Niche though it is his films have a good appeal and this is a most original and interesting story. Concerning a doctor who is tasked with the rehabilitation of a reclusive baron whose face is marred by a gruesomely freakish grin, it's not really your typical horror film. Set at a brisk pace of 90 minutes it's more of a drama as we get situated with this small cast of characters and the circumstances that brought the baron to coin the name Sardonicus for himself, despite some fairly grotesque moments for 1961 and the villainous characteristics of the titular character. Ronald Lewis is a very compassionate and learned lead, not framed as a hero who must end the monster but rather a doctor sent to heal willingly in spite of some rather unscrupulous tactics by the baron, but he does solid work and is fairly believable. Guy Rolfe as Mr. Sardonicus is undoubtedly the highlight with his blank mask, imposing height, and quite a soothing refined voice that hides a cruel and inhuman psyche willing to torture women to find some miracle cure for his disfigurement, and the prosthetic is simple and yet instantly memorable. Audrey Dalton as an old flame of the doctor while not having a lot of stake in the plot unfortunately does fine work regardless and you can imagine her intense need to escape such a ghoulish prison. Oscar Homolka as the scarred manservant fits the archetype well as a loyal subservient to his master and he has such a good physique about him with a missing eye and solid voice. One thing I have taken consistent notice of this week is each film doesn't hold a great mamy sets bit rather fleshes out the few they have to really enhance the production value and this is no exception, the castle and sparse grounds is quintessential spooky scenery that always just looks superior in pristine black & white but the interiors are lavish and classy. The 60s was truly the bridge between classic horror and modern horror, I mean think about it you have stuff like this and the Poe series in the early years and by the end of it we got stuff like Targets and Night Of The Living Dead injecting both modern sensibilities and starting to up the gore factor. It's a prime decade for horror fans of both camps! I gotta admit it was a blast to see William Castle introduce and do his gimmick for the film which consisted of voting cards to show mercy or punish Sardonicus for his actions, in true showmanship style with the right amount of cheese, humor, and tone that sets you up nicely for the film. It's more of a minor example than a must see movie for the season but I enjoyed it enough, and I can recommend it if you need a break from the newer more intense stuff or just enjoy good old fashioned spooky stuff. 2.5 stars, 6.5/10, and like always I got some Universal Monster goodness for you on Halloween week...
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