I’m a huge fan of the 30’s and 40’s horror movies. This one can’t miss with Boris and Bela along with a creepy house built on the ruins of an old fort in Hungary. It’s based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe. Boris is billed as “Karloff.”
Peter and Joan Allison are on their honeymoon. They’re on a train and have to share their compartment with Dr.Vitus Werdegast (Bela Lugosi). That’s okay with them. He’s a nice guy. His servant stays in the aisle.
They all hop a bus during a storm. It crashes and the driver is killed. Peter and Joan accompany Vitus and his servant to the house of Hjalmar Poelzig (Boris Karloff). He’s an architecht who built the house on the grounds of a World War One fort. He was the commander and is responsible for the deaths of ten thousand men that he betrayed. Vitus escaped and has been in prison for fifteen years. Now he’s back for revenge.
Vitus is a psychiatrist. His wife died while he was in prison. The men are having a drink when Vitus freaks out. He is deathly afraid of cats and one has just walked in. He kills it.
Poelzig takes Vitus to the basement. Several women are standing up preserved in glass. One is is Vitus’ wife. Poelzig says she died of heart failure. He’s not buying it.
The next day the cops come by for an accident report. Peter and Joan can’t leave with them since they came on bicycles. As with most movies like this, the car won’t run and the phone is out. Looks like they’re staying. There’s also the obligatory scene of Boris playing Bach’s “Tocatto And Fugue In D Minor” on the organ.
Vitus doesn’t know it but his daughter is still alive. She’s Poelzig’s wife. That night it’s time for the Rites of Lucifer. It all comes to a spectacular ending as Vitus takes his revenge.
This was the first time Boris and Bela appeared together.
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