THE MAN IN BLACK is an early mystery thriller effort from Hammer Films that feels like a variant on the 'old dark house' theme. It's worth a look thanks to a winning performance from Sid James, long before he became typecast in the horror genre. James plays a wealthy but ailing figure whose wife and stepdaughter seem to be constantly plotting against in order to get their hands on his fortune. He dies during a spooky seance so the focus of their attention falls on his fragile daughter. This low budget film is packed with twists and turns, the most crucial of which is rather obvious for any fan of British cinema. The cast is excellent though and features superbly poisonous turns from Betty Ann Davies and Sheila Burrell alongside plenty of creepy incident.
Review of The Man in Black
