The Black Castle

CinemaSerf

Richard Greene is "Richard Beckett" who arrives at the aptly named castle of eye-patch wearing Austrian count "von Bruno" (a suitably hammy Stephen McNally) to find out what has happened to two of his friends who have gone missing. Once there, he finds himself involved in some intrigues with his host - and his glamorous wife "Elga" (Rita Corday) that pits the two in a battle of wits and for survival. Lon Chaney Jr. features as the count's rather dim-witted henchman "Gargon" and there a few scene-stealing appearances from Boris Karloff as "Dr. Meissen", the well meaning castle physician. Don't expect a horror film, aside from a pool full of hungry of alligators and some medieval instruments of torture, there isn't any - this is just a straight historical drama/romance that pitches good against evil with some sword fighting, good old fashioned treachery and a damsel, frequently, in distress. It isn't Nathan Juran's best - but it's a perfectly competent little adventure yarn to while away 80 minutes.