Raptus: el terrible secreto del Dr. Hichcock

It is set in 19th London , there a surgeon : Robert Fleming undergoes risked operations . He is the prestigious doctor Hitchock , but he bears a dark secret, he really turns out to be a necrophiliac who likes drug his spouse Margarettha : Maria Teresa Vianello for sexual funeral games ; one day things go awry while engaged in sexual antics and his wife dies . Some years later , he remarries to Barbara Steele who suddenly discovers the dark secrets her hubby . The candle of his lust burnt brightest in the shadow of the grave¡ .

This is an Italian classic terror movie filled with chills , thrills , sinister atmosphere and scary events . A terrifying and mysterious tale of gothic horror and black madness in which a creepy secret was at a coffin named desire . Dealing with a mad doctor who remarries to bring the first wife missus back from the dead . This is one of the best films made by the craftsman Riccardo Freda who realized some good terror films such as Vampiri , this Horrible Dr Hitchcock and sequelled by " The ghost or Lo Spetto" , also starred by Barbara Steele . As Freda was a pioneer from Horror/Fantasy genre originated in Italy , along with Mario Bava who directed "Black Sabbath" and subsequently Dario Argento , all of them created the famous genre : Giallo . The movie is said by those involved to have hurriedly filmed. Nice acting by Robert Fleming as a sinister doctor with necroliphic tendences who accidentally administers an overdoses with fateful consequences , though she might be coming back from the tomb , as he attempts to heal and rejuvenate her by injecting new blood . Robert Fleming attempted to quit when to be aware the film involved necrophilia and he resulted to be a necrophiliac doctor . Barbara Steele is very good as the frightening wife whose husband tries to reborn the old spouse by use her blood , as she suffers torments and is really shatteted for the mysterious circumstances take place at the ghastly as well as horrifying mansion .

This motion picture is strong on visual style and interesting script by prolific Ernest Gastaldi , being well shot by Riccardo Freda in only 14 days , including nimble direction assistants who filmed close-ups , rapid frames and cutaways to save time .It displays an atmospheric and extremely creepy score by Roman Vlad . Colorful cinematography full of lights and shadows by Raffaele Masciocchi , being photographed in Villa Peruchetti , Lacio , Rome , Italy . Compellingly made by Freda , his movies had popular appeal and were usually commercial hits . He often used psedonyms as Dick Jordan , George Lincoln and here Robert Hampton . Some reviewers have praised him as an exploitation stylist and present-day his movies have somewhat of cult following . He made various horror gothic movies , from there he went to spy , melodrama and even made one Western .Riccardo directed/ wrote all kinds of genres , such as adventures and Peplum : Dartagnan's daughter , Salamander of desert , Mongols , Magnificent adventurer , Black Eagle , Vendetta of Black Eagle , The mysterious Cavalier , Don Cesare Di Bazan , Il cavalier di San Marcos , Il Figlio di D'artagnan , Spartacus , Maciste in Inferno , Maciste in court of Great Khan, The giants of Thessaly ; Drama: Two orphans in Paris , Beatriz Cenzi , Genoneva Di Bravante , Lovers of Verona ; Giallo : Tragic ceremony in Villa Alexander , Murder obsession ; Eurospy : Agent Coplan FX18 ; Monster movie : Caltiki ; and Western : No killing with dollars .

The plot ,which could be considered a horror "Rebecca" ,complete with the late wife who haunts the maleficent mansion,the unpleasant governess,in Mrs Denvers ' mold .One can also find the movie too slow-moving,but it does not matter.

The wonderful scenery (this house is a splendor) , the clever lightings , the superb colors make it a winner ;add the presence of Barbara Steele ,par excellence the Goth girl , an Edgar Poe atmosphere ,and a fancy for necrophilia ,and you get a must for horror buffs.

This minor but interesting entry in the Italian Gothic/horror genre is a first in that no film had ever dealt before with the subject of necrophilia. Set in London in 1885, Robert Flemyng portrays Dr. Bernard Hichcock who kills off his first wife, digs her up for a little body worship, then marries the ever-ravishing Barbara Steele. Harriet White Medin is perfect as the spooky housekeeper with an ample supply of nasty secrets and protectress of the demented doctor. Flemyng, Steele & White Medin are quite a terror-ific trio and this flick is lots of fun. Beware of the truncated, rather mutilated American version known as THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK. The dictatorial director Riccardo Freda was responsible for making this film on a bet in just a few days but it doesn't show. HICHCOCK benefits from superb Technicolor and some nice locales and art direction. Even the castle mascot is a black cat named Jess-Belle. Required viewing for all fans of Barbara Steele as it is among her best Italian work. Freda was only equal or better with his work on I VAMPIRI and CALTIKI, IL MOSTRO IMMORTALE.

Gorgeously filmed, totally insane Gothic pastiche from Riccardo Freda holds its marvelously overwrought tone through to the fiery climax. At the center of it is Barbara Steele's Cynthia, the neurotic second wife of the eponymous Dr. Hichcock, who, from the second she arrives in her husband's creaky and apparently haunted mansion, is picturesquely threatened by the hostile maid, by a mysterious figure in white, purported to be the maid's sister, and by her own increasingly mad husband, who was already predisposed to pseudo-necrophilia, but who really starts to tip over the brink as he begins to believe his first wife has come back from the grave. It's all both lavish and ludicrous, and profits from Steele's incredible screen presence and the weight of its own images. Spectacular use of color, as well. Essential viewing.

Actually what I have on VHS (recorded off the TV) is the full-length version of the film, released in the U.K. as THE TERROR OF DR. HICHCOCK (in the U.S. it was cut by 10 mins. and retitled).

From the little I have watched of 'Euro Horror', this is definitely one of the highlights; most critics place it at the top of Freda's canon and it's easy to see why. Visually the film is stunning (even if the print I have watched has seen better days) with any number of striking images that are not easily forgotten.

Still, the film's greatest coup, perhaps, is its unabashed (but not sensationalistic) treatment of necrophilia, a theme that was pretty much taboo at the time - and probably still is! (I urge you all to read Glenn M. Erickson's excellent and highly perceptive essay on the film on the 'Images Journal' website - incidentally, you will find a whole section here devoted to Italian horror films.) In this respect, THE TERROR OF DR. HICHCOCK would make a fine companion piece to Mario Bava's LA FRUSTA E IL CORPO/THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963), another unhinged (and extremely personal) Gothic masterwork!

The exemplary cast is headed by Barbara Steele and Robert Flemyng. Steele is pretty good in what she has to do (though never quite scaling the heights of LA MASCHERA DEL DEMONIO/THE MASK OF Satan [1960]) but is overshadowed by Flemyng as Dr. Bernard Hichcock (an inspired choice for a name!) who is utterly credible in all the various facets of manic lust his character has to go through. Indeed, this doctor would not have been amiss in a Poe story and, much as I love Vincent Price in the AIP/Corman adaptations, Flemyng here emerges a far more sinister figure - without ever resorting to camp!

Finally, I wonder how this film's follow-up LO SPETTRO/THE GHOST (1963), which I have never watched, compares with the original. Hopefully both films will one day be adequately represented on DVD, possibly released as a double-feature.