When this movie first appeared in 1959, it was considered shocking and incredibly brutal. “For strong stomachs” a review at the time said. That was then. Today it probably wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow although the film still contains several scenes that, while they aren’t graphic, do remain quite disturbing in their implications. What could not have been foreseen in 1959 was that the public’s appetite for tabloid headlines, especially involving crimes of violence, would be able to be assuaged at the touch of a keyboard or the swipe of a screen.
The story concerns celebrated crime writer Edmond Bancroft whose articles about a series of vicious murders have made him a celebrity. He’s even written a book called “The Poetry Of Murder”. What the police and the public don’t know is that Bancroft and an assistant are committing the murders themselves so that he can write about them. The murders themselves are very gruesome including one that opens the movie involving a pair of binoculars with hidden spikes. The title is a reference to Scotland Yard’s “Black Museum” which Bancroft has duplicated in his private basement. Of course they are caught in the end with a rousing conclusion involving a carnival ferris wheel.
If all this sounds a bit over the top…it is, and it was meant to be. This is the first collaboration between American B movie producer Herman Cohen and the British actor Michael Gough (pronounced GOFF) who leaves Shakespeare far behind and chews the scenery with relish. In fact this would be the beginning of a lucrative career for Gough who would specialize British B movie horror when not acting on stage. He wound up playing Alfred the butler in the Tim Burton BATMAN movies. The success of BLACK MUSEUM led to two other Herman Cohen produced efforts. They are KONGA and THE BLACK ZOO. All three are now available on home video and would make for a truly unique triple feature.
There are several versions of HORRORS available but the best one is the 2003 release from VCI. It contains not only a fully restored version of the uncut British version but it contains several guest commentaries including one from producer Cohen. It also contains the American added introduction (to lengthen the film) that features hypnotist Emil Franchele who introduces “Hypno-Vision” which the movie was supposedly shot in (it was actually Cinemascope). The film also marked a move away from the period Gothic horror of Hammer Films to Briitsh horror movies with a contemporary setting.
The Capsule Critic 