Katakomben

If you seen the overrated Diabolique and similarly overrated Seance on a Wet Afternoon, and liked them, then you will probably like this film. On the other hand, if you are like me and intensely dislike movies which pretend to be supernatural thrillers but which ultimately are not supernatural in nature, then you probably won't like this one. To be clear, unlike what some other reviewers have claimed, this is not a supernatural movie; there is no supernatural content. In addition, anyone who has seen thrillers of this kind - they usually involve a love triangle and infidelity - will probably find The Woman Who Wouldn't Die fairly predictable. I honestly can't understand the appeal of this kind of movie. It falls within an always-disappointing thriller sub-genre.

The debut feature of underrated director Gordon Hessler ("The Oblong Box", "Cry of the Banshee") is a sadly obscure but effectively sinister and compelling horror/mystery, with stellar performances, stupendous fright-moments, and an ingenious climax. The basic plot-idea is clearly inspired by the French über-classic "Les Diaboliques", but approximately three hundred movies stole from that film, so you can't really hold that against "Catacombs". Trampled husband wants to get rid of his domineering wife, so that he can inherit her fortune and run off with her much younger and prettier niece. He finds an ally in his wife Ellen's oppressed business partner, but nothing goes as planned. I won't go too much into detail of the plot, as it is much more fun to discover for yourself, but I do want to highlight the masterfully tense sequences at the cottage (never thought the sound of a ticking cane could feel so ominous), and the chemistry between Gary Merrill and Georgine Cookson. "Catacombs" really deserves to be better known!

This murder mystery borrowed somewhat from the famous Dr. Crippen case has businessman Gary Merrill married most unhappily to Georgina Cookson whom the word shrew was invented. Merrill and business partner Neil McCallum cook up an elaborate murders scheme so he can start kanoodling with his wife's niece the buxom Jane Merrow.

I think I can say things don't quite work out for all of the planners. And a most different twist on the famous Crippen case. Film belongs to Cookson who portrays a character Albert Schweitzer would have offed.

... or so some insurance commercial says. And this great little forgotten British film is exhibit A. Ellen Garth is a thin fiftyish woman of extreme wealth and business acumen. Georgina Cookson plays her and gives her character the eery look of a cross between a mannequin and a female impersonator. Ellen is very wealthy, and her bad decision is to think that money can buy her anything - love in the case of her younger husband Raymond (Gary Merrill) and loyalty in the case of her employee Richard (Neil McCallum), on whom she has evidence of an attempted embezzlement. What it is really buying her is duty sex from Raymond and indentured servitude from her employee. And they commiserate when alone as to how much they'd love to be rid of her. Now Raymond can take being a kept man and boy toy until Ellen's beautiful niece, Alice (Jane Merrow) arrives for a visit all grown up. Suddenly Raymond realizes what he's been missing out on. Or to put it bluntly... boing!!.

When the niece reciprocates Raymond's affection, suddenly it is homicide blueprint time between Raymond and Richard. They plan to murder Ellen in England, have an actress impersonate Ellen in Italy - she had planned a trip there without Raymond - and then murder the actress and make it look like Ellen's tendency to speed finally got the best of her when she dies in a fiery crash in the Italian hills. There are a few kinks in the plan, but it basically looks like it has worked out EXCEPT...Raymond must live in the cottage where he killed his wife for the rest of his life or forfeit his inheritance. And suddenly there are bumps in the night that make it appear Raymond's wife is still alive.

Now why would Raymond think this? Ellen was the follower of some unnamed Eastern religion that believed in coming back from the dead and plus she had the ability when living to put herself in a trance whenever her unspecified hip injury got to be too painful. Was she just in a trance when Raymond thought he killed her? Is somebody trying to run Raymond out of the cottage so he forfeits his inheritance? Something else entirely? Watch and find out.

This is a low budget film as so many British films were for the first twenty years after WWII, but it scares the audience very effectively with what they do not see and what they don't know. I highly recommend this little thriller.

Catacombs is based on the novel of the same name written by Jay Bennett, it might suggest a Gothic horror but there are no catacombs in this movie and I think that the American title of "The Woman Who Wouldn't Die" is more suitable. Gary Merrill (who was once married to Bette Davis) stars as Raymond, the hen pecked husband of successful business woman Ellen (Georgina Cookson). When her young niece Alice comes to visit she and Ray start an unlikely affair, she is very attractive whereas he, with his comb-over hair, is old enough to be her father. Ellen catches them in the act, later on Ray kills Ellen and judging by his facial expressions he looks like he's enjoying himself. He buries her in a garden shed, however it seems that Ellen has come back from the dead to torment them! I had not heard of this British mystery/horror movie before so a big thank you to the wonderful Talking Pictures TV (UK) for screening it. I watch most of my films in the evenings but with rain outside I decided to close the curtains and make this my Saturday afternoon viewing, and it proved to be a rewarding watch. The film is well shot and directed, the musical score by Carlo Martelli is very effective and the acting is of a good standard, Cookson as bossy Ellen gives the standout performance. This is one of those movies that looks perfect shot in black and white, I am glad that it was not in colour. The twist ending was easy to figure out but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of it in the slightest. Catacombs deserves to be better known.