Crucible of Terror (1971)

Crucible of Horror… Crucible of Terror… two 1971 horror films that have caused me perpetual confusion. Even when I popped in the new Severin Films Blu-ray for the latter, I thought I was going to be watching the former. I don’t know the difference because I’ve never seen Horror.

The most confounding thing about Terror is that as people keep disappearing, no one notices they’re gone. I’m not exaggerating on this point. Until Millie Nolastname (Mary Maude) falls in a pool inside a cave and nearly lands on a dead body, she doesn’t know anyone has been murdered.

Then, it’s too late to matter because we’re in the climax and she’s running for her life as the villain heats up some liquid metal to pour over her and turn her into a statue. This part is somewhat exciting as her beau, John Davies (James Bolam), races back to the country estate to save her.

They find themselves in this situation because John runs an art gallery and wants to make a deal with the artist, Victor Clare (Mike Raven), for more of his work. You see, Victor’s son, Michael (Ronald Lacey), stole one his father’s statues and took it to the gallery to sell.

It was popular and sold before we even see it. But George Brent (Kenneth Keeling) wants it so badly he breaks in after hours to steal it. He gets smothered to death for the effort. Also, a point of clarification, we did see the statue before… when it was being created by the villain pouring liquid metal over a beautiful woman’s dead body.

I keep saying, “villain,” in case you think the reasons we never see him/her is that their identity is a mystery. It turns out not to be, so it’s another wasted effort. The motives, though, remain unknown, other than the fact that this person is insane. It doesn’t make sense, but I won’t spoil it if you’re intrigued.

This is the one and only movie directed by Ted Hooker, who had previously edited four films. That’s his entire resume, except for the fact that he also co-wrote Crucible of Terror with Tom Parkinson, who wrote, directed, and produced Disciple of Death a year later. Mike Raven and Ronald Lacey returned for that one.

Before I remembered that Raven played Count Karnstein in Lust for a Vampire (1971), I kept thinking how he looked like a poor man’s Christopher Lee with none of the gravitas. Did he speak in Lust, because I’m pretty sure in this he had a stutter (and I don’t mean to knock him for that.)

On the other hand, Lacey is terrific as the drunken, bitter son who’s always been mistreated by his father. You might recognize him as Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark. In that movie, his face melted. In this one – spoiler alert – he’s the body that Millie nearly falls upon in the water.

Betty Alberge is also terrific as Victor’s wife, Dorothy. It’s a bizarre role… she wears her hair in pigtails and has a cavern full of stuffed animals that gives her comfort while her husband is frolicking with the models for his paintings. The entire movie needed more “bizarre” to make it more entertaining.