TheGhost

The Ghost (1968)

This is a pretty straightforward movie that is heavy on atmosphere and light on originality. Dr. Hitchcock is dying of a terrible disease while being cared for by his wife, Margaret, and his good friend Dr. Livingstone. Of course Livingstone and Margaret are carrying on a passionate affair behind the good doctor’s back. Dr. Livingstone wants to allow nature to take it’s course, while Margaret wants to help the inevitable along. So they kill him off, but are shocked when they can’t find the money that they both know he had stashed around the house. Are they playing each other for fools or is someone else manipulating the situation? And what is with the know-it all Parson and the creepy housekeeper?

If I had to rate this movie I would say it was mediocre at best. The story is very predictable and has been done better many times in other movies. The “shocking” twists come off as more ho hum then holy crap. None of the characters are at all interesting, and in fact actually come off as stereotypical. You have the scheming wife who puts her lover up to the crime, the lover who hesitates but is too weak to say no, and the husband/victim that may know more than he is letting on. This makes for a movie that can be very long and slow at times. In fact other than a single unintentionally funny scene with a howling dog this isn’t a memorable movie at all. The performances don’t rise above the material here. There are a few good actors here including Barbara Steele (Pit and the Pendulum) who looks very beautiful and gives a decent performance. But none of the cast brings much energy to the screen, which doesn’t really help a movie that is a chore to get thru anyways.

There isn’t much gore here; basically some messed up looking hands and vague “guts”. The effect looks pretty bad, and isn’t helped by the poor lighting that the film suffers from. Also lacking any spontaneity or creativeness is the camera work. Most of these gothic want to be movies have at least one interesting or creative shot that will grab your attention. I kept waiting for the Ghost to deliver the goods and was solely disappointed. And while it seems like I’m piling on I do need to mention the dubbing. Overall it isn’t that bad, but there are a few scenes where there is a great deal of extra dialogue added. This has the effect of an actor on screen not moving his lips while lines are being delivered, or the person dubbing the lines speeding up to get the dialogue in before the scene is over. In a better movie this might not of bothered me, but when a movie is this slow I get picky.

The Ghost really isn’t worth checking out unless you want to see Barbara Steele in another movie. Beyond that the movie is just forgettable. I don’t recommend The Ghost, but if you must check it you can get it from the fine folks at Mill Creek. Go to http://www.millcreekent.com/ for more information.

1 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer