Castle Sinister
Lost 1932 British horror film about a mad scientist.
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Castle Sinister is a lost 1932 British horror film produced, written and directed by Widgey R. Newman. It was produced by Delta Pictures and distributed by Filmophone, and starred Haddon Mason and Eric Adeney. The film is notable as a lost work from the early sound era, with no known surviving prints or materials.
Background
The cast included Haddon Mason as Roland Kemp, Eric Adeney as Professor Bandov, Wally Patch as Jorkins, Ilsa Kilpatrick as Jean, and Edmund Kennedy as father. Contemporary reviews were largely negative. The Bioscope described the film as 'theatrically staged, poorly mounted and lighted and acted with such amateurism that it never for a moment convinces.' Kine Weekly noted that 'action is decidedly jerky, and except for its opening sequences at no time convincing,' though it acknowledged a 'short-lived thrill' from the ape-like man's makeup. The Daily Film Renter found the story 'somewhat meagre' but noted that a 'mystery atmosphere pervades throughout.' Ivan Patrick Gore in The Stage called it 'a praiseworthy effort to get away from the usual melodramatic material.'
Did You Know?
- The film was trade shown in six UK cities in 1932: London, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Glasgow.
- Wally Patch's Cockney expressions were noted as a 'bright spot' in an otherwise poorly received film.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Castle Sinister (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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