Classic Horrors Club

Prior to searching for a movie with a milestone anniversary in January, I had never heard of The Face of Marble (1946.) It’s apparently rare but has been released on physical media in the past, and I found a very good print to stream on Amazon Prime. It’s about as average as can be, but for 1940s Poverty Row horror flicks, that’s actually a compliment. The unique combination of themes is what makes it unique.

It’s one part Frankenstein, with Dr. Charles Randolph (John Carradine) attempting to revive the dead. Dr. David Cochran (Robert Shayne) is his assistant and moral compass, albeit one that is easily pointed toward Randolph’s desires. Randolph thinks nothing of retrieving a dead body from a shipwreck, then when the experiment fails, putting it back on the beach. Cochran worries (briefly) about the authorities finding it and implicating them.

Inspector Norton (Thomas E. Jackson) seems to do just that. However, he’s been an ally with Randolph ever since the famed psychologist helped him solve a big case. After an autopsy reveals that the victim of the shipwreck didn’t drown but was electrocuted, Norton confronts Randolph, but more in a “I’d hate to think a friend murdered someone” than a “I think you murdered someone; let’s go downtown” sort of way.

The Face of Marble is another part… ghost story? While Randolph never killed any humans, he kills his wife Elaine’s (Claudia Drake) dog, Brutus (General.) Perceiving another failure, the two doctors walk out of the lab with heads hung low, then they hear barking. Brutus is back, but meaner than ever, and can apparently jump out of a closed window. In subsequent “appearances,” the canine phases in and out as the plot requires.

Finally, The Face of Marble is another part voodoo thriller, with the housekeeper Maria (Rosa Ray) orchestrating events with spells and fetish dolls, all with the intention of causing Cochran to return the romantic feelings Elaine harbors for him. But wait… she’s married to Randolph. The good doctor apparently saved her life after an accident and they married. Since he’s really married to his job, I guess Elaine is left longing for more.

The triangle gains another side when Linda Sinclair (Maris Wrixon), Cochran’s girlfriend, visits for his birthday. Maria wants her out of the way, but she’s about as successful at voodoo as Randolph is raising the dead. She thinks she’s killed Linda, but it’sactually Elaine. Everything sort of comes together when Randolph tries to revive Elaine, but she suffers the same fate as Brutus.

There’s still about a quarter of the film to go, and it’s only a 72-minute movie! It’s simultaneously complicated, yet simple plot, moves at a brisk pace and is an enjoyable experience. It’s a good showcase for Carradine in much more than only a supporting role. There’s not much substance, but not every movie needs it. Sometimes it’s enough to have a competent story with a few unexpected twists.

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