Curse of the Faceless Man
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''Curse of the Faceless Man'' is a 1958 independently made American
low-budget A low-budget film or low-budget movie is a motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream circuit with inexperienced or ...
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
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 ...
, produced by
Robert E. Kent Robert E. Kent (August 31, 1911 in Canal Zone, Panama – December 11, 1984 in Los Angeles) was an American film writer and film producer. Career Kent began as a rapid screenwriter for Sam Katzman at Columbia. For seven years he worked as a ...
, directed by
Edward L. Cahn Edward L. Cahn (February 12, 1899 – August 25, 1963) was an American film director. Early life and education Cahn was born in Brooklyn, New York. He went to work at Universal Pictures in 1917 while still a student at UCLA. Career ...
, that stars
Richard Anderson Richard Norman Anderson (August 8, 1926 – August 31, 2017) was an American film and television actor. Among his best-known roles was his portrayal of Oscar Goldman, the boss of Steve Austin (Lee Majors) and Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner) in b ...
, Elaine Edwards,
Adele Mara Adele Mara (born Adelaida Delgado; April 28, 1923 – May 7, 2010) was an American actress, singer, and dancer, who appeared in films during the 1940s and 1950s and on television in the 1950s and 1960s. Early years Mara was born in Highland P ...
, and
Luis van Rooten Luis d'Antin van Rooten (November 29, 1906 – June 17, 1973) was a Mexican-born American actor. He was sometimes credited as Louis Van Rooten. Van Rooten was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and emigrated to the United States with his parents when ...
. Science fiction writer
Jerome Bixby Drexel Jerome Lewis Bixby (January 11, 1923 – April 28, 1998) was an American short-story writer and scriptwriter. He wrote the 1953 story " It's a Good Life", which was the basis of a 1961 episode of ''The Twilight Zone'' and was included ...
wrote the screenplay. The film was theatrically released in the U.S. by
United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
as a
double feature The double feature is a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatres would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown. Opera use Opera ho ...
with ''
It! The Terror from Beyond Space ''It! The Terror from Beyond Space'' is an independently made 1958 American science fiction horror film, produced by Robert Kent, directed by Edward L. Cahn, that stars Marshall Thompson, Shawn Smith (Shirley Patterson), and Kim Spalding. The ...
''. The film's storyline concerns a Roman
gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
, buried alive in
Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...
during the eruption of
Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of s ...
in A.D. 79, who returns to life in modern times to find the reincarnation of the woman he loves.


Plot

During an archeological dig at Pompeii, a worker uncovers a jewel box and the calcified body of a gladiator (Bob Bryant). En route to the Museo di Napoli, the body comes to life and kills the driver of the truck that is transporting it. Afterwards, the body, apparently dead again, is found several meters away from the wrecked truck. Without witnesses, no one fully understands what has happened. The director of the museum, Dr. Carlo Fiorello (van Rooten), asks Dr. Paul Mallon (Anderson) to help him study the body. Fiorillo tells Paul that he is not certain that the body is in fact dead, something Paul scoffs at, even though he finds fresh blood on its hands. Meanwhile, Dr. Emanuel (
Felix Locher Jon Hall (born Charles Felix Locher, February 23, 1915 – December 13, 1979) was an American film actor known for playing a variety of adventurous roles, as in 1937's ''The Hurricane (1937 film), The Hurricane'', and later when contracted ...
) translates the
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities ** Etrusca ...
writing found on a bronze brooch that was inside the jewel box. It is a curse placed on his owners by Quintillus Aurelius, the gladiator who is now the faceless monster, somehow reanimated after 2,000 years. Tina Enright (Elaine Edwards), an artist and Paul's fiancée, shows him her latest painting. It is a portrait of Quintillus, who she knows only from her dreams. Paul confirms everything that she tells him and grows worried when she says that Quintillus is coming for her. The police investigating the truck crash discount Paul's comment that the driver's blood is literally on Quintillus's hands, and Inspector Rinaldi (Jan Arvan) orders the museum closed until the murderer is caught. That night, Tina sneaks in to sketch Quintillus. He arises and walks toward her. She screams, a watchman runs in and shoots Quintillus, but the bullets have no effect. Tina faints, Quintillus kills the watchman, then places the bronze brooch on Tina's jacket. By the time help arrives, Quintillus is again immobile. To confirm that Quintillus can move, the scientists place the brooch near him. Quintillus gets up, picks up the brooch and approaches them menacingly. Paul strikes him with an axe without making a scratch. Quintillus knocks Paul unconscious, breaks through a door and heads for Tina's apartment. When Paul recovers and everyone arrives at Tina's, they find a motionless Quintillus at her feet. Quintillus is taken back to the museum and strapped down to prevent him escaping again. His being more-or-less alive is explained by Fiorillo, who says that he was preserved by radioactivity in the volcanic ash and that he has been revitalized by the
X-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10  picometers to 10  nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
s used to study him. Emanuel takes Tina to the "Cove of the Blind Fisherman", which she says people fled into while trying to escape the volcano's ancient eruption, even though she has never heard of the cove before. Emanuel hypnotically regresses Tina and plays a recording for Paul. She says that she was the object of Quintillus' affections in ancient Pompeii, but asks "How can I return his love? I am an aristocrat. He is a slave and it is not permitted..." Stopping in mid-sentence, she then describes the eruption of Vesuvius as if it is happening. Paul remains skeptical, but Emanuel produces a photo of an ancient sculpture of a woman who looks exactly like Tina. Emanuel says that the woman was the daughter of the Roman senator who owned Quintillus. Tina, in a trance, cuts the bonds restraining Quintillus. He carries her off to save her from what he sees in his mind – the eruption that buried Pompeii in A.D. 79. Quintillus carries her into the waters of the Cove of the Blind Fisherman. Paul, the other scientists and the police can do nothing to stop Quintillus but, to their amazement, Quintillus simply dissolves in the seawater. Paul rescues Tina, who cannot remember what happened.


Cast

*
Richard Anderson Richard Norman Anderson (August 8, 1926 – August 31, 2017) was an American film and television actor. Among his best-known roles was his portrayal of Oscar Goldman, the boss of Steve Austin (Lee Majors) and Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner) in b ...
as Dr. Paul Mallon *Elaine Edwards as Tina Enright *
Adele Mara Adele Mara (born Adelaida Delgado; April 28, 1923 – May 7, 2010) was an American actress, singer, and dancer, who appeared in films during the 1940s and 1950s and on television in the 1950s and 1960s. Early years Mara was born in Highland P ...
as Maria Fiorillo *
Luis Van Rooten Luis d'Antin van Rooten (November 29, 1906 – June 17, 1973) was a Mexican-born American actor. He was sometimes credited as Louis Van Rooten. Van Rooten was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and emigrated to the United States with his parents when ...
as Dr. Carlo Fiorello *
Gar Moore Joseph Garland Moore Jr. (September 4, 1920 - November 3, 1985), known as Gar Moore was an actor in Italian and American films. He was also in several theatrical productions. He was born in Chelsea, Oklahoma. He had a short marriage to Nancy Walke ...
as Dr. Enrico Ricci *
Felix Locher Jon Hall (born Charles Felix Locher, February 23, 1915 – December 13, 1979) was an American film actor known for playing a variety of adventurous roles, as in 1937's ''The Hurricane (1937 film), The Hurricane'', and later when contracted ...
as Dr. Emanuel *Jan Arvan as Inspector Rinaldi *Bob Bryant as Quintillus Aurelius


Production

The film was produced by Vogue Pictures during late March 1958 on a seven-day shooting schedule and a small budget of just $100,000. It was directed by Edward L, Cahn and produced by
Robert E. Kent Robert E. Kent (August 31, 1911 in Canal Zone, Panama – December 11, 1984 in Los Angeles) was an American film writer and film producer. Career Kent began as a rapid screenwriter for Sam Katzman at Columbia. For seven years he worked as a ...
, with
Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891, Brooklyn, New York – January 25, 1977, Los Angeles) was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movi ...
as uncredited executive producer. Make-up effects for the Faceless Man character were done by
Layne Britton Layne "Shotgun" Britton (September 5, 1907 – December 12, 1993) was a makeup artist and actor in Hollywood from 1939 until 1989. He worked with many notable actors and musicians, such as Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, John Belushi, John Candy and Ja ...
, with Bryant playing Quintillus. The monster suit was designed by
Charles Gemora Carlos Cruz Gemora (June 15, 1903 – August 19, 1961), commonly known as Charles Gemora, was a Hollywood makeup artist renowned as "the King of the Gorilla Men" for his prolific appearances in many Hollywood films while wearing a gorilla suit. ...
. The film's working title was ''The Man Without a Face''. Though uncredited,
Morris Ankrum Morris Ankrum (born Morris Nussbaum; August 28, 1897 – September 2, 1964) was an American radio, television, and film character actor. Early life Born in Danville, Illinois, Danville in Vermilion County, Illinois, Vermilion County in eastern ...
served as the film's
voice over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non-diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations. ...
narrator. The narration is also credited to, and sounds more like, Vic Perrin to some. Filming locations included the
Griffith Observatory Griffith Observatory is an observatory in Los Angeles, California on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin including Downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, ...
in Los Angeles, used as the set for the Museo di Napoli, and the beach at Portuguese Bend, standing in for the Cove of the Blind Fisherman. The film's plot bears several similarities to
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
' 1932
Pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...
film ''
The Mummy A mummy is an unusually well preserved corpse. Mummy or The Mummy may also refer to: Places *Mummy Range, a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States *Mummy Cave, a rock shelter and archeological site in Par ...
''. Both features include a love affair between the main characters (in this case Paul and Tina) and both monsters awaken in modern times to discover the reincarnation of their ancient lovers (Tina, again). Anderson later referred to the film as "another thing I was doing on my way to somewhere else, that trained me for television".


Release

The ''Curse of the Faceless Man''s U.S. release was in August 1958 as the second half of a double feature with ''
It! The Terror from Beyond Space ''It! The Terror from Beyond Space'' is an independently made 1958 American science fiction horror film, produced by Robert Kent, directed by Edward L. Cahn, that stars Marshall Thompson, Shawn Smith (Shirley Patterson), and Kim Spalding. The ...
''. The single
pressbook In the world of theatrical film exhibition, a pressbook was a promotional tool created and distributed by film distributors in order to market their films. Sometimes called "campaign manuals," most pressbooks took the form of large, multi-page bro ...
for both films referred to ''It!'' as "Chiller No. 1" and ''Curse'' as "Chiller No. 2", and described both as "the two most hellish horror hits that ever turned blood to ice!!!" United Artists distributed ''Curse of the Faceless Man'' to U.S. theaters. It opened in the U.K. in November 1958, receiving an
X certificate An X rating is a rating used in various countries to classify films that have content deemed suitable only for adults. It is used when the violent or sexual content of a film is considered to be potentially disturbing to general audiences. Aust ...
from the
British Board of Film Censors The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC, previously the British Board of Film Censors) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of fi ...
, which "only permitted a film to be exhibited to persons over the age of 16". The film was released theatrically at unspecified dates in Brazil and Spain and also in Mexico, where it was distributed by Peliculas Bank de Mexico SA. Still a second feature almost 60 years after its first release, ''Curse of the Faceless Man'' was shown in August 2016 as the bottom half of a double feature with the 1967 British film '' It!'' at the historic Balboa Theatre in San Francisco. It was part of a weeknight horror film series sponsored by The Overlook Theater website and shown at various theaters around the Bay Area.


Reception

Reviewers have pointed out a degree of poignancy on the part of the monstrous Quintillus as he searches for the reincarnation of the woman he loves. American science fiction film scholar Bill Warren noted that a 1958 review of the film in the ''
Motion Picture Herald The ''Motion Picture Herald'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1931 to December 1972.Anthony Slide, ed. (1985)''International Film, Radio, and Television Journals'' Greenwood Press. p. 242. It was replaced by the ''QP Herald ...
'' said that "there is in the primeval surge of the blind, grappling relic of historic tragedy, a certain poignance". American film critic Bryan Senn agreed, writing that "while little more than a walking statue, this Vesuvian villain's doomed motivation and unique appearance combine to make it a monster both poignant and creepy". ''Curse of the Faceless Man'' has otherwise received both positive and negative assessments. Warren said that although "the production values are good for a low budget film, and the entire movie has a certain crispness...the story is preposterous" and the film is a "sluggish slumgullion of fantasy and science fictional ideas". To Warren, ''Curse of the Faceless Man'' was primarily a "pedestrian, preposterous film that works up a little interest by the end, but it is too late and not enough to save the picture". He further noted that "the story is hopeless" and that the film "often looks as if it had no director at all". He called the camerawork "perfunctory". Warren did point out that the film was made at a time when reincarnation was a "hot topic" because of the publicity surrounding the then-current "
Bridey Murphy Bridey Murphy is a purported 19th-century Irishwoman whom U.S. housewife Virginia Tighe (April 27, 1923 – July 12, 1995) claimed to be in a past life. The case was investigated by researchers and concluded to be the result of cryptomnesia. Hypn ...
business" and that reincarnation was "dropped into the film", which was otherwise "science fiction because that's what audiences of 1958 were buying". While Senn wrote that Anderson's performance "creates one of the dullest and least appealing heroes" of the 1950s, he also said that cinematographer
Kenneth Peach Kenneth D. Peach, Sr. (March 6, 1903 – February 27, 1988) was an American cinematographer. Biography Kenneth D. Peach Sr. was born in El Reno, Indian Territory (in what is now Oklahoma). Peach entered the film industry in 1923 and became a d ...
's "moody lighting" produced shadows which highlighted "the alien-ness of uintillus'hardened crust appearance". He described the film as being "saddled with an unsteady script ndoccasional dull stretches" and called the direction "pedestrian". British film critic
Phil Hardy Philip Hardy (born 9 April 1973) is an English-born former Ireland under-21 footballer who played as a left-back. With Welsh club Wrexham from 1990 to 2001, he played more than 450 games under manager Brian Flynn. He was named on the PFA ...
wrote that although "the plot is little more than an ingenuous reworking of ''The Mummy'' (1932)" the film is "tolerably gripping thanks to a lucidly economical script by erome Bixby (a short story writer of uncommon wit, oddly neglected by Hollywood)" and has "a neat twist at the end" when Quintillus dissolves. American film critic John "J.J." Johnson wrote that the Quintillus make-up "did not elicit many chills and thrills from its audience. Sometimes, just being a monster is not enough".
Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cult ...
gave the film a positive review, stating "
Gerald Fried Gerald Fried (born February 13, 1928) is an American composer, conductor, and oboist known for his film and television scores. He composed music for well-known television series of the 1960s and 70s, including ''Mission: Impossible'', ''Gilliga ...
's music, especially the twisting suspense theme accompanying Quintillus' awakening and wanderings, keeps the tension high, and the costuming and special effects make the picture work far better than its budget or its reputation would lead one to expect".


Legacy

Segments from ''Curse of the Faceless Man'' were included in ''
It Came from Hollywood ''It Came from Hollywood'' is a 1982 American comedy documentary film compiling clips from various B movies. Written by Dana Olsen and directed by Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt, the film features wraparound segments and narration by several famous ...
'', a comedy-documentary that was released theatrically in 1982; ''Curse'' was referred to in the 1985 comedy-horror-thriller ''
Dead End Dead End or dead end may refer to: * Dead end (street), a street connected only at one end with other streets, called by many other official names, including ''cul-de-sac''. Film and television * ''The Dead End'' (1914 film), directed by Davi ...
''; and the US theatrical trailer was featured in the 2007 video ''Out of This World Super Shock Show''.


Home video

The film was released on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
by the MGM Limited Edition Collection on June 28, 2011. It was released on
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
by
Kino Lorber Kino Lorber is an international film distribution company based in New York City. Founded in 1977, it was originally known as Kino International until it was acquired by and merged into Lorber HT Digital in 2009. It specializes in art house films, ...
on February 16, 2016.


See also

*
List of American films of 1958 A list of American films released in 1958. The musical romantic comedy film '' Gigi'' won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. A-B C-F G-K L-R S-Z See also * 1958 in the United States References External links 1958 filmsat the Inte ...


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Curse Of The Faceless Man, The 1958 films 1958 horror films American science fiction horror films United Artists films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Edward L. Cahn 1950s science fiction horror films Films set in Campania Pompeii in popular culture Films scored by Gerald Fried Films produced by Edward Small Films about gladiatorial combat Films set in the 1st century Films set in the 1950s 1950s American films