If THE AWFUL DR. ORLF doesn't quite reach the first rank of classic horror films from the 1960s, it is nonetheless an eerie, thoroughly entertaining little gem that deserves a broader audience. Director Jesus Franco establishes a rich, fog-haunted atmosphere that saturates the viewer in Gothic ambiance, and the story manages to rise above the limitations of formula for all that it lovingly embraces the familiar trappings of genre. The principal characters are believable and quite well acted, notably Howard Vernon as the eponymous mad doctor (who, awful as he is, is motivated to torture and kill young women in the vain hope that he can restore youth and life to his disfigured daughter) and Conrado San Martin as the police detective determined to track him down. Also noteworthy are Ricardo Valle as Morpho, the murderous but helpless thrall of Orlof whose shambling, blind killer is both frightening and yet somehow sympathetic, and the enchanting Diana Lorys, who essays a dual role as both the detective's ballerina girlfriend and also Orlof's comatose daughter. Lorys is blessed with beauty and charisma in equal measure, and her role is in many ways the central one of the film. The movie's only notable flaw is a pace that occasionally drags, but all the same the picture maintains interest and the eventual climax is not only fitting but exciting. Overall, THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF is a small but vital triumph, well-directed with an even hand and a fine Gothic treasure of 60s cinema.
Review of The Awful Dr. Orlof
