The black museum
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The black museum |
| Original title | Horrors of the Black Museum |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1959 |
| length | 78 (British verse) / 81 (German verse) minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 18 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Arthur Crabtree |
| script |
Herman Cohen Aben Kandel |
| production | Jack Greenwood |
| music | Gerard Schurmann |
| camera | Desmond Dickinson |
| cut | Geoffrey Muller |
| occupation | |
| |
The Black Museum (Original title: Horrors of the Black Museum ) is a British horror film from 1959 by Arthur Crabtree with Michael Gough in the lead role.
action
The story takes place in London at the end of the 1950s. A woman receives a package, unpacks it and, in the presence of her friend, puzzles as to who is the secret admirer who is giving her a telescope. She goes to the window and wants to try it out, maybe because she thinks the suitor lives on the opposite side, but then the friend hears a sharp scream. The recipient slumped covered in blood: two steel thorns snapping out of the glasses stabbed her deep in the eyes and killed her. In the office of the investigating police superintendent Graham, the friend Peggy makes her testimony. Shortly after she leaves the room, sensationalist Edmond Bancroft shows up. He has heard of the bizarre murder attempt and is fascinated by the attack instrument, which he immediately looks at. Graham is anything but happy about Bancroft's presence, who seems to be a regular here now, because this is the third murder in just two weeks, and unmarried young women have always been the victims of the murder. Bancroft asks Graham if the latest murderous instrument bears any resemblance to similar artifacts kept in the London Police's “black museum”, which is not open to the public. Since no unauthorized person has access to this mysterious museum, Bancroft speculates that the perpetrator might be a man from the police apparatus who felt he was being treated unfairly. Graham is annoyed by his visit and accuses Bancroft of merely spreading panic with his newspaper articles and book publications and trying to satisfy the sensationalism of the masses.
While the police are on the spot, Bancroft visits his family doctor, Dr. Ballan, who assures him that all the excitement about mysterious murders is not good for his health. Bancroft, in turn, assures the doctor that after every act of horror he would write off all his tension from his mind every time. What nobody but his adlatus Rick knows: Bancroft has its own "black museum", its own horror chamber with connected electronic devices in the basement of his country house. All kinds of torture instruments and weapons are kept here. Obviously, Bancroft's focus on killing tools is related to the series of murders. While Bancroft's doctor analyzes his patient's nervous tension, the author argues with his wheat-blonde friend Joan, who is demanding more and more money from her lover. When he refuses to do so, she begins to poke at Bancroft and blaspheme about his mobility problems, even calling him a "cripple". When she reveals to Bancroft that he had gossiped in her arms that he knew the killer of women, Bancroft begins to realize how dangerous this bought woman can be for him. When Joan returns to her apartment from a fun evening in a bar, her killer is already waiting for her there. She lies down in her bed to sleep and sees a guillotine hovering above her, which rushes down a second later and separates her head from her torso. The murderer runs past several residents, all of whom give false descriptions of the perpetrators. The perpetrator with the red top looks harried, bloated and tormented in the face: it is none other than Bancroft's temporarily disfigured assistant Rick.
The police are getting stuck in the crime series, so they are very happy that a little weirdo named Tom Rivers, who is already in prison, claims that he killed all the women concerned. Perhaps, Superintendent Graham hopes, the real culprit can be lured out of reserve. Rick, now relaxed and normal looking, secretly meets his girlfriend Angela during Bancroft's absence, who doesn't understand why he's keeping Bancroft such a secret about their relationship. She is also not very happy that Rick makes himself more and more dependent on the will of his employer and can no longer detach himself from him, as he sadly confesses to her. When Bancroft visits the second-hand dealer Aggy to look for a new, murderous collection item for his black museum, she demands the enormous sum of 1200 pounds for a simple ice tong. When Bancroft asks in complete amazement whether he has misheard, the old woman tells him to the head that she knows that he was behind the series of murders. She recognized her trademark on the binoculars photographed in the newspaper. Bancroft doesn’t want to be blackmailed, and he can’t need anyone to know. So he simply rams the ice tongs down her throat. After this last murder, Dr. Ballan in his black museum and tells his patient on the head that he is sure that he, Bancroft, is the spiritus rector behind these crimes. Each time Bancroft fell into shock shortly after the murder and used this as a driving force for his horror stories in the newspapers. Ballan tells Bancroft to accompany him to the police immediately. He shouldn't have asked for this, because Bancroft delegates his family doctor to his electronic system. When Ballan stands between two circuits, Bancroft turns a switch to full voltage and the doctor is electrocuted to death. Then assistant Rick has to lower the corpse on an iron chain into an acid bath that is conveniently available next door, in order to pull out the polished skeleton a little later.
Bancroft goes to a book signing of his new book. When he returns to his black museum, he can't believe his eyes. Rick brought his girlfriend Angela with him and they both mess around. Bancroft struggles to keep calm and asks Angela to wait for him and Rick upstairs in the living area. As soon as she's gone, Bancroft literally folds his assistant up. He assures Angela that she wouldn't trumpet anything about the black museum, but Bancroft says that sooner or later all women will start gossiping. After this sermon, Rick is remorseful and has Bancroft give him an injection in the arm. Now he is once again completely under the influence of his lord and master, as every time he received a new murder assignment. As intended, Rick should go to the fairground with his girlfriend. From Rick's Dr. Jekyll character, the sprayed serum is supposed to bring out the dark side of Rick's nature, Mr. Hyde, once more. Rick is already feeling the first change at the fair, but Angela doesn't want to just let him go. Both drive with a little boat into the dark "tunnel of love", an ideal place for lovers. When they come out again, Rick's face has turned into a grimace. Angela gives a short scream, then Rick stabs her deep in the heart with a stiletto. Followed by several bobsleighs, the fugitive climbs onto a ferris wheel. At this point, Bancroft is with Superintendent Graham. When he is informed by telephone about the incident at the fair, he races there with Bancroft in the police car. Rick recognizes Bancroft from above and calls out to him: "Mr. Bancroft, I did what you told me! ”Bancroft is beside himself and calls out to the cops in a panic:“ Shoot him, shoot him down, kill him! ”The cops aim and shoot while Rick goes out with his stiletto jumps down at a lofty height, knocking Bancroft down and ramming his long dagger into his heart. Both men are dead.
Production notes
The black museum came into being in autumn 1958 and premiered in England in April 1959.
Leading actor Gough played one of the few leading roles in his screen career.
The film is estimated to have cost $ 164,000 and grossed over $ 1 million. The great economic success meant that two more fabrics of this type - this small series of "dirty", sadistic horror strips were later called " Sadian Trilogy" - were produced in the next twelve months . This was followed by Eyes of Fear , which has now achieved cult status, and The Red Shadow . Both films were shot in 1959 and released in theaters in 1960.
Reviews
“ Circus of Horrors , together with Horrors of the Black Museum and Peeping Tom , established a new, clearer standard in the horror genre, thanks to the establishment of a high level of elegance; and, surprisingly, this is still true after almost forty years. "
“Bloodthirsty creepy food in color and style. This time a crazy woman murderer and an "apprentice" were put on the wide screen. It is the beautiful ambition of this duo to kill their victims in the most original way possible. Thanks to a sleepy police force and a bestial arsenal, the black museum, the two can pursue this passion almost continuously, apart from a few breather breaks. This is nothing for squeamish natures, because not much consideration is given to nerves and good taste. "
In Films 1959/61 the following can be read: "The film depicts its crimes not without approval with hideous details in the manner of tasteless horror productions."
"Horrible sequences are the highlight of this shock."
"Raw shock."
In the lexicon of the international film it says: "Technically complex horror film production with some tastelessness."
Web links
- The black museum in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Turner Classic Movies
- ↑ like 1
- ^ Films 1959/61. Handbook VI of the Catholic film criticism. P. 151
- ↑ The Black Museum. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed November 10, 2015 .