source: Chamber of Horrors

Moviecut—Chamber of Horrors

The Door with Seven Locks

So many early films of the "Old Dark House" variety are the kind where actors hit their marks, look at each other, and just talk, talk, talk endless pages of dialog and exposition. Not this one! The director knows how to tell the story with a camera, and the movie has a good shot count so there's none of those lock-down shots where two or more actors talk about the situation for an eternity. Quite the contrary: the movie has good pacing, and the actors keep a good rhythm to the delivery of their lines. Lilli Palmer is quite good and beguiling as the female lead, with good support from fellow players. The plot has enough twists to keep things interesting, while the lighting, camera moves, and blocking keep the visuals engaging. For a low budget thriller, it's really one of the better examples!

CHAMBER OF HORRORS is a solid little adaptation of an Edgar Wallace novel - THE DOOR WITH SEVEN LOCKS - much filmed over the years. This one plays up the melodrama, with a huge air of mystery layered over the proceedings and plenty of twists along the way. Lilli Palmer makes for a beautiful lead while Leslie Banks brings some Tod Slaughter relish to his role as the sinister doctor. Well filmed, engaging, a classic example of the 'old dark house' genre.

If you what scary movie see this movie. This movie has a great story line and great acting. If you thought A Night on elm street was scary. It you will be scared out of your mind. This one of scariest movies you will see. Almost has scary the original Friday the 13th from 1980. If you like horror stories see this movie.

One of the things I like best about the old British mysteries is that they often throw in a touch of humor to lighten the mood. This film does that quite well, and combines it with an intriguing plot. Overall, a very enjoyable film with decent acting and a plot that appears to be easy to guess, but does come with a couple of surprises.

A murder is found to be connected to a false heir and a secret underground torture chamber. So many of these movies were made in the 30s and early 40s. Prior to the Film noir of the next decade. Some are better than others. This one is a bit above the average. There's a funny scene with the girl in the bath and when she gets out, another woman wraps her in a plaid towel. When she pulls it around her you can see she' wearing bloomers. The sets are opulent as was the case back then and there's lots of fun intrigue. Give it a shot on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

June Lansdowne (Lilli Palmer) receives a mysterious letter and a key. Upon investigation, June is told that the key is one of seven keys, meant for a door with seven locks. After a murder and a disappearance, June enlists the help of the police. This is when an astonishing discovery is made, and June's adventure truly begins. Along the way she meets a group of suspicious characters, including Dr. Manetta (Leslie Banks), whose hobby is collecting instruments of torture for his "enhanced interrogation" room. CHAMBER OF HORRORS is a well-constructed mystery / thriller. Banks is supremely, sublimely wicked in his role, complete with a cape and pet monkey! He sort of reprises his old Zaroff character from THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, infusing him with even more menace and insanity! Ms. Palmer plays Lilli as someone with guts and brains. She's certainly not a pushover! A classic movie for lovers of Edgar Wallace-inspired suspense...

This British made film is highly enjoyable. Excellent performances by the cast, spectacular sets, good script, all things about this film I found enjoyable. Lilli Palmer was excellent in the role, she is also a joy to watch as she is breathtakingly beautiful. Leslie Banks is back in a role similar to his role in "Most Dangerous Game," a man who lives in a castle, and collects torture devices. At 80 minutes in length this film really needs to be watched and enjoyed. Very clever.