The Haunted Strangler (1958) User Reviews

The Haunted Strangler (1958) **1/2

[JoeKarlosi · 6/10 · 10 February 2006]

Set in Victorian times, Boris Karloff plays a determined writer who becomes obsessed with a twenty-year-old case surrounding "The Haymarket Strangler" and intends to prove that the young man who was hanged for the murders two decades earlier was in fact innocent. All evidence seems to point to a certain Dr. Tenant who used a surgeon's knife to not only choke the life out of his victims, but to slash their flesh as well. But the details of Tenant's life and whereabouts since the crimes remains a mystery, one which Karloff comes to learn hits closer to home for him than he suspected.

It's amazing to realize that Boris Karloff was nearly 70 when he appeared in this film as it is impressive to see him perform so vigorously in a very physically demanding role. He is required to undergo very strenuous activity as he contorts his body and facial features to simulate a Jekyll/Hyde madman on the loose -- upper teeth gnawing spasmodically at his lower lip, one eye half-closed, a twisted arm wielding a scalpel. At more refined times, Karloff is very dedicated in his role as the well-meaning but disoriented author on a road to madness.

There is no question that there are some powerful moments in this feature, and it is highly required viewing for any fan of Karloff. Unfortunately, the film bears a weight of becoming tedious on occasion, so first-time viewers would want to make allowances for this in between the thrills. **1/2 out of ****

The one armed man strikes again!...

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 13 October 2021]

... or did he? Ever? In 19th century England Edward Styles, a one-armed man, is being hung, for the murder of several women, with a large crowd watching. Who thinks watching an execution is entertainment anyways? But I digress. Styles is professing that he is innocent up to his death. He is buried in a lonely prison yard grave.

Fast forward twenty years and novelist James Rankin (Boris Karloff) is revisiting the Styles case to prove that if he had an attorney provided he would have likely been acquitted. He is trying to get this policy - the crown paying for an attorney for indigent defendants - to become law in England and use the Styles case as an example. After some digging - and some of that literally - he determines that the case against Styles was not only weak, but that the evidence points to a doctor who did the autopsy on Styles, was at his burial, and was the doctor present when the strangler killed all of his victims. He tries to find this man but his trail goes cold.

As for the rest of it, it has such a unique premise that I will say no more. Karloff is the best thing about this film, and the rest of the actors just seem like props around which he performs. It has great atmosphere, and I can really only say one bad thing about it. That one bad thing is that the scene at the bawdy music hall where The Strangler killed one of his victims is long and tedious. There actually is an entire musical singing number by one of the actresses and it just bored me. It would have been better if Karloff had just asked his questions, and maybe given you a feel for the place, and then have the movie just leave that place never to return.

Solid performance from the Master

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 19 August 2016]

A researcher (Boris Karloff) investigating a notorious serial killer who was hanged 20 years earlier seemingly becomes possessed by the long dead strangler.

I love that this film was given the star treatment by Criterion. It's definitely not one of the better-known Karloff films, which is a bit of a shame, because it's at least as good as anything he did for AIP. Maybe horror fans need to pay more attention to Criterion.

The simplicity of the transformation is great. Apparently the originally script called for more of a "possession" angle, and then it developed into more of a physical thing -- sort of Jack the Ripper meets Jekyll and Hyde. And Karloff nails it. By simply taking out his dentures, he successfully plays two very different people.

Bizarre Version of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde Legend

[wdbasinger · 11 February 2005]

Some people have asked why Boris Karloff never played a serious version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" . Well, here it is, even though it is in the form of some "Dr. Tennant / Hyde-like strangler" duality. Once again, Boris Karloff plays the "monster" and like Mr. Hyde in the previous films, he plays a man who degenerates to a rampaging animal which lives to kill. Also like Mr. Hyde, the transformations to the lower form seem to be based on some sort of sexual repression that bursts out in the form of savage attacks on women. In addition, like the "beast" in the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" films, whether one is watching Fredric March, Spencer Tracy, or John Barrymore, the transformation from man to the lower animal state gets uglier with each change. Another thing, the graveyard scenes in the movie are really creepy - kind of a throwback to films such as "Frankenstein", "Bride of Frankenstein", "Return of the Vampire", and "The Body Snatcher". Even though the plot has some strange twists, this is one of the best post-Universal thrillers starring Boris Karloff - one of the last in which he plays both the monster ("Mr. Hyde") and the mad doctor (Tennant). (Karloff did the same thing in "Frankenstein 1970" in which he played both creator and created.) Great hair-raiser.

Watch it in the dark.

Dan Basinger

THE HAUNTED STRANGLER (Robert Day, 1958) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 20 March 2007]

Having been - as was the case with THE TIN DRUM (1979) - the one to 'announce' several years ago the re-release on DVD of 4 Richard/Alex Gordon productions through Criterion on another online Forum (after writing to Image Entertainment to see if their bare-bones OOP editions were going to be re-issued), this set has been a long time coming indeed! As some of you may know, I'd never watched this one prior to purchasing the expensive "Monsters And Madmen" set - or, for that matter, its follow-up CORRIDORS OF BLOOD (1958); however, I knew enough of their reputation as two of Boris Karloff's best latter-day films to make me spring for them regardless.

To be honest, as I lay watching THE HAUNTED STRANGLER, I was somewhat let down by it and my heart actually sank when, in the Audio Commentary, both Richard Gordon and Tom Weaver opine that they prefer this one over CORRIDORS OF BLOOD! Still, going through the film twice in a matter of hours can sometimes work wonders: at first glance, it's a handsome-looking yet rather lurid film - reveling in the permissiveness of the time to include as many (often gratuitous) instances of sleaze and sadism as it possibly could; in that respect, it's similar to THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS (1959) - incidentally, another well-regarded title I had long wanted to watch and been underwhelmed by on a preliminary viewing.

The film actually precedes Hammer's DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE (1971) in that it mingles the Stevenson perennial with the equally popular exploits of Jack The Ripper; to these it attaches a thriller angle by having Karloff act as a detective investigating an old series of murders, ostensibly to prove a miscarriage of justice, but whose repercussions are far worse - to say nothing of closer to home - than he could have imagined (itself an oft-used device as in, say, THE BIG CLOCK [1947])! While I knew of the twist from reading about the film beforehand (and which is actually revealed fairly early in the game), I feel that it doesn't quite work here because, for one thing, the star was simply too old for the role (though I'll readily admit that he entered with glee into its quite physical attributes, even coming up with the economical make-up design himself!) but also because the character's mental condition and its effect on his backstory is conveniently kept under wraps until the revelation (when it should, at least, bother him equally as much as wanting to prove the innocence of an anonymous and legally convicted serial-killer). Incidentally, though strangulation is involved in the crimes, the film's title is somewhat misleading because it's the scalpel which sets the 'monster' off and, for this reason, the U.S. moniker is rather more accurate!

Anyway, one of the film's major assets is surely Lionel Banes' black-and-white cinematography; the second half of the narrative, then, creates reasonable suspense and excitement with the scenes involving the rampaging 'monster' and his ultimate identity crisis. In the end, I wouldn't really classify THE HAUNTED STRANGLER as one of the star's very best vehicles - but it's undoubtedly among the more satisfying from his later work that I've watched (along with THE RAVEN [1963] and TARGETS [1968]).

The DVD supplements are very adequate: the Audio Commentary featuring genre authority Tom Weaver and the film's producer Richard Gordon (with interjections from his late brother/partner Alex) is especially interesting - apart from the privilege of having Weaver and the two Gordons name their 3 favorite Karloff pictures, amongst many other things I learned that Boris once almost worked with Edward D. Wood Jr. (and Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. to boot) on the project which eventually became BRIDE OF THE MONSTER (1955)!

A Nice Consolation Prize For Me

[ferbs54 · 7/10 · 8 November 2007]

I am still kicking myself in the buttocks repeatedly for having missed the double feature of Boris Karloff's "The Haunted Strangler" (1958) and "Targets" (1968) at NYC's Film Forum a little while back. Thus, seeing a nice, crisp-looking DVD version of "Strangler" the other day came as a very nice consolation prize for me. In this one, Karloff plays a writer and social reformer living in London in 1880. He is investigating what he believes to be the wrongful execution of a man 20 years earlier; a man who had been accused of being the notorious Haymarket Strangler. Unfortunately, as Boris proceeds with this Victorian "cold case," all leads come back to...himself, and before long, he begins to act just a wee bit homicidal. As his Hyde-like nature emerges, Boris bites his underlip, sticks his teeth out, closes one eye and sweats a lot; still, it's a fairly impressive-looking transformation. Karloff was 71 when he essayed this role, but he still manages to exude a great deal of energy and enthusiasm (just watch him try to rip himself out of that straitjacket!). Perhaps being back in England again to make a film was somewhat responsible for this boost. And speaking of energy boosts, I must say that a neat surprise concerning Boris' character comes halfway through that really does shake things up. "The Haunted Strangler" also offers some interesting supporting characters, including cancan dancer Vera Day (who, with her bullet bra, made such a double impression on me in the following year's "Womaneater") and Scotland Yard agent Anthony Dawson (who, come to think of it, attempted a bit of strangulation himself in 1954's "Dial M For Murder"). Bottom line: This Karloff pic really ain't half bad!

Karloff Gives His Usual Skillful Performance

[boblipton · 6/10 · 22 January 2022]

Boris Karloff makes his living as a novelist. He is also a social reformer, investigating murderers hanged at Newgate whom he believes innocent. One such is the Haymarket Strangler, executed twenty years earlier. He bribes a guard to let him dig up the Strangler's coffin, and locates a key bit of evidence.... and goes mad, strangling showgirls.

Karloff achieves the transformation into a grotesque figure by taking out his dentures. Director Robert Day directs this old-fashioned thriller with some loving details, showing the filth beneath late Victorian propriety, with some effective camerawork by Lionel Banes. The cast includes Elizabeth Allan in her last screen role, Jean Kent as a strumpety showgirl, and Leslie Perrins in his last big-screen appearance.

Boris Karloff is very good cast in this gripping and amazing terror movie

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 26 January 2021]

"Grip of the strangler" or "The Haunted Strangler" is a nice terror movie in which Boris Karloff is a novelist investigating a 20-year-old murder to his own cost who begins copying some of the killer's acts. Then , a series of grisly killings happening and an intelligent Police Inspector : Anthony Dawson investigate the strange events . Their wild beauty marked them for death by... The Haunted Strangler! Karloff King of Monsters in his new picture of 1000 Horrors ! Karloff King of the Monsters in his new Horror Hit !

Eeerie and frrightening story from a script by John Cooper and Jan Read , both of whom contributed efficiently to deliver a really riveting story in "Dr Jekill and Mister Hyde" style that involves a writer investigating an old murder case . Boris Karloff is awesome as the writer investigating past crimes resulting in fateful consequences . An effective and horrifying detective tale in which the great Boris Karloff plays masterfully a novelist who develops the homicidal tendencies of a long-dead murderer he's been writing about and eventually unravelling the mystery at a cemetery at last . This splendid film brought Karloff back to British films after 20 years away , from now on , Boris to play several English horror movies : "The Sorcerers" , "Curse of Red Altar" and other countries as Italy : "Black Sabbath" , Spain : " Cauldron of Bood" and Mexico : " Cult of the Dead" , : The Incredible Invasion" , "Fear Chamber" . For the ocassion Karloff , without makeup , puts weird faces , twisted gestures and terrific manners , causing a deeply creepy impression . Karloff is very well accompanied by a good support cast , such as : Elizabeth Allan , Jean Kent , Tim Turner Vara Day and special mention for Anthony Dawson as police Inspector Burk .

There's a magnificently atmospheric cinematography , heightened by professional cameraman Lionel Banes providing vivid black and white photography . This literate terror thriller was competently directed by Robert Day . This British director was a good artisan who made all kinds of genres as adventures , thriler , terror , such as : "The Big Game" , " Corridors of Blood" , " Click and the dead" , "Initiation of Sarah" , "Man with Bogart's Face" , " Grass is always Greener over the Septic Tank", "She" , "The Way Stretch" . Furthermore , he made TV series episodes from Dallas, Disleyland , The Sixth Sense , Ghost story , Sam Cade , Matt Lincoln , The Bold ones , Ironside, FBI , The Invaders The avengers , among others .

Pretty good

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 6 September 2013]

Not one of Boris Karloff's best films or performances, but very interesting, sort of a take on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with a miscarriage of justice element, and pretty good as a film. Even with the big problems it has, it is still one of Karloff's better later films, Grip of the Strangler's problems never reach rock-bottom quality like the Mexican films he starred in did. The script is on the simplistic side, there are some pacing problems with the film taking a little too long to get going and then feeling rushed towards the end, and the ending could have been better rounded off. It looks reasonable though, the settings are effective, the photography is crisp and the make-up for Karloff is used very well, when in his more murderous madman guise it is quite grotesque-looking. The music is also haunting and effectively used. There are some creepy moments and the atmosphere is unsettling and well-evoked. The story on the most part is interesting and entertaining, the first half is very promising especially. The performances are solid, best in support are Vera Day and Anthony Dawson. But only one performance comes off as really "great" and that is (predictably perhaps) Boris Karloff, as ever showing a gift for changing personalities expressively and sometimes subtly. All in all, Grip of the Strangler is a pretty good film, often decent and solid without reaching greatness excepting Karloff's performance, the best thing about the film by some considerable distance. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Aside from Karloff's goofy facial expression, it's pretty good

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 24 June 2009]

This is a unique film from Boris Karloff. I certainly can't say I've seen another film quite like it.

Karloff plays a writer who is investigating the execution of "The Haymarket Strangler" twenty years earlier. Despite people insisting that the man executed was the killer, something within Karloff makes him investigate further. Eventually, when he obtains the knife used in the murders, it unlocks a dark secret within himself and the movie takes a very unusual turn.

The film is pretty exciting and unusual but there is a negative as well. Despite a generally good performance by Karloff (he was amazingly physical considering his age and arthritis), when he became "mad", his face contorted in the most comical manner. Instead of making him look menacing, he just looked like he was mentally challenged. It just didn't work.

Overall, compared to many of the later Karloff films, this one is pretty good--with decent production values and script. While not a great film, it's a very good time passer and one that his fans should certainly see.

A One-Armed Bandit That You Don't want To mess with.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 5/10 · 3 October 2012]

Since having heard his name mentioned in Tim Burton's wonderful film Ed Wood,I have always been wondering when I should take a look at the work of actor Boris Karloff.As I was recently checking up titles that were featured in a sale on Amazon Uk,I was surprised to find this very interesting sounding Karloff mystery Horror film being sold at a fantastic low price,which led to me deciding that I would at last come face to face with a horror icon:

The Plot:

Heading on his way to be hanged for murdering a number of prostitutes and showgirls,Edward Styles yells out that he did not kill the women,and that his conviction is a miscarriage of justice.With Styles pleads being ignored as the last desperate words of a madman,he is hanged and then taken straight to the prisoners burial ground.Shortly before the coffin is nailed shut,a stranger suddenly appears and quickly chucks a knife (Styles alleged murder weapon) into the coffin.

20 years later:

A distinguish Victorian novelist and social reformer called James Rankin starts to take a look at the huge collection of cold/closed cases that the police have in their archive.Taking a peek at the files,Rankin suddenly experience's his interest being oddly drawn to the Edward "The Haymarket Strangler" Styles murder case,which he begins to suspect was carried out without every avenue having been looked at.Interviewing some of the showgirls/prostitutes that still work in Haymarket's most popular night time destination,Rankin's starts to get a strong suspicion that the long lost murder weapon could hold the key to the case.Searching high and low to find any trace of the knife,Rankin soon begins to suspect that the murder weapon may have been secretly buried with its most infamous owner.

View on the film:

Although the screenplay for the film by John Croydon was written super quick so that he could also write the script for 1959's First Man Into Space,I found the first half of the film to be a very enjoyable Victorian era Gothic Mystery.With Croydon having Rankin go on a "tour" which allows him to meet all of the dames and dirt bags who occupy the seedier side of the city.

Along with including a small amount of fun smut from the showgirls,Croydon also does well at having Rankin's obsessive side slowly become more dominating as the film goes on.Disapointingly after the terrific build up of the first half,the second half of the movie turns all of that promise in to a real mess,which despite featuring a great performance from Karloff as the "gentle" Rankin,is let down by Croydon and director Robert Day (who would later direct the 1965 Hammer Horror She) pushing all of the wonderful foggy atmosphere right to the side,and replace it with a Hunchback like monster who,instead of looking like a terrifying monster,just looks (and acts) like a man with poor make up who has a deep desire to get closer to some beautiful dames.

STRANGLING MAY BE HABIT FORMING!!!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 23 January 2022]

THE HAUNTED STRANGLER has long been a rerun fave on tv. It's just fun to watch.

No. 1 It's campy.

No. 2. It's Karloff, albeit a little older. The behind the scenes story concerned the actor's dentures??? After consulting with the makeup crew, Karloff suggested he remove his dentures in order to get a twisted look on his face as the insane Jekyll/Hyde strangler. It was extremely convincing. The film is also quite atmospheric with a dark , gothic look to add to the general creepy real feel, and it's generally shown with a crisp b & w print; no grains or marks, so common with older films.

Here, Karloff portrays the good/bad doc hung for being a serial killer who returns for the grave. It actually begins more of a mystery as the good doc investigates a wrongful execution... and all the evidence eventually points to him. Interestingly, Karloff after years of grueling makeup as FRANKENSTEIN and the MUMMY, thankfully wore very light makeup; the scares were made by simply wrinkling his face. And what a face! This was very similar in concept to Spencer Tracy's portrayal in DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1941).

According to film notes, Karloff was paid 27,000 dollars for his role, equal to 250,000 dollars today for a few weeks work. He followed this up with FRANKENSTEIN 1970 for Howard W. Koch. Who said horror film actors didn't make good money?

This was presented on a double bill with the cult film FIEND WITHOUT A FACE, earning a handsome profit. THE HAUNTED STRANGLER is out on dvd, but some releases are quite expensive because it is a European import. Shop around.

Surprisingly inventive murder mystery.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 8 May 2006]

Grip of the Strangler starts in Victorian London at 'Newgate Prison 1860' where a notorious murderer named Edward Styles (Michael Atkinson) dubbed the 'Haymarket Strangler' is sent to the gallows & hanged in front of a cheering cockney public... Jump forward 20 years & novelist James Rankin (Boris Karloff) also happens to be a social reformer & is taking a great deal of interest in the conviction & hanging of Styles, he believes that had Styles had the money to pay for a decent legal defence in court he would never had been convicted & in an attempt to get good legal aid for everyone Rankin decides to prove that Styles was innocent. Along with his assistant Dr. Kenneth McColl (Tim Turner) Rankin collects overwhelming evidence that a doctor named Tennant was responsible for the brutal killings, unfortunately his investigation's take a sinister & unexpected turn as the murders start up once more...

This English production was directed by Robert Day & was better than I had expected. The script by John Croydon & Jan Read, who also wrote the story 'Stranglehold' upon which Grip of the Strangler is based, main asset is a couple of neat twists & turns that caught me by surprise & it seems a fair amount of thought went into it. The mystery elements are minimal as it's made clear from the start Styles is innocent & Tennant was responsible but even with this basic framework of a murder mystery about half way through Grip of the Strangler suddenly turns into a 50's slasher film with a neat plot twist. At less than 80 minutes long it never becomes boring, the story engages, the character's are alright & is more than watchable.

Director Day does an OK job but you have to take into consideration that Grip of the Strangler is the best part of half a century old, I would have thought it was quite risqué at the time with a knife wielding maniac running around strangling & slashing young women to death & it bar in which scantily clad (for the 50's) women perform on stage for men. There's a nice period atmosphere to the film & there's some effective scenes.

Technically the film is fine with nice black and white cinematography & good solid production design. The acting was better than expected, Karloff pulls a strange face at the end as he is meant to be paralysed down one side & looks pretty ugly if nothing else.

Grip of the Strangler is a good solid British horror film that is well worth watching for fans of the genre or fans of Karloff. Worth tracking down.

Silly but well filmed Gothic thriller.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 2 June 2011]

When the weapon a killer uses looks exactly like a butter knife, you know reality is missing from the story you are about to see. That is the case with "The Haunted Strangler", an obscure Gothic thriller starring the legendary Boris Karloff two years after the death of his so-called rival, Bela Lugosi. This spooky looking melodrama is about a doctor's determination to find out the truth about a series of 20 year old murders that sent one man to the gallows and caused the disappearance of the man he believes to be the killer. Karloff, looking exactly as he did 20 years ago, is still the grand old man of horror, and comes off unscathed in a predictable story that sadly becomes obvious from the start. This is, however, still quite enjoyable as a study of grand guignol, the type of Gothic horror movie rarely made today without an overabundance of special effects. It's a step above the Monogram "Z" grade thrillers of the 40's. There are some unintentional chuckles, especially the "gruesome" face of the actual strangler which certainly gives the visual for the term "pickle puss". The scene where Karloff goes exploring a long-closed graveyard in the middle of the night is actually quite chilling, adding to the already spooky photography that is the film's highlight.

The Haymarket Strangler Returns!

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 30 October 2015]

Boris Karloff plays a man who comes to believe that a serial killer from 20 years previously was innocent of the murders for which he was hanged. The case starts to consume him, literally...

Based on the story "Stranglehold" written by Jan Read, pic unfolds as a creepy take of the Jekyll and Hyde kind. It's never overtly scary, but the atmospherics are palpable and the period flavours superb. This never resorts to cheap thrills, and unusually for the era of film making it doesn't rely on effects work for the transformation sequences - it is just Karloff acting!

Plenty of horror movie staples are adhered to, such as a hanging, a coffin opening, an awful prison and an asylum, whilst that even though there's a little filler that could have been cut from the running time, Karloff and the intriguing mystery part of the narrative marry up to the atmosphere to round out a good old classic horror yarn. 7/10

The Haunted Strangler

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 6 October 2010]

James Rankin(Boris Karloff) is a "social reformer", the kind of inquisitive fellow who investigates cases where the "wrong man" had been convicted, condemned, and executed for crimes they didn't commit due to inadequate counsel due to impoverished means. He's also a successful novelist, working with a young man who secretly courts his daughter. The person of interest in his new case was a man considered the "Haymarket Strangler", notorious for killing five women. Rankin is dead set on proving that with proper counsel he could've escaped the hangman's noose. In his search for the truth, Rankin makes a startling discovery which will forever change his life, a surgical knife used by a young mortician named Dr. Tenant who subsequently disappeared 20 years ago at the time of innocent Edward Styles' hanging, found buried with the dead man's corpse. What in turn occurs is that Rankin becomes "under the spell" of a psychopathic urge to strangle and stab with the found surgical knife, his face twisted into a grimacing Ogre-like expression, one arm paralytically frozen and bent. In so lies Rankin's ongoing dilemma for the rest of THE HAUNTED STRANGLER, contending with an inner evil that wants control. In regards to finding Tenant, Rankin doesn't heed the pleas of his wife to abandon this incessant pursuit for his person, and a revelation as to who the nurse is that helped the troubled mortician escape possible prosecution(as we see in the opening graveyard burial before the credits role, the mortician collapses into a crashing heap, knowing that he should've been lying in a pine box, covered with lime), not to mention the identity of Tenant himself, results in utter tragedy.

This kind of role, the Jeckyll/Hyde transformation from decent, gentle soul to mad ghoul is nothing too hard for the caliber of a legend like Karloff. He contorts his face, breathes heavy, and ogles intently from darkened shadows awaiting to strike. Maybe some will find his change(or perhaps the story line itself about how one man has dueling personalities bucking for supremacy, an object such as the recovered knife the tool for how the beast resurfaces)a bit campy, but I dug seeing him turn from such a well respected and honorable man into a menacing gargoyle on the rampage. Like that one scene where he's held in a horrible asylum prison, setting afire some hay placed in the padded room, using a broken piece of glass(Tenant breaks a lamp covering) to cut a security guard's face so to free himself. Or, when Tenant stabs a victim repeatedly off-screen, yet the viciousness is emphasized to a substantial degree by thumping sounds and Karloff's twisted expression, deranged in his violence. The film spends a lot of time at a naughty dancehall called The Judas Hole, a frequent hangout for the rich aristocratic men throwing around some money for the can-can girls. Beautiful, elegant B&W cinematography also gives THE HAUNTED STRANGLER a visual polish that only heightens it's effectiveness. Along with CORRIDORS OF BLOOD, THE HAUNTED STRANGLER, in my opinion, is one of Karloff's best performances of the 50s, considered, by critics, a down decade for the horror icon.

Two Karloffs for the price of one!

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 8 June 2023]

Novelist and social reformer James Rankin (Boris Karloff) is researching the notorious murderer known as the Haymarket Strangler, and believes that the man sent to the gallows for the crimes, Edward Styles, was innocent; he surmises that the real villain was surgeon Dr. Tennant, who carried out the autopsies on the victims, and who disappeared shortly after the execution of Styles was carried out.

To prove his theory, Rankin bribes a guard at Newgate Prison to let him dig up Styles' coffin, where he finds Tennant's missing scalpel - the murder weapon; when Rankin grasps the knife, he becomes the Haymarket Strangler, for he is actually Tennant, his murderous personality reawakened by the touch of the steel blade.

A showcase for Karloff, this film sees the actor in both his amiable gentleman persona, and as a drooling psychopath, which is a lot of fun for his fans - two Karloffs for the price of one! It's a fairly mediocre movie up to the point where Rankin finds the scalpel, after which it gets a whole lot more entertaining, Karloff chewing up the scenery (no mean feat seeing as he's not wearing his dentures). With his Tennant personality in control, Rankin is totally deranged, strangling and slashing poor showgirl Pearl (the gorgeous Vera Day), killing his wife Barbara, and almost doing the same to his daughter Lily (Diane Aubrey).

Eventually, Rankin regains enough control to confess his crimes, and he is sent to a lunatic asylum, confined to a padded cell. In the film's silliest moment, it is revealed that the cell is fitted with a gas lamp (surely someone would have guessed that might be problematic), which enables Rankin (as Tennant) to escape, the madman making his way to Styles' grave to try and rebury the murder weapon. As he does so, he is shot dead by the prison guards.

Karloff was over seventy when he made this film, but he shows no sign of slowing down, throwing himself enthusiastically into his part -- it is the horror icon's energetic performance(s) that makes this one a treat.

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

Another chilling performance from Boris

[chris_gaskin123 · 7/10 · 18 April 2005]

I shall refer Grip of the Strangler as The Haunted Strangler for this review, which is the title of the VHS copy I have.

A writer who is investigating the execution of a killer, The Haymarket Strangler, 20 years ago believes he is innocent. He is right as the killer is the writer himself. This is confirmed when he gets the knife from the killer's coffin and turns into a monster. His first victim is a woman. The following morning, he is back to normal but not for long. His next victim is his wife and as more killings take place, he is sent to an asylum but manages to escape to murder his daughter and her lover, but doesn't succeed and is shot and killed by coppers at the end.

The Haunted Strangler is very creepy and atmospheric in parts and features a good performance from Boris Karloff as the Jekyll and Hyde like character. This movie was given an X certificate when first released in cinemas, which is not surprising as it is rather violent for its time.

Joining Boris in the cast are Jean Kent, Anthony Dawson, Vera Day and Elizabeth Allen.

The Haunted Strangler is a must for Boris Karloff and horror fans. Very creepy.

Rating: 3 and a half stars out of 5.

A good twist wasted

[Groverdox · 6/10 · 30 May 2018]

"The Haunted Strangler" is an unusual beast for a horror movie. It makes the surprising decision to feature no surprise. There is never any question of who the killer is because the movie tells you early on. It doesn't even end with a twist.

There are examples of this being done well with horror movies and thrillers, usually when the aim is to disturb, rather than scare the audience. Consider films like "American Psycho", where you already know the guy on screen is a killer. The suspense comes from wondering who they'll off next. "The Haunted Strangler" doesn't seem to be trying for that, though. The main feeling it evinces is sadness, I guess, at the tormented killer, when really you should just be scared of him. He's hideous and fearsome, but not interesting enough for the movie to show its hand so soon.

The plot concerns an infamous killer called the Haymarket Strangler who is hanged in Victorian London. Twenty years later, Boris Karloff plays an ageing writer and social reformer who is determined to prove that the man executed for the Haymarket crimes was innocent. Karloff unravels the mystery of the case and the killings begin again.

Who could the killer be?

If you think I'm hedging perilously close to a spoiler with this review, the people who made the movie would have disagreed. The revelation of who the killer is could have been used to great shock and suspense, but instead, it's thrown away carelessly early on. With it, sadly, goes all trace of suspense.

A great little picture from Karloff!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 11 April 2019]

This certainly is a fine paradigm to make a cheap picture in three weeks with a flashy story, well design screenplay, a skilled technical crew, beauty girls and finally a great actor as Boris Karloff, then you have a good production to sell expecting a foreseeable success, produced by Amalgameted Co. a small British company, focusing all forces in main character to take ahead the whole project, Karloff spoke for himself, the casting leadingly the female cast as gorgeous singer Jean Kent and the younger dancer Vera Day, who were the key to draw attention at Judas Hole burlesque nightclub, shot in a spooky dark atmosphere on several places of old London, resourceful plot which some IMDB's users have been implying a strong sameness with Jekill & Hyde, indeed just a little bit, totally digitally remastered preserving the original screen format 3 x 4 on brightness black & white color!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

Just a so-so b-movie horror even if it could have been a lot better with some key changes

[bob the moo · 22 June 2008]

The infamous serial killer "The Haymarket Strangler" may be long dead but writer James Rankin is convinced that the wrong man was hanged and sets out to investigate the crimes and the killer for himself. He makes progress into the case and it begins to appear that he is correct. However when he recovers the scalper supposedly used by the murderer he finds himself compelled to kill as his personality splits – with his normal, composed self becoming more and more desperate to prevent further deaths.

This film has got so-so reviews and, always one to stick my nose in where not required, I'd like to agree with everyone who simply said "is OK" about it, because it is. Some have ripped into it and I think that is unfair because really the film delivers a basic B movie horror that didn't bore me even if it wasn't what I hoped it would be. For me the film falls down in its aspirations because it seems happy to be basic when it could have been more complex and engaging. The film takes too long to get to the point of finding the knife (and making the transformation happen) and up to this point, yes, it is a little dull. The bigger downside of this delay, though was that it mean the second half of the film (the potentially strongest half) is too short and rushed. So instead of a complex story where Rankin struggles with a demon from inside himself mostly it is just a straight "pull a face, get to killing" story.

To make this work it does need to be urgent and scary but sadly it doesn't really deliver on that either, allowing the viewer to wander in their thoughts and think of what might have been. It is perfectly fine as a bit of Karloff b-movie and it does have some nice atmosphere and twists to the delivery but what with what "could" have been and all the weak material that does take up time in the first half, it only comes out as "OK". Karloff has his moments and I did think he was very good when Rankin was near-frantic as he understood what he was doing but mostly he just contorts his face and lurches forward in the time-honoured fashion. His supporting cast are OK but nobody really stuck in the mind – which I think speaks volumes.

So an OK film but nothing special whatsoever. Meeting it on its own terms will help but it still isn't that good and one cannot help look at it and see several major ways that it could have been a lot better.

Routine period mystery/thriller.

[rmax304823 · 4/10 · 24 November 2007]

"The Haunted Strangler" has been compared to "Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde" and to the Val Lewton horror productions at RKO, and it's easy to see why. Boris Karloff is Rankin, a novelist with a devoted wife and loving step-daughter. Twenty years after the hanging of the notorious Strangler, Rankin develops a theory that the hanged man wasn't guilty at all, but that it was the pathologist in the case, Tennant, who half-strangled and butchered those five women. With the help of a psychiatric intern, and against the advice of his friend Burke (Anthony Dawson), the police detective, Rankin investigates the case and finds evidence incriminating Tennant. Shortly after the Strangler's execution, Tennant was found to be suffering from fits of paralysis and violent outbursts, followed by amnesia for the events. Tennant was ensconced in a mental hospital but escaped with the help of a nurse who had fallen in love with him. About half-way through the film we learn that Rankin himself was Tennant, and his now loving wife was the nurse who helped him. But by this time Rankin has begun to suffer again the murderous paralytic rages and the amnesia that follows.

It gets kind of confused somewhere around here. Rankin's recent spells seem to be triggered by the scalpel that was missing from Tennant's collection of surgical instruments. When he grasps the scalpel, Rankin turns into a twisted wreck and he murders without reason. Poor Karloff's face wears a prosthetic or two that twists it all out of symmetry and gives him a look that is at once demonic and full of pain, as if he were suffering the grandfather of all abscessed teeth. On top of that his hair gets messed up. If he first set out to find Tennant guilty, he now must run around trying to convince others that he himself is Tennant.

Well, Jeykll and Hyde, yes. Tennant/Rankin is an upright man, no question about it, and his paralytic self is a raving, murderous animal who leaps about to a dissonant, tinkling score. The ego and the id. But Val Lewton, no. Everything in this film is overdone. The acting is in-your-face and not always convincing. The performance of the Newgate turnkey is positively painful. Rankin's butchery isn't as explicit as it would become in the slasher films but it is on-screen butchery. And there is an unnecessary scene of a prisoner being whipped at Newgate Prison. The whipper is a cliché -- a big, fat, bald, sweating sadist. The dialog is entirely functional, without the spark of any inspiration, and the period detail perfunctory. The direction is of the same quality, everything spelled out as if for an audience of children. The scenes in the madhouse are filled with the hoots and howls of the insane so that the hospital sounds more like a zoo. (Alas, this was likely to be too often true before the chemical straight jackets of phenothiazines were discovered in the 1950s. That was the second revolution in mental health. The first was the unchaining of the maniacs at La Bicetre by the humanitarian Philippe Pinel. Before that, they weren't zoos but infernos.) But then -- everybody seems to shout. They run, they shout, they wave their arms and disfigure their faces with emotions unless, like the intern, they are utter blanks.

In the end, I felt sorry for Karloff. The actor, not the character. He was seventy or thereabouts when this was shot and, as good natured as William Henry Pratt was, he probably joked about the role. Still, thirty years beyond Frankenstein and he's playing another monster.

Dr. Boris and Mr. Karloff!

[Coventry · 9/10 · 2 January 2006]

The fabulous BBC couldn't possibly start the new year 2006 better than by showing this little known but surprisingly gripping 50's chiller. "Grip of the Strangler" is excellent (but scandalously underrated) with one of Karloff's most impeccable performances and a gloomy Victorian atmosphere. The screenplay is a extra violent variation on the famous "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" story, with Boris as a respected novelist investigating a serial-killer case that took place 20 years earlier. According to his research, the person who got executed was actually innocent, and he intend to use the case to make a statement regarding the lousy defense poor people receive when they're on trial. He discovers a LOT more than he bargained for, however, and he as well as his family are about to meet the real Haymarket Strangler... This film contains a lot of tension, engaging plot-twists and some very grim moments. The opening sequence, for example, is extremely disturbing as it shows a public hanging where a crowd of socially low classed people are laughing hysterically (!). The make up effects on the mad-raving killer are genuinely scary and the filming locations really fit the obscure nature of the Victorian era. There are nasty cemeteries, dark police archives and – above all – the Judas Hole; a sleazy nightclub where there's little left to the imagination. Great shocker, definitely one of the best story-driven horror films since Val Lewton's finest productions of the early 40's. A must for all fans of classic horror!

Karloff's performance holds it all together

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 24 July 2016]

Boris Karloff's assured performance alone makes this otherwise routine British B-movie one to watch. It's in much the same vein as its companion piece, CORRIDORS OF BLOOD, also made in the same year, although this film lacks a solid supporting cast and the lurid sensationalism that that film holds (although it does come close at times). GRIP OF THE STRANGLER has an excellent twist in its tale - that the killer Karloff is hunting turns out to be himself, and that he is unable to convince the police of his guilt - and the whole film rides on Karloff's performance. I'm pleased to say that it's a typically excellent one.

Karloff plays his tormented murderer with just the right touch of humour and sympathy. Essentially his role is a Jekyll and Hyde one, although unlike other screen monsters he has very little - if any - makeup in his Hyde role. Instead, all he does is distort his arm to make it seem paralysed, close one eye, and curl his upper lip. The effect is devastating, and disturbingly good, and a mark of Karloff's skill as an actor to be able to convincingly pull off such a effect by merely contorting his features. His Jekyll, on the other hand, is an innocent, friendly man who wants only the best for his family and friends. Essentially he's a schizophrenic, and the way that he manages to be both scary and sad is skilled. Bear in mind that the actor was about seventy when this film was made, and his achievement seems all the more impressive.

Sadly, he is let down by his lacklustre supporting cast, who simply don't cut it when they should. Where are all those British character actors when you need them? The best of the lot is Anthony Dawson, who is effective as the leading police investigator, but Tim Turner, who plays the younger doctor, is wooden in the extreme. Diane Aubrey is unassured as Karloff's wife, and minor roles become caricatures. Most of the women in this film are can-can girls, and a fair amount of time is taken up with their performances which certainly helps to pad the running time out a bit.

This is a film undoubtedly influenced by Hammer's THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, which had of course had worldwide success a year previously. This is evident in the Gothic Victorian setting of the film, and the fact that genre staples like grave-digging and lunatic asylums are brought into play to good effect. The murky black and white photography effectively conjures up just the right atmosphere for a film such as this. While the first hour is mainly build up with a few shock scenes, the climax is excellent and classic stuff. We see Karloff ingeniously escape from his asylum cell by setting fire to his bed and slashing the guard with a piece of glass. He then roams the countryside and woods, hunted down by police, before attacking his daughter. I had to laugh at the scene in which he jumps through a greenhouse window, which is pushing Karloff's ability a bit too far, considering his age. I mean, even made up to look younger than he is, he still appears to be in his late 50s at youngest, and the stuntman is obviously thirty years younger.

This asylum horror, complete with its implied gore, brings to mind the full-blown and bloody horrors of FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL, which is a good thing. Compare the end of the movie with the shocking finale of Bob Clark's DEAD OF NIGHT and the similarity is remarkable, and undoubtedly an influence. GRIP OF THE STRANGLER may just be another B-movie, but the interesting plot and Karloff's performance make it hold together much better than other, more typical pictures from the period.

You can't keep a good man down

[keith-moyes · 5/10 · 16 February 2007]

I have very mixed feelings about this movie.

It is a reminder of a long-departed era of movie-making, when it was possible for dedicated professionals to craft a well-mounted historical picture like this out of minimal resources. The total budget of this movie probably wouldn't buy a single day of shooting today, but it still manages to look good. Only in the scenes in the music hall does the poverty show. The minimalist sets are cruelly exposed by over-emphatic lighting. Elsewhere it manages to be atmospheric and effective.

However, it is also a reminder of how ill-considered and pointless many of these minor movie projects once were. I doubt if anything as half-baked as this could come anywhere near to going into production today.

This movie simply doesn't know what it wants to be about. It starts as a mystery, with a writer (Karloff) investigating a 20 year-old murder case, convinced that the wrong man was hanged. In the course of his investigation, the real killer is identified - as the writer himself! This idea is good enough to sustain a whole movie, but here it is sprung on the audience after about half-an-hour.

With the mystery over, we suddenly find ourselves in a horror movie about a Jeckyll and Hyde like serial killer. After a few scary scenes of Karloff attacking women, the story changes tack again. Now the killer realises his true nature and desperately tries to convince others that he is a homicidal maniac who should be locked up. Nobody believes him but, in a completely unaccountable plot development, he is sent to a lunatic asylum anyway. He escapes and is finally shot.

With the movie lurching all over the place, there is still time for a couple of songs and a desultory love affair between two otherwise redundant characters.

This is a sequence of events, but not really a story.

Nonetheless, it holds the interest and retains a certain nostalgic charm. The saddest thing is simply the involvement of Boris Karloff. He was one of the greatest icons in the cinema, and yet here he is, at 70 years of age, lending his name to this negligible little movie - presumably because he still needed the work. The producer's commentary on the DVD suggests it was Karloff himself who first found the project and was pressing for it to be made, but that makes it seem all the sadder. As poor as it was, it was still better than anything else he was being offered at the time.

It is testimony to his honesty as an actor and a man that he never condescends to the material and gives it his best shot. As a result, both he and the movie emerge with some dignity.

Give this movie a view. There are many less rewarding ways of spending 80 minutes of your time. Admire the man and the performance even if, like me, you find yourself regretting that it was necessary for him to take work like this, rather than just settling for a well-earned retirement.