The Ghost

 

 

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If you like early '60s Italian Gothic horror and Barbara Steele, you'll like this movie. The last 10 minutes are awesome. I found it even more entertaining than Steele's cult classic "Black Sunday", so why 1 star?? Because the Alpha DVD has a pretty woeful transfer. Mastered from a VHS tape that had a 16mm film print recorded on it. The color in the film print itself had turned. Don't expect the Technicolor stated in the titles. While the first reel is bad enough (the blacks are dark blue,etc.), the second reel has only 2 colors: purple and cream. I suppose you get what you pay for. The artwork is cool though, and it beats paying more than twice as much for a Sinister Cinema videotape of the same movie with the same quality. Worth a look, just don't expect the world for the meagre price tag.

What a great movie, and hard to believe the director supposedly didn't like doing horror movies very much!

Good acting, especially from Barbara Steele, and she certainly is the strongest (in more ways than one), character in the movie.

The music is excellent and the cinematography is well done too.

Great plot twists, fantastic ending, spooky scenes, and this copy of "The Ghost" delivers a very decent image quality from the other copy I have.

And for the price? I definitely recommend this one!

British scream queen Barbara Steele, perhaps the most talented, beautiful, and prolific leading lady of European horror, stars in this lavishly Gothic story of murder, greed, and deceit. Steele plays Margaret, a young woman unhappily married to an older, crippled scientist/metaphysician. This film from 1963 is in fact a sequel of sorts to the previous year's The Terror of Dr. Hichcock, but ignorance of the first film is in no way an impediment to one's enjoyment of The Ghost. Such a boring, nondescript title does this film an injustice of sorts because it is a riveting thriller blessed with enough atmosphere and suspense to keep the viewer enthralled up until the very end. Peter Baldwin plays Dr. Charles Livingstone, the doctor treating Dr. Hichcock for his paralytic condition; the treatment is a strange one, but it is Hichcock's own proscribed cure for what ails him. Basically, the doctor shoots the patient full of poison and then gives him the antidote in short order; this unorthodox treatment supposedly has quite an invigorating effect on the patient's system. Naturally, the doctor and Margaret have fallen in love, and Margaret finally convinces her lover to put her husband out of commission for good. The expected bliss of the murderous young widow and her tarnished lover is not to be, however, as Hichcock's presence in the house grows stronger than ever. All of the money and jewels are hidden away from the "grieving" widow, the town begins to talk about the young doctor remaining at the home of his deceased patient, and the local clergyman periodically shows up to voice his displeasure at the circumstances. Most importantly, Hichcock"s ghost makes several terrifying appearances to both of his murderers in the house. While the secret of the haunting and eventual course of events are rather easy to see coming, the story remains vibrant and suspenseful, and the ultimate conclusion is quite satisfying to this viewer.

There is just something special about European horror films, especially Italian classics such as this somewhat neglected thriller directed by Riccardo Freda. American horror films can rarely equal their transatlantic cousins in terms of atmosphere. The Gothic look of the huge castle-like manor, the lighting of each scene, the subtle, almost-perfect camera movement, the convincing performances by the players, and most especially the music work together beautifully to keep the pulse of suspense beating strongly and increasingly faster as the film progresses. Not only does Freda know how to accent the presentation with wonderful music, he also knows when to cut the background music off completely for just the right effect. I rarely notice the musical background in movies, but it stands out as a palpable force in The Ghost. This film is so wonderfully made and effectively presented that the somewhat predictable conclusion takes very little away from the viewer's satisfaction.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Woman Of Steele!
THE GHOST is my favorite Barbara Steele movie. She is fantastic as the scheming, coniving, back-stabbing wife of the seemingly weak and dying Dr. Hitchcock. Read more

Published on Dec 10 2003 by Bindy Sue Frønkünschtein

5.0 out of 5 stars FOR STEELE FANS.....
Riccardo Freda followed up his 1962 classic "Terror of Dr.Hitchcock" with 1963's "The Ghost"...again with Barbara Steele. Read more

Published on Nov 14 2003 by Mark Norvell

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