Lo specchio della follia

Coming late in the 60's cycle of mature star shockers, Shelley Winters (who sounds as if she did some of her scenes in one take) and Stella Stevens square off in this watchable B that would have gone straight to video these days. Features a mutt with a taste for more than just Shmackos and worth seeing for the riveting cameo by Beverley Garland as the scorned wife drunk at a society party, but basically Stella's the whole show. Lots of zoom camerawork and 60s wigs! Ends suddenly in the best traditions! Perfect double feature with 'The Big Cube'! 6/10

Alright, prepare for some weird and seemingly illogical reasoning... "The Mad Room" certainly isn't complete failure, or even a terribly bad film, but considering the wasted potential and the people and source material involved, it was a bigger disappointment to me as than it would be just another bad film. Makes sense? No, didn't think so...

What I mean is that I'm 200% convinced "The Mad Room" easily could have been a lot better, and the only thing it accomplished is make me curious about tracking down the original film entitled "Ladies in Retirement", starring Ida Lupino and released in 1941.

Legendary dame Shelley Winters stars as the wealthy and eccentric widow Mrs. Armstrong. The almost equally legendary Stella Stevens stars as her secretary, and future daughter-in-law, Ellen Hardy. Troubles arise when Ellen's younger brother and sister need Ellen as their custodian and need Mrs. Armstrong's fancy big mansion as place to live. Why is this a problem? Well, because the siblings - George and Mandy - were just released from a mental institution, as they are suspected of butchering their parents at the tender ages of 6 and 8 years old!

The supposedly shocking denouement is hopelessly predictable, especially in the context of this being a late 60s horror/thriller flourishing on the tremendous success of Hitchcock's "Psycho", but that really isn't the problem. What bothers most is that "The Mad Room" is completely devoid of creativity, excitement, and sardonic humor despite all the opportunities for it! Even though featuring psychotic women aplenty, theatrical murders, and a dog wandering around with a severed hand in his mouth, the script is unfathomably dull and strictly routine.

There's talent aplenty in this cast, and the story is promising--it's a treat seeing Stella Stevens in her prime, pitted against ever-redoubtable Shelley Winters. They both have some good moments, as do the young people. But be advised that plot holes are evident throughout (it's her fiancé's house, for instance, but he's never around...Stevens has no warning whatsoever that she's been given custody of her siblings...) and especially the climax, which is much too rushed and lands kersplat. Maybe it was budget issues. It's worth one watch, although if you're fond of dogs you may be as irritated as I was at the end.

Ellen Hardy (Stella Stevens) is about to marry Sam (Skip Ward), the son of the wealthy Gladys Armstrong (Shelley Winters), for whom she works as a personal assistant. Before the nuptials can get underway, Ellen receives word that her teenage brother and sister, George and Mandy (Michael Burns and Barbara Sammeth) are being released from the mental institution where they've spent most of their lives.

Apparently, as children, the siblings murdered their parents. Now, Ellen brings them to stay at the Armstrong residence under false pretenses. Soon enough, bad things occur. The title, THE MAD ROOM comes into play due to George and Mandy's need of a place to "unwind", like the room they used at the institution. Unfortunately, their relocation appears to have been... ill-conceived. Or, is something else going on?

A crackpot movie, showcasing the lovely Ms. Stevens in almost every scene!

EXTRA LUNACY POINTS FOR: The dog, the hand, the sword, and that yellow dress!...

This is more camp than thriller. Stella Stevens is beautiful, but even as a fan, I find her dramatic scenes not up to her usual level of competence. Shelley Winters is hilariously cranky ( rumor has it she was on the set as well). The scene stealer in this piece is Beverly Garland as the alcoholic wife of Winter's "masseur."