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| Richard Carlson | ... | ||
| Susan Gordon | ... |
Sandy Hubbard
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| Lugene Sanders | ... |
Meg Hubbard
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Juli Reding | ... | |
| Joe Turkel | ... |
Nick, The Blackmailer
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Lillian Adams | ... |
Mrs. Ellis
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| Gene Roth | ... |
Mr. Nelson, lunch stand operator
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| Vera Marshe | ... |
Mrs. Hubbard
(as Vera Marsh)
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Harry Fleer | ... |
Frank Hubbard
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Merritt Stone | ... |
Clergyman
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George Stanley | ... |
Wedding Guest
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Dick Walsh | ... |
Wedding Guest
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Leslie Thomas | ... |
Wedding Guest
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On an island community off of California, Tom Stewart is preparing to marry the woman he loves. His plans are threatened by his old girlfriend, Vi, who shows up secretly. During a confrontation at the top of the island's lighthouse, the railing breaks and Vi falls. Tom has a chance to save her but doesn't. Tom's relief at Vi's accident soon fades when her vengeful spirit begins showing up wherever he goes... Written by C. Robert Stevens <[email protected]>
The first thing to notice is the photography of Ernest Laszlo, a veteran of film noir who shot the classic "D.O.A.", "Kiss Me Deadly" and Fritz Lang's "While the City Sleeps." (And the same year "Tormented" came out, he did "Inherit the Wind"!) He elevates this little ghost tale no end, with nice compositions such as the shots through broken lighthouse windows.
Classical ghost stories usually don't have very far to go, and that's probably why there aren't too many of them in American cinema. Someone's haunted, that's it. Such tales are atmosphere-heavy instead of plot-heavy, since motive and outcome are usually obvious. In this case, the atmosphere is a combination of spookiness (with some clumsy effects, and some smooth ones, like the pan shot across the room to reveal the missing LP which has somehow moved to the record player) and the neurotic paranoia of the hero, who reveals himself as trapped a sap as many a noir fool who blames his troubles on a dame. The plot delays and prolongs, but the last act juggles several nice twists. By the end, this cynical little flick has shown more style and imagination than several recent special-effects ghost movies.