23 April 2024
The Ghost (1963)
95 min.
Directed by Riccardo Freda.
With Barbara Steele, Peter Baldwin, Elio Jotta, Harriet White Medin, Umberto Raho, Reginald Price Anderson.
Another 'adulterous wife' performance from Steele breathes life into this Italian thriller from 1963.

Margaret (Steele) just can't wait until her cripple husband Dr. Hichcock (Jotta) kicks the bucket, so she and her lover Charles (Baldwin) decide to poison the old bugger.

With him out of the way, the two can enjoy the riches of her dead hubby's estate, and the freedom to carry on their liaison openly. Right?

Wrong. No sooner than Dr. Hich is entombed in the family crypt, Margaret and Charles discover the money has mysteriously disappeared.

To make matters worse, the vengeful ghost of Hich now seems intent on plaguing both his betrayers from beyond the grave!

A followup to 1962's The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, this gothic ditty is cleverly plotted and has some solid direction from Freda (who helmed 1956's I Vampiri).

Not surprisingly, horror goddess Steele is terrific as the wide-eyed Margaret - and she alone makes the feisty, no-holds-barred finale a memorable turn of events.

Best scene, though: Barbara with a straight razor. Yikes! Nuff said.

Aka The Spectre.

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