 'Fiend' and it doesn't look like the BBC will show it again - maybe this prayer will work). Because it's so hard to find 'Fiend", I chose to review 'Horrors' because you should get the chance to watch a Crabtree movie. Apart from the plot of "Horrors of the Black Museum" (which I won't go into here - if you're interested, you can always read the plot summary) the movie has a special feature (Hypnovista) which probably is one of the reasons why it's still around now. Hypnovista was a gimmick like the ones William Castle liked to use (think of the color scene and the moving theatre seats in 'The Tingler' or the Fright Break which paused 'Homicidal'), but certainly not the only reason to see the movie (unless, of course you are totally into hypnotised people). I agree that some of the stunts could have been better (I never believed the skeleton), but the movie was made in 1959. Indeed, they don't make them like they used to do... "Horrors of the Black Museum" is one of the movies which make you add "...unfortunately". (the same goes for 'Fiend')