''The Maze'' is a 1953 3-D

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

starring Richard Carlson,

Veronica Hurst Veronica Patricia Hurst (born Patricia Wilmshurst; 11 November 1931 – 15 November 2022) was a British film, stage and television actress. Hurst was born in Malta and brought up in Tooting, London. Early career Hurst was awarded the Leverhul ...

and

Hillary Brooke Hillary Brooke (born Beatrice Sofia Mathilda Peterson; September 8, 1914 – May 25, 1999) was an American film actress. Career A 5′6″ blonde from the Astoria neighborhood of New York City's borough of Queens, Brooke, who was of Swedish an ...

. It was directed by

William Cameron Menzies William Cameron Menzies (July 29, 1896 – March 5, 1957) was an American film production designer (a job title he invented) and art director as well as a film director and producer during a career spanning five decades. He began his career ...

and distributed by Allied Artists Pictures. It was to be the second 3-D film designed and directed by William Cameron Menzies, known for his very "dimensional" style (e.g. many shots focused in layers). It was his final film as production designer and director.

Plot

A Scotsman, Gerald MacTeam ( Richard Carlson), abruptly breaks off his engagement to pretty Kitty (

) after receiving word of his uncle's death. He inherits a mysterious

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

in the Scottish highlands and moves there to live with the castle servants. Kitty refuses to accept the broken engagement and travels there with her aunt (Katherine Emery). When they arrive, they discover Gerald has suddenly aged and his manner has changed significantly. After a series of mysterious events in the castle and its

hedge maze A hedge maze is an outdoor garden maze or labyrinth in which the "walls" or dividers between passages are made of vertical hedges. History Hedge mazes evolved from the knot gardens of Renaissance Europe, and were first constructed during the mi ...

, they invite a group of friends there, including a doctor, hoping they can help Gerald with whatever ails him. Although the friends are equally concerned by Gerald's behavior, they are at a loss as to its cause. One night, Kitty and her aunt steal a key to their bedroom door (which is always locked from the outside) and sneak out into the mysterious maze. There they find Gerald and his servants tending to a frog-like monster. The monster panics upon seeing the strangers and runs back to the castle, hurling itself from a top-story balcony to its death. Gerald explains that the amphibious creature was the actual master of the castle, Sir Roger MacTeam, and that he and his ancestors were merely its servants. The death of Sir Roger releases Gerald from his obligation and he can return to a normal life.

Cast

* Richard Carlson as Gerald MacTeam *

as Kitty Murray *

Katherine Emery Katherine Drewry Emery (October 11, 1906 – February 7, 1980) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Emery was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She graduated from Sweet Briar College in 1928 and then went home to Montclair, New ...

as Edith Murray *

Michael Pate Michael Pate OAM (born Edward John Pate; 26 February 1920 – 1 September 2008) was an Australian actor, writer, director, and producer, who also worked in Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Early life Pate was born in Drum ...

as William * John Dodsworth as Dr. Bert Dilling *

as Peggy Lord *Stanley Fraser as Robert *

Lilian Bond Lilian Bond (January 18, 1908 – January 25, 1991) was an English-American actress based in the United States. Life and career Bond was born in London and made her first professional stage appearance at the age of 14 in the pantomime ''Dic ...

as Margaret Dilling (as Lillian Bond) *Owen McGiveney as Simon * Robin Hughes as Richard Roblar

Reception

Critical reception for ''The Maze'' has been mixed, with some critics praising the film's acting, atmosphere, and direction while criticizing the finale. Author and film critic

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fil ...

awarded the film two out of four stars, calling the finale "ludicrous (and unsatisfying)". Brett Gallman from ''Oh, the Horror!'' gave the film a negative review, criticizing the film's "bloated" runtime, and plot development, calling it a footnote in director Menzies' career. Dennis Schwartz from Ozus' World Movie Reviews awarded the film a grade B, calling it, "A moronic but entertaining horror/sci fi film."

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

awarded the film two out of four stars, commending the film's acting, direction, and set design, calling it above-average. However, the reviewer felt that the film was somewhat hampered by its low budget. Dave Sindelar, on his website ''Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings'' gave the film a more positive review, writing, "I have a lot of affection for this eerie horror/SF movie, though it took me a couple of viewings. The first time I saw the movie, I did get caught up in the eerie mood and the atmospheric sense of dread and tragedy that pervaded the castle, but the revelation concerning the nature of the true lord of the castle caused me to break out in laughter rather than to rear back in horror, and it ruined the movie for me. The second time I saw it, I was prepared, and was able to see beyond this flaw and appreciate how touching and sad the ending of the movie was. Part of the credit must go to Richard Carlson’s excellent performance, one of the best of his I’ve seen."

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Maze, The 1953 films 1950s science fiction horror films Films directed by William Cameron Menzies 1953 3D films 1953 horror films American science fiction horror films American 3D films Films set in castles Films set in Scotland Allied Artists films Films produced by Walter Mirisch 1950s English-language films 1950s American films