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Diary Of A Madman
Directed By Reginald Le Borg
Released: 1963
Starring: Vincent Price, Nancy Kovack, Chris Warfield, and Elaine Devry
Running Time: 96 minutes
Judge Simon Cordier (Vincent Price) is called to meet with convicted
murderer, Louis Girot (Harvey Stephens). During their interview, Girot
claims that he did not kill anyone on purpose but that his hand was guided
by an unseen force. Without warning, Girot attacks Cordier and the judge
accidentally kills the prisoner. Later, an invisible creature called the
Horla (voiced by Joseph Ruskin) reveals itself to Simon and tells him that
he must kill in order to pay for his past sins.
The Horla leaves Simon alone long enough for him to become involved with a
model named Odette (Nancy Novack) whom he falls for immediately. He
arranges for them to be married without any knowledge of Paul (Chris
Warfield), Odette’s husband. When Simon finds out about Paul, he tries to
resolve the situation as best he can but the Horla interferes by informing
him that he will kill Paul against his will. Simon must find a way to
outwit the Horla before he commits horrible crimes against the people
around him.
Unfortunately, decent direction from Reginald Le Borg (So
Evil, My Sister) isn’t enough to make
Diary Of A Madman
into a true horror classic. While the plot (derived from a Guy de
Maupassant story) is entertaining enough, the dialogue is hackneyed and
nearly unendurable. The tension is built very well but keeps getting
sabotaged by either poor performances or sloppy editing (jump cut!). Rich
lighting and color schemes of the superb sets are captured perfectly by
the Technicolor but the average cinematography doesn’t do any of it much
justice. There is very little onscreen carnage in
Diary Of A Madman
but there is some ghoulish business with a severed head that is quite
inspired.
Nancy Kovack almost manages to reach above her stilted performance
occasionally but is very disappointing as the scheming Odette. Chris
Warfield makes terrible dialogue even worse as he reaches levels of
representation that only mannequins can achieve. And just who the damn
hell is Stephen Roberts (Gog)?
This joker plays Captain Robert Rennedon like it was his first talkie.
Roberts’ performance in scenes with Price actually makes me see red. Now
that’s talent! Anyone who can fill me with murderous rage just by reciting
some candy ass dialogue deserves a retroactive Oscar in my book. Harvey
Stephens (The Bat)
manages a decent but short lived part as Louis Girot, another unlucky soul
suffering under the Horla’s whim.
It astounds me that throughout Vincent Price’s career he made tolerable
even the most flatulent film nonsense. The loser screenwriter of
Diary Of A Madman, Robert E.
Kent (Twice-Told Tales),
could have planned for Price to get the only good lines but he couldn’t
have expected him to actually go to town with his performance. Simon
Cordier in anyone else’s hands would have been mighty dull but Price
shines in the role of the haunted judge driven to murder against his will.
I won’t say that Diary Of A Madman
is only worthwhile for Vincent Price enthusiasts but it’ll sure help. The
horror elements are very cool but the scenes with supporting cast drag
lifelessly. The melodrama between Kovack and Warfield is worthy of the
sewer but not the big screen and everyone except for Price (and Harvey
Stephens) seems bent on delivering below the watermark. Luckily,
Maupassant’s storyline rises above the poor execution to capture the
viewer’s attention and hold it through the final act.
Diary Of A Madman
is a great way to kill some time on a Sunday afternoon but don’t get too
wound up about it.
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