THE MAZE (1953)

THE MAZE (1953)

Tagline: Shocking Chills...Bloodcurdling suspense! A thousand thrill-maddening horrors!

(Horror, Drama, Fantasy) [PG]

Note: This movie was never given an MPAA rating, but if it came out today it likely would have landed a PG distinction. This movie was originally released in theaters in 3-D. 

In this one, Gerald MacTeam goes to his uncle’s castle in Scotland to respond to a call that summoned him there right away. He expects to be back in time for his wedding which is two weeks out. About 6 weeks later he breaks off his engagement with Kitty Murray and is now held up in the castle. Kitty decides to go to the castle with her aunt Edith, but when they get there Gerald has aged greatly and mysterious things start to happen in and around the castle, particularly in a hedge maze just outside.

First off, in some circles, it’s possible this movie falls into the category of sci-fi. This is because the debunked concept of prenatal phylogenetic evolution gets brought up in the film via the scientific discipline of teratology. Now we know that all evolution is a fallacy (instead we actually see adaption within species), but for sci-fi buffs, this was a little nod to us I think. One word of caution if you are trying to watch this film, there are several versions on steaming services but some are incomplete. You want to be looking for the 120-minute enhanced or re-mastered version. The restored version was really well done.

Acting wise the best performance has to be from Richard Carlson who plays Gerald MacTeam. He essentially has to play two characters in this, a younger kinder version of Gerald and a much different one in the same film. Carlson has been in several sci-fi flicks including CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE. We also get pretty good performances from everyone else with the two standouts being Katherine Emery who plays Edith and Veronica Hurst who plays Kitty. This movie ended up being Katherine Emery’s last role. 

When it comes to pacing this one has just enough going for it that you can actually stand waiting for the final reveals as to what is going on in this freakin castle. The score is also more than adequate. I also have to say that for a movie that takes place almost entirely in a castle and just outside of it, the lighting in this one is superb. I get that this movie was promoted with 3-D which even at the time was a bit of a gimmick, but overall the production was very good. If only every couple had someone as fiercely loyal as Kitty is in this thing.

If there are any complaints it is that no explanation is given for Gerald’s sudden age acceleration? I kind of wonder if this was a mass illusion or what was really going on. It never gets mentioned in the movie conclusion, even when the rest of the plot gets a nice little bow. 

Overall I have to give this one a 4 out of 7. Some elements were not fleshed out enough, but the effects for the day are solid and the ending was worth the wait.
 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF ALLIED ARTISTS PICTURES AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY. 

Please check out the link below by clicking on the picture. Purchases made at Indy Planet for any issue of DARK 30 will go towards funding the next issue.