Mr. Sardonicus (1961)

Director:

William Castle

Writers:

Ray Russell (story)
Ray Russell (screenplay)

Release Date:

1962 (Austria)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

A man of evil... with a face that could stop a heart!

Plot:

A search for a winning lottery ticket in his dead father's grave causes Sardonicus' face to freeze in a horrible grimace...

Plot Keywords:

Grave Robbing | Corpse | Mask | 1880s | Leech

Cast

Oskar Homolka	...	Krull (as Oscar Homolka)
Ronald Lewis	...	Sir Robert Cargrave
Audrey Dalton	...	Maude Sardonicus
Guy Rolfe	...	Baron Sardonicus
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Henryk Toleslawski
Erika Peters	...	Elenka
Lorna Hanson	...	Anna
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edith Atwater	...	Nurse
James Forrest	...	Wainwright

Also Known As:

Sardonicus (UK)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1961) | UK:12 | USA:Approved | West Germany:16

Company:

William Castle Productions

Trivia:

The correct term for Baron Sardonicus' condition is hysterical rictus.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Early in the film, the Baroness claims to be a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle, citing him as a "fascinating writer"; but the story takes place in 1880, and Arthur Conan Doyle did not publish his first minor work until 1883, and was not well-known until the publication of the first Sherlock Holmes story - "A Study in Scarlet" - until 1887. Thus, the Baroness could not possibly have ever heard of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Quotes:

Gatekeeper: Sardonicus?
Sir Robert Cargrave: Why were you so frightened?
Gatekeeper: Aah, sir, you would not understand. You are young. You do not yet have daughters!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007)

Soundtrack:

Foggy, Foggy Dew

Something else money can't buy you; a nice face!

William Castle had cemented his reputation as a director of fun, gimmicky horror films by 1961, but for this one he's (almost!) dropped the fun feel and replaced it with a more serious tone; and in doing so has gone and created his best film! The film opens with an introduction from the director (I said he'd ALMOST dropped the fun feel), and from there we move onto a macabre tale of greed, curses, grave robbing and disfigurement. Based on a novella by Ray Russell, the film takes obvious influence from George Franju's masterpiece 'Eyes without a Face' in that it follows the horrifying idea of someone having their face scarred beyond belief. The tale puts greed at its centre, and it is that deadly sin which is to blame for the title character's affliction. We follow a prominent English doctor who is called to Europe on the request of his ex-lover. While there, he meets the cruel and sinister Baron Sardonicus; a man who is forced to wear a mask as his face is too hideous to look at. It's not long thereafter that we learn the reason for this facial deformity, as the man retells the tale of how he robbed his father's grave for a winning lottery ticket.

William Castle may not be the greatest director of all time, but here he creates just the right tone for the story to flourish in. The Gothic locations, sinister score and foreboding mood combine to ensure that the story is both gripping and as hideous as its central protagonist. This is helped along by the fact that the central characters are well fleshed out, and all of their motives make sense. Mr Sardonicus himself verges on comic book villainy at times, and as the plot is fairly ludicrous, this isn't always the easiest film to swallow. However, Castle ensures that the action always makes sense, and it has to be said that the tale has been given as good handling as it could afford. Castle's love for showboating shows through towards the end, however, when he tries one of his 'interactive cinema' tricks regarding the fate of Mr Sardonicus. It is these sort of things that make William Castle films what they are, and it fits films like The Tingler; but here Castle's segment feels out of place, given that the tone of the movie is largely serious. However, it's not enough to spoil what is a great Gothic horror story and overall I highly recommend this film to horror fanatics!