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ACTOR
Heather SearsJohn TurnerAnn LynnPeter Arne
DIRECTOR
Robert Hartford-Davis
SYNOPSICS
The Black Torment (1964) is a English movie. Robert Hartford-Davis has directed this movie. Heather Sears,John Turner,Ann Lynn,Peter Arne are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1964. The Black Torment (1964) is considered one of the best Horror,Mystery movie in India and around the world.
A lord returns to his manor with his new wife, to hear rumors that he had already secretly returned and had committed several murders. Has he lost his mind, or is something dark afoot?
Same Actors
Same Director
The Black Torment (1964) Reviews
"One of Britain's most striking horror films."
A 17th-century aristocrat called Sir Richard Fordyke (JOHN TURNER) returns to his country estate in Devon with his new bride Elizabeth (HEATHER SEARS). But all is not well because people including his horseman Black John (FRANCIS DE WOLFE) are shunning him. Fordyke soon discovers from his accountant Seymour (PETER ARNE) that a farm girl called Lucy Judd (EDINA RONAY) was raped and murdered in the woods and that just before she died she named Fordyke as the culprit. This is impossible because Fordyke had been in London for the past three months and the superstitious locals are inevitably spreading rumours of witchcraft and devilry. Three years ago, Fordyke's first wife Anne committed suicide by throwing herself out of a top floor window and the locals claim that they have seen him on horseback at night (while he was supposedly away) being chased by a ghostly woman dressed in white uttering cries of "murderer". They believe the woman to be the ghost of Anne as her voice resembles the deceased. This sparks off a number of supernatural happenings. For instance, a new horse saddle arrives for Sir Richard with Anne's name engraved on it and the maker insists that Fordyke came into his shop and ordered it personally. Meanwhile, Fordyke begins to see the alleged ghost of his late wife prowling the grounds at night. Two more murders follow and Elizabeth and Fordyke must find out the truth behind the sinister goings-on before disastrous consequences could ruin their lives... THE BLACK TORMENT is one of the most striking British horror films ever made. Robert-Hartford-Davies (in my opinion) is an unfairly maligned director. It is true that he was often lumbered with inferior films, but this is quite a literate little film and he recreates the 17th-century period with great delicacy. Another work of note from this director is INCENCE FOR THE DAMNED (1972: aka BLOODSUCKERS), this was a promising adaptation of a vampire novel by Simon Raven. Alas, the picture was marred by production problems and Davies had his name removed from it and was credited as Michael Burrowes. When you watch that film you can see some of the scars from those troubles, but there really was an intelligent movie itching to get out there. In THE BLACK TORMENT, the setting of the story by Donald and Derek Ford (they penned the spirited Holmes vs the Ripper yarn A STUDY IN TERROR) beautifully suits the Gothic overtones of the picture and the costumes and set-work are exemplary, while the music of Robert Richards is also sympathetic to the proceedings. The film may be set back by some occasionally laughably over-the-top acting that you'd like to laugh, but it contains some of the most striking Gothic visuals that rival producers Hammer and Amicus could never quite recreate and this is more than enough compensation for any flaws it might suffer from. Peter Newbrook's subtle lighting contains sinister moonlight blues with evil yellow candles flickering in the background as the tortured Elizabeth confronts the madman at the climax and every still of Newbrook's could be hung up on the wall of every any gallery! There is another splendidly Gothic sequence which stands out in the memory when Fordyke is pursued through the moonlit forest by the ghostly Anne (who looks truly supernatural in a shiny white dress) crying "murderer". Hartford-Davies's choice of gaudy camera-work and fuzzy echoing sound ensured that the audience of 1965 was well and truly kept on the edge of their seats.
Forgotten British horror masterpiece!
Please note that I'm deliberately exaggerating a bit in this user comment. "The Black Torment" might not be a genuine horror masterpiece it does has its flaws and shortcomings but this film is so drastically overlooked and underrated that I wish to praise it a little extra, hoping that fans of classic Gothic horror will go through more efforts to track it down! This film really deserves a wider audience and it's not because Hammer or Amicus studios didn't produce a certain horror film that it's automatically inferior. "The Black Torment" is a hugely atmospheric and beautifully photographed horror/costume drama directed by Robert Hartford-Davis. Noticing the director's name alone is a surprise already, since Harford-Davis' other horror films ("Incense of the Damned" and "The Fiend") were both irredeemably bad and quite ugly to look at. This film is a world of difference; stylish, compelling and featuring several sequences that qualify as genuinely unsettling. Sir Richard Fordycke returns to his wealthy father's estate with a new bride because his first wife sadly committed suicide for not being able to bear children. He doesn't receive a warm welcome, though, since several superstitious villagers spotted him during his absence and he supposedly even killed a local girl. Shortly after his return, Richard himself starts to have visions of his deceased wife walking through the garden. The whole explanation to the "mystery" is rather rational and unsurprising, but it's the sinister atmosphere that sticks to you. The scene in which the veiled 'ghost' rides through the woods screaming out the word "MURDERER" truly sent cold shivers down my spine! That definitely is the most wonderful effect a horror movie can give you! Highly recommended!
An atmospheric British horror!
Robert Hartford-Davis("Corruption","The Fiend")directed this little gem of horror in 1964.Admittedly the action is pretty slow,but still the film has some eerie moments-especially the beginning is very creepy.The ghostly bits are well-done and the ending is a bit confusing.The acting is acceptable and the film has one or two unsettling moments.So if you like British horror movies "The Black Torment" is worth checking out! Recommended!
THE BLACK TORMENT (Robert Hartford-Davies, 1964) ***
Though owing a bit to the Gothic tradition of Hammer Horror, this British ghost story is actually more attuned to the cycle made in this vein and running parallel to it emanating from Italy. Apart from the color scheme (courtesy of cinematographer Peter Newbrook, later director of the literate horror film THE ASPHYX {1972}) and languid pace, obvious links include the haunted protagonist (with many a skeleton in his family closet), the innocent heroine, the killing spree, the apparitions (which are usually revealed to be far closer to home and reality than one could have foreseen), etc. Leading lady Heather Sears had just appeared in Hammer's underrated version of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1962). Her male counterpart, John Turner (and resembling John Payne quite a bit actually), was new to me but he certainly left an impression – making for one of the most irascible heroes in any film, constantly blowing his top at everyone and everything, sometimes without provocation!; indeed, the whole unfolds at a somewhat hysterical pitch which seems to be an idiosyncrasy of the director. As it happens, this is one of a handful of interesting genre efforts from him: the others are CORRUPTION (1968), THE FIEND aka BEWARE, MY BRETHREN (1972) – both of which I am familiar with – and the as-yet-unwatched BLOODSUCKERS aka INCENSE FOR THE DAMNED (1972); for the record, I also own and still need to check out his star-studded comedy THE SANDWICH MAN (1966). Anyway, also on hand here are Peter Arne (seemingly devoted to the estate's invalid master and his son but unsurprisingly proving to be villainous), Patrick Troughton (as Turner's stable-master), Raymond Huntley (as a seasoned Colonel also serving as Magistrate in the community) and Francis de Wolff (as a stout blacksmith who acts gruffly and confrontationally towards Turner upon the latter's return from abroad with a second wife over a series of apparent hauntings/murders). The hero's father is cared for by the sister (Ann Lynn) of Turner's first bride – who, it seems committed suicide by leaping from a window because she could not produce a male heir (again, this alone should immediately alert one to her role in the elaborate revenge scheme!). Another party who comes into play towards the end is a man who is the spitting image of the hero, a twin whom the old man kept institutionalized (he is repeatedly described as an "imbecile") and a secret to everybody, but who was 'reclaimed' for their own devious ends once Arne and Lynn take control of the household following their master's debilitating condition; with this in mind, the family tree (called "Bible"!?) and motto (which pretty much conditioned the extreme actions of Turner's late spouse) have much to do with the proceedings. As I said, we get a number of motiveless murders of wayward wenches, as well as one that is clearly premeditated (the old man is found hanging from a chandelier after his empty wheelchair has come crashing down the stairs!) – not to mention eerie sightings outside the window, with the 'phantom' even giving chase to the cry of "Murderer" and, for the grand finale, a gun-shot wound to the face plus a rather well-choreographed swordfight!
Good Gothic sixties horror
The only film I'd seen from director Robert Hartford-Davis prior to seeing this sixties flick was the lamentable 'Incense for the Damned', so as you can imagine; I didn't go into The Black Torment with the highest of hopes. While this film is hardly a great horror masterpiece, or even one of the best British horrors of the sixties; it's certainly a good film, and a million times better than Incense for the Damned. The film focuses more on its atmosphere, and Hartford-Davis ensures that the themes of murder and insanity are always bubbling on the surface of the movie. The film gets off to a very slow start, and I wasn't too impressed with it once the first half hour had elapsed. Luckily, things improve later on, and the first half of the movie merely sets up the basics of the story. We follow Sir Richard Fordyce upon his return home to his eerie mansion along with his new wife, Lady Elizabeth. His first wife killed herself at her home, and the memory still haunts the lord of the manor. Furthermore, his servants believe that he has been present at the mansion prior to his return... Huge mansion houses are a tried and tested location for horror, and the one in this film works well considering the story. The film is all about atmosphere, and the director does a good job of racking up the tension in an effort to ensure that the endings works as it should. The characters are nothing to write home about, and the script doesn't do a very good job of balancing them with the plot. The mystery comes about through several small threads, and although the climax is easy to guess; it's fun getting there. The film benefits from several well worked set pieces, many of which involve the ghost of Sir Richard's first wife. The Gothic themes provide the film with a dark horror atmosphere and are sure to appeal to fans of gloomy horror. The acting is, like the characters, rather drab; and the unknown British cast don't do much to grab your attention. It's clear that Hartford-Davis wanted the film to be more like Roger Corman's The Fall of the House of Usher, as it features ideas such as a long line of family members, and also sees a scene set in a portrait gallery, much like the Vincent Price classic. Overall, it has to be said that The Black Torment is slightly disappointing; but fans of sixties Gothic are likely to find something to like here.