Raptus - O Diabólico Dr. Hichcock

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.

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 Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962)

*** (out of 4)

Dr. Hitchcock (Robert Flemyng) administers a drug to his beautiful wife but he accidentally gives her too much, which causes her to overdose and die. The pain causes him to leave him home but years later he returns with his new wife Cynthia (Barbara Steele). It doesn't take too long for the new wife to start seeing and hearing mysterious things, which could be the dead wife.

THE HORRIBLE DR. HITCHCOCK is a pretty good horror film from director Riccardo Freda who skips out on blood or graphic violence and instead delivers atmosphere and some great performances. The film became a pretty big hit when it was originally released and it continued to gain new fans as it showed up on American television. There are two different versions out there with the original Italian version running twelve-minutes longer than the American cut but it's the American version that is currently available on Blu-ray and is what I watched.

For the most part this is a pretty good film that works perfectly in that "old dark house" way where we're given an innocent woman put into a dangerous situation and we're not quite sure what's going on. Is she losing her mind? Is her new husband playing sinister tricks? Has the dead wife returned? These are the questions that are asked throughout the picture and Freda keeps the film moving at a nice pace. There's no question that it's a well-made film that contains some beautiful cinematography as well as a nice music score. Freda builds up a very good and rich atmosphere that carries the picture to the end.

Another major plus is the fact that the performances were so good. Flemyng is very good in the role of the husband because he plays it so perfectly down the middle that you can never tell what he's up to. Then you've got Steele who once again delivers a great performance as the wife who finds herself seeing ghosts and other strange objects. THE HORRIBLE DR. HITCHCOCK isn't a flawless movie but it's certainly an entertaining one.

I suppose how horrible you think Doctor Hitchcock is depends on your own view of necrophilia. I mean, sure, the first time we see him he's bashed the head of a gravedigger so he can have a quick go on a corpse's paps, but then he did show his kinder side by also being the Doctor who stitched up the poor guy's head at the hospital later. And it's not necrophilia is his wife is still alive, and only looks dead because of the drugs he pumps her full of, is it? It's a complicated issue.

This film also gives us a Double Scouse Lead Actor Line-up! (or D.S.L.A.L for short)! Not only do we have Birkenhead born Barbara Steele in the film, but playing Doctor Hitchcock is Liverpool born actor Roberyt Flemyng! Very little is known of this actor, except that he was an aristocratic-looking character actor, with a 60-year long theatrical career stretching back to 1931. The son of a Liverpool physician, he had a brief medical career, which he abandoned in preference to becoming a thespian. Rose to prominence as Keit Neilan in 'French Without Tears' in 1936. Thereafter, had leading roles on the London and Liverpool stages. Also appeared on Broadway and went on tour in 1952 opposite Katherine Cornell in 'The Constant Wife'. During World War II, he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps, reaching the rank of full colonel. He was awarded the MC (Military Cross) in 1941, mentioned in dispatches and was awarded the military OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1944 King's Honours List for his services to the Royal Army. On 21st March, 1995, he suffered a serious stroke and was for a time comatose. He eventually recovered consciousness, but was incapable of speech and was limited in his movements. He died as a patient in St. Thomas's Hospital in London in the early hours of May 22nd, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Barbara by the way is Dr Hitchcock's second wife, because Hitchcock accidentally killed his first wife with those drugs while trying to turn her into a fake-corpse. Hitchcock, after twelve years, has now returned to his creepy old mansion with Barabararararara, who immediately takes a dislike to meddlesome ratbag housemaid Harriet White. After some screaming is heard, an alarmed Barararararbara is told that's just Harriet's crazy sister and that she's getting shipped off to some loony bin the next day. If that's the case, however, who's running around laughing, being spooky, and making use of the mansion's standard-issue secret passageways? And why is that creepy cat still alive after twelve years?

Barbara Steele sure does a lot of fainting in this film! Someone leaves a skull in her bed = faint. She's out in the garden when a ghostly bridesmaid runs about = faint. She looks through a keyhole and sees someone preparing a noose = keels over. That last one doesn't work out too well for her either. Someone's up to something, and while all that's happening Dr Hitchcock is getting a hankering for some cold flesh, and constantly nearly keeps getting caught at the hospital morgue for this troubles (mainly by suspicious Silvano Tranquili, who has the hots for Barbara).

I'm going to level with you here and say that this film isn't exactly a white knuckle ride. It's pure undiluted Gothic horror that takes it's sweet time getting to conclusion, but just like his other film The Ghost, Riccardo Freda makes good use of colour and throws in loads of mood (and thunderstorms, don't forget thunderstorms). There's one particularly weird scene where Barbara hallucinates Hitchcock's face swelling up while red light fills the screen. That said, I do prefer the Ghost if I had to compare the two.

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.