Friday 1 September 2017

276 The Oblong Box ( 1969 )

After  the  last  two  duds  this  is  much  better. AIP  hired  Michael  Reeves  for  this  one  after  Witchfinder-General  but  then  replaced  him  with  Gordon  Hessler  and  Reeves  had  died  by  the  time  it  came  out.

The  Oblong  Box  is  loosely  influenced  by  Poe  but  is  an  original , tightly  plotted,  story  by  the  screenwriters. Julian  Markham ( Vincent  Price )  keeps  his  brother  Edward  ( Alister  Williamson )  shut  away  after  his  face  becomes  disfigured  by  voodoo  magic  in  Africa. Edward  plots  an  escape  with  the  bent  family  lawyer  Trench  ( Peter  Arne )  by  faking  his  own  death  but  is  abandoned  when  Julian  unknowingly  seals  the  coffin. Edward  has  a  fortunate  escape  when  bodysnatchers  take  him  to  Dr  Newhardt  ( Christopher  Lee )  and  he  is  able  to  pursue  his  revenge  plans.

Uta  Levka  ( as  Heidi )

Sex :  Heidi  is  a  prostitute  who  has  sex  with  Edward  in  order  to  roll  him

Death :  Edward  slits  her  throat  when  her  treachery  is  discovered


The  German  actress  got  top  billing  here  despite  limited  screen  time  compared  to  the  British  girls, probably  because  she'd  played  the  lead  role  in  Carmen  Baby  a  couple  of  years  earlier.  She  retired  early  in  the  seventies  and  is  now  75.

Sally  Geeson  ( as  Sally )

Sex : Sally  sleeps  with  Edward  ( offscreen )

Death : Survives




Sally  is  Judy  Geeson's  younger  sister. She  worked  her  way  up  from  bit  parts  as  a  child  to  bigger  roles  by  the  late  sixties  although  she  is  best  remembered  for  her  role  in  TV  comedy  Bless  This  House. When  that  finished  ,she retired  to  raise  a  family  with  William  G  Stewart  of  Fifteen To  One  fame. She  later  became  a  schoolteacher. She  is  now  66.

Hilary  Dwyer  ( as  Elisabeth )

Sex : Nice  cleavage

Death : Survives


Hilary  got  the  role  on  the  back  of  Witchfinder-General.

Zeph  Gladstone  ( as  Trench's  girl )

Sex : Some  foreplay  with  Trench

Death : Survives


This  was  Zeph's  only  credited  film  role  but  she  had  two  regular  TV  roles  as  WPC  Harris  in  Dixon  of  Dock  Green  and  Vera  Downend  in  Crossroads . After  1977  she  disappears. She  died  in   2002  aged  65.    





 

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