MORD39 RATING: ** out of ****
As a kid I recall laughing hysterically at this comical film; as an adult I don't know what was so funny, although I still manage a grin here and there.
Bela Lugosi had to make this film in England in 1952 because he needed the money for his ticket back home. He went to Britain to revive his famous DRACULA play, but was stuck there when it bombed and the actor couldn't scrape up enough cash to sail to America! This film helped him get back on his feet, although almost nobody has a kind word for it.
The film is "okay", and it's Bela's best fifties flick if for no reason other than that he appears to be having fun and really getting into his character (a criminal who acts like a vampire but isn't really one). He's even funny in a few scenes.
Mother Riley (Arthur Lucan in drag) had a long-running comedy series of his (her) own, and this one was the last. Lucan is amusing some of the time as well, getting involved in Lugosi's mad plans for world domination.
The bottom line is that if you know what to expect, you can have a fun time with this movie. And for Bela Lugosiphiles, it's a MUST.
As a kid I recall laughing hysterically at this comical film; as an adult I don't know what was so funny, although I still manage a grin here and there.
Bela Lugosi had to make this film in England in 1952 because he needed the money for his ticket back home. He went to Britain to revive his famous DRACULA play, but was stuck there when it bombed and the actor couldn't scrape up enough cash to sail to America! This film helped him get back on his feet, although almost nobody has a kind word for it.
The film is "okay", and it's Bela's best fifties flick if for no reason other than that he appears to be having fun and really getting into his character (a criminal who acts like a vampire but isn't really one). He's even funny in a few scenes.
Mother Riley (Arthur Lucan in drag) had a long-running comedy series of his (her) own, and this one was the last. Lucan is amusing some of the time as well, getting involved in Lugosi's mad plans for world domination.
The bottom line is that if you know what to expect, you can have a fun time with this movie. And for Bela Lugosiphiles, it's a MUST.