L'idolo vivente

The beginning promised great things ; it's obvious the screeenwriteers had "cat people" and William Irish 's thrillers ("black alibi" ) and extraordinary exotic horror tales (the overlooked terrifying " savage bride" )in mind .Both "cat" and "alibi " were masterfully transferred to the screen by Jacques Tourneur .

With a comfortable budget ,wide screen , color, a good actor (Justice ) and a little help from the Mexican government , Albert Lewin , a director who produced genuine classics ("the picture of Dorian Gray ", "Pandora and the flying Dutchman ",his estimable adaptation of Maupassant, " private affairs of Bel-Ami"), was not able to hold a candle to Tourneur and ended his career with his worst efforts( " Saadia" and this one)

After the "accident " which claims the heroine's father's life ,one expects something really spooky : instead of that, the action drags on and on ; to give the movie a "serious" "intellectual " "meaningful "side ,one is granted an interminable stodgy lecture by professor Justice dealing with commonplaces about sacrifice ; Steve Forrest ,who tells the story , is apparently waiting for something concerning his character to happen ;and Liliane Montevecchi plays like a zombie.

The first pictures are splendid and would make a nice ad for a holiday in Mexico, among its Pyramids.