The Man in Black (1950) User Reviews

Early Hammer Suspense Thriller

[OneView · 6/10 · 25 December 2012]

Before Hammer Films branched out into horror they produced a number of suspense dramas that might generously be characterised as film noir. Their other line of content consisted of adaptions of BBC radio and television concepts (Dick Barton, PC 49 and later, to notable effect, the Quatermass serials.) Man in Black was based on a popular radio series called Appointment With Fear hosted by the sepulchral voiced Valentine Dyall, who also provides an on screen introduction to this film. Dyall had a long career as a character actor in the villainous mould and would play the Black Guardian in Doctor Who towards the end of his life.

The other notable player in Man in Black is Sid James in one of his earliest film roles, long before his acclaimed comedic parts opposite Tony Hancock and as part of the Carry On ensemble. Here he plays a serious and quite sober role with conviction.

The film itself is a mild diversion at best, using the old trope of "trying to drive the young heiress insane." The film lacks mushc in the way of surprises but the key villain/s are well played and genuinely amoral in their approach.

Vernon Sewell does not add much dramatic frisson to the tale but everything proceeds at a reasonable pace through the 74 minute film. I was happy to view this relic from Hammer's very early days.

A Thriller NOT A Horror Movie

[Rainey-Dawn · 5/10 · 2 February 2017]

Although on IMDb this is tagged as a horror movie as well as a thriller - it is not a horror film. It's a thriller, very film noir(ish). The seance might be the only real impression this a horror film. Sure there is a man speaking in a "spooky voice" in the beginning of it, a man simulating his own death through yoga, a woman seemingly going insane, ugly step-mom and step-sister trying to drive her mad but the film is a thriller... maybe with some over/under tones of horror.

I will have to agree this movie is similar to Gaslight (1944) It's sorta a rehash of it but with the mystery removed. Gaslight the better film but this one isn't all that bad.

This film helped Hammer to pave it's way into the horror genre and is worth a watch but not a film to go out of your way to find.

5/10

Load of Cobblers Pose.

[southdavid · 5/10 · 20 January 2022]

Another movie watched ahead of the "House of Hammer" podcast related to it. Another adaptation of a BBC radio series into a film. Another one where I come away a bit disappointed by the end product, despite it seeming like a decent premise.

With his health failing, Henry Clavering (Sid James) has turned to Yoga to ease his stresses. During a demonstration one night, a falling painting startles him, causing him seemingly to die. With Henry's inheritance falling to his daughter Joan (Hazel Penwarden), his scheming second wife Bertha (Betty Ann Davies) arrives at a plan to convince the fragile Joan that her mind his failing and that Bertha would be better placed to look after their affairs. Bertha's plan is complicated by the arrival of Victor (Anthony Forwood) fiancé of Bertha's daughter Janice (Sheila Burrell) who starts to wonder if the newly minted Joan might make a better bet.

I liked the performances in this one, particularly from what turns out to be the central double act of Bertha and Janice. They bicker back and forth, and the films funniest moment comes from them. The film is not meant to be funny though, despite Sid James presence. Smoking and murder are the order of the day here. This is probably the best-looking film we've seen from Hammer so far and, despite some incongruous music choices the audio recording is solid too.

But the story is too busy for me. I just want to see Bertha try and gaslight Joan and for "Hodson" to try and rescue her. Victor ends up coming in and setting up a side plot that just complicates matters and the film moves away from the focus it should have. Bertha's scheme seems to involve opening a door and moving a photograph, good early steps but more time should have been spent there trying to convince her of her failing faculties. Speaking of Hodson, there is a reveal involving him that I wonder if might have caught more people unaware in 1950, whereas to 2022 eyes it's apparent from the first moment you see him. I also don't really see what the "Man in Black" aspect added to it, other than presumably to capitalise on the popular radio series, as the film doesn't need a narrator and the way he's tied into this doesn't really make sense.

It's not the worst film I've watched for the podcast, but not the best either and the slow plot and obvious twist mean I don't think there's much for a 21st century audience.

Not bad thriller

[hamilton65 · 4 January 2002]

Possible spoiler ahead

Interesting thriller (not really a horror film)based on a radio series which was popular in the late 40's. Valentine Dyall, who was known to radio fans as The Man in Black appears briefly at the beginning and intones a sinister narration as we are introduced to the venal 2nd wife and sister of a sick millionaire played unexpectedly by Sid James. James modifies his usual rasping delivery to such a degree that he's not instantly recognizable as the millionaire.

His second wife, her daughter and her sometimes lover are a truly repulsive trio of villains as they conspire to drive the dead millionaire's daughter, (who's due to inherit the estate) mad in order to have her committed and take the estate for themselves. The poor girl's only real friend is the one person her father trusted, the drunken yet loyal boatkeeper Hodges.

This has some clever and amusing twists especially as the bodies pile up and just as quickly disappear. Gradually it comes to seem the girl may have some supernatural assistance.

This is all pleasantly entertaining until the climatic seance which I found a bit of a disappointment. Considering this was a Hammer production, the film-makers could have played with our and the character's perceptions a bit. This wouldn't have changed the outcome but could've provided a more exciting resolution.

Overall a decent time passer with good moments.

Oakfield Towers ... The Scene...

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 31 January 2019]

The Man in Black is directed by Francis Searle and Searle co-writes the play with John Gilling. It stars Betty Ann Davies, Sheila Burell, Sid James, Anthony Forwood and Mollie Palmer. Music is by Frank Spencer and Rupert Grayson and cinematography by Cedric Williams.

Out of Hammer Films, this adaptation from a radio series is a tight little "Gaslight" suspenser. Story basically entails a young lady recently bequeathed her father's inheritance, who is at the mercy of scheming family members intent on ensuring she doesn't get what's rightfully hers.

The core of the plot is quickly revealed to us, so there is no pretention as to this being a supernatural dark house spooker - which is on the cards given the splendid shadowy and creaky setting of the Oakfield Towers mansion.

Story moves through a number of pleasant surprises, murder and intrigue prominent, motives straight and sketchy depending on certain characters' involvements, and thankfully the final run in has some weighty surprise value as well.

It's all very correct in dialogue and a little camp in places, but it's clever in its telling and nicely performed by the cast. 6.5/10

A poor heiress exposed at the mercy of a beautiful stepmother and her vicious daughter

[clanciai · 7/10 · 24 January 2019]

This is a chamber drama of a family, as a rich dying father leaves everything to his only daughter, who is beset by her stepmother and her daughter (who then isn't even her half-sister), who of course are interested in the inheritance, as the father only leaves them morsels. The intrigue is how they will go about it, and their method is very similar to that of "Gaslight". There is an old servant of the manor, usuallly drunk, however, whom they don't bother to count with, which is their mistake. They don't get any help either from the opportunist wooer, who thinks it will be easy to marry the heiress for her money, even though he accidentally succeeds in killing the old drunk. The whole thing gets increasingly messed up, and the greedy ladies gradually lose control of what is happening. But it is a very intelligent intrigue, all the absurd turnings of the tale are quite logical when you analyse them, but it could have been made a so much better film. As it is, it is too much condensed, which makes it superficial. A man like Hitchcock would have been needed to film a drama like this, he wouldn't have missed the opportunity for suspense and surprise, but taken better care of the vital crucial moments.

"My dear, I'm only trying to help you"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 10 November 2020]

A standard story of people trying to make an heiress lose her mind so they can inherit her property but done well with a few good twists and turns. It is helped by two venomous performances from Betty Ann Davies and Sheila Burrell as the villains and Sidney James in interesting low key mode as the father. Based on a radio series and narrated as in the series by Valentine Dyall as 'The Man In Black' it is mostly set in one manor house, but it is an atmospheric one, Oakley Court in Windsor and there are good moments of suspense. A pre-Hammer film released under the Exclusive banner this is an easy to watch mystery.

Early Hammer mystery

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 21 February 2018]

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.

Rehash of Gaslight

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 14 April 2014]

Basically this film is a rehash of Gasslight,with a will making conditions right for a plot to send the daughter mad.Why a father would want to put such a condition in a will is rather unclear.in fact much of this film is hazy and unclear.It is always clear that Sid James is playing 2 characters.However one has to assume that he is in league with the doctor who pronounces him dead at the séance.Far too much of this film,for budgetary reasons takes place off screen.Sometimes it is extremely confusing so too often events are referred to rather than witnessed Also the second wife and her daughter are really no more than caricatures.Hammer and Sid James would both get much better.

A Tale of Murder(s)

[boblipton · 6/10 · 6 August 2019]

Sid James --in a serious role -- is a rich man who practices yoga. Before a demonstration in which he simulates being dead, he warns that anyone who speaks could kill him dead. His second wife, Betty Ann Davies, makes sure of that. She is disappointed when a quarter of a million pounds is left to his daughter from his first wife, Hazel Penwarden. There's good news, though. If she goes mad before her 21st birthday, the bequest is cut to a fifth of that, Betty Ann picks it up and gets management of that. So Miss Davies and her daughter from a previous marriage, Sheila Burrell, plot to gaslight her, with the help of money-hungry Anthony Forwood.

Nice people. Miss Penwarden seems quite wacky, alternating terror with cheerfulness as people keep dying, and she has conversations with them after they become corpses. I won't say the outcome is a surprise, but it's done with such roguish black humor, that I enjoyed it.

It's based on Valentine Dyall's hit BBC radio show of the same name, and Mr. Dyall is on hand to introduce us to the people involved. At the time, Hammer Pictures, under the "Exclusive Films" distribution marque, offered several movies based on currently popular radio shows, including DICK BARTON, DETECTIVE, MEET SIMON CHERRY, and THE ADVENTURES OF P.C. 49. None lasted more than a couple of movies.

The Man in Black

[CinemaSerf · 5/10 · 27 December 2022]

It's interesting to see Sid James play a straight (albeit brief) role for change in this simple little crime thriller. He is a wealthy chap with a rather venal second wife and step-daughter. His obsession with mysticism leads, one evening, to a risky experiment and it all goes wrong... We have no absence of potential culprits as his new family try to drive his daughter out of her mind so they can inherit his fortune. Betty Ann Davies is good as the scheming the wife, with Sheila Burrell likewise as her ghastly, grasping, daughter all manipulating poor old "Joan" (Hazel Penwarden) in a decently paced mystery. Sadly the ending is writ a bit large from fairly early on, and that makes it all sag a bit - maybe Francis Searle could have tightened it up by a quarter of an hour? It's still an enjoyable watch, though - with a slightly more sophisticated script (that may owe something to it's BBC radio heritage). It is rarely shown nowadays, but is worth seeing through if you encounter it.

Gaslighting your step-daughter 101.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 29 October 2018]

This British film begins with learning that Mr. Clavering (Sidney James) is a follower of Eastern mysticism and is married to a horrid second wife, Bertha. He knows he's dying and decides to try out a particularly difficult and dangerous stunt...to put himself into a death-like trance. He demands absolute silence...claiming it could be fatal if anyone makes any noise. During this exhibition, a painting falls off the wall...and Clavering appears to actually be dead!

When the will is read, the bulk of the estate is to be given to Clavering's daughter from his first marriage, Joan. However, Bertha and her viper-like daughter are allowed to stay in the house and the will stipulates that Bertha is to advise and oversee Joan until she reaches 21. Bertha instead decides her best route is to instead try to drive Joan mad and take the fortune for herself! To do so, she begins 'gaslighting' Joan. In other words, acts as if things are just fine and gets Joan to doubt her own sanity. To assist, is a particularly vicious thug, Victor. So what's next? See the film.

I give this film kudos for being darned clever. The script is very well written--with nice unexpected twists, a terrific ending and wonderful dialog. All in all, a nice little suspense film that manages to offer a few genuine surprises.

ABOVE AVERAGE FOR TYPE...EARLY HAMMER BORROWING FROM POPULAR BBC RADIO

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 19 August 2021]

Stealing From Radio was a Common Occurrence in the Movies and Television.

This Early Hammer Studios Rendition of a Popular BBC Radio Series is Very Well Done with Excellent Costumes, Make-Up, Acting, and Sets.

The Studio seems to be Firing on All Cylinders with this Effort.

It is a Harbinger of the Style and Success that Hammer would be come Known for After its Break-Through in the Mid 50's.

The Acting is Above Average for this Type of Thing.

And the Snappy Script Keeps Things Hopping and the Two Females that "Gaslight" are Creepy and Loathsome.

Sidney James has a Dual Role.

The Ending is a one of Surprise.

But some may Find it was Telegraphed in the First-Act.

One of the Better of its Type. Worth a Watch to See Early Hammer at Work and for the Overall Production that is Above Average.

Surprisingly engaging

[adaptor · 7/10 · 25 February 2022]

Great old-school psychological thriller. The story has some nice twists and turns, as well as some plot elements that are familiar, even for the time. It's a fun watch and the three leading ladies carry the show.