Three Dangerous Ladies (1977)

Directors:

Alvin Rakoff
Robert Fuest

Writers:

Robert Bloch (story) (segment "The Mannikin")
Robert Fuest (adaptation) (segment "The Island")

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

A trilogy of terror

Plot Keywords:

Anthology

Cast

Ronee Blakley	...	Simone (segment "The Mannikin")
Graham Crowden	...	The Butler (segment "The Island") (as Craham Crowden)
Ed Devereaux	...	Ferryman (segment "The Island") (as Ed Deveraux)
Keir Dullea	...	David (segment "The Mannikin")
Derek Francis	...	Benson (segment "Mrs. Amworth")
Charles Gray	...	Santander (segment "The Island")
John Hurt	...	Lt. Simmonds (segment "The Island")
Glynis Johns	...	Mrs. Amworth (segment "Mrs. Amworth")
Cec Linder	...	Dr. Carstairs (segment "The Mannikin")
Pip Miller	...	David (segment "Mrs. Amworth")
Pol Pelletier	...	Miss Smith (segment "The Mannikin")
John Philips	...	Urcombe (segment "Mrs. Amworth")
Jenny Runacre	...	Mrs. Santander (segment "The Island")

Runtime:

USA:88 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Highgate Pictures

Movie Connections:

Edited from Mannikin (1977)

little-seen horror anthology; not very good at all, despite some big name credits

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

It's a bit hard to entirely fairly review this one, since the sound and picture were on the muddy side on the old videotape I watched.

This is a three part horror anthology with no linking segments, although there is a narrator who speaks in voice-over at the beginning of each one. The movie begins with some clips from each segment.

In Mrs. Amworth, a couple people are apparently bitten by bugs that make them vampires or something like that. One of the more interesting moments was an accidental death of someone, but otherwise I didn't find this one too involving.

In the second part, The Mannikin, a singer/songwriter's mother died (I think), and for some reason she decides never to return to a house that belonged to her best friend (I think) who may have been her mother's housekeeper, I'm not sure. One of the rooms has some occultist trappings that she hurls to the floor.

She's got a bit of a raspy voice and her guitar playing seemed awfully out of tune, and her acting is dreadful. The editing in this was is quite poor too, lingering on scenes that aren't working, on closeups of actors that aren't performing well, or who are (like Keir Dullea here) overacting.

She develops some kind of tumor or hunchback and dons a red cloak and yells at her psychologist and returns to the house. There, some sort of satanic ritual is done, and some black creature breaks through the skin of her back. The psychologist rushes to the house to find out what's going on with her, but is told he's not needed. On the way home, he's attacked by some sort of mutant devil baby (*really* bad special effects) that is the mannikin, I suppose.

In the last segment, The Island, John Hurt is returning from a war in Africa and is visiting his lover on an island nobody wants to take him to. There he finds only the butler, and a man claiming to be an electrician. The butler has not seen the electrician, and it seems like the place might be haunted, or something. This one was rather dull too, I'm afraid.

Despite some big names in the cast, writing, directing, and composing, the movie is one that certainly has earned its obscurity. Still, hopefully a better print may be found and put on DVD at some point.