Runtime: 63 minutes
Directed by: Reginald Le Borg
Starring: Lon Chaney, Jr., Patricia Morison, J. Carrol Naish, David Bruce, Ramsay Ames
From: Universal
Featuring Lon Chaney, Jr. ASMR
During my time on Letterboxd, it would be staggering to realize the number of films and even film series I learned about for the first time. This includes the Inner Sanctum series done by Universal, based on a radio show that in turn was based on a series of novels. The studio made a sextet of low-budget mystery movies under the name, all starring Chaney as a respite from all the horror he frequently did at the time. This was the first entry; the premise alone intrigued me.
The opening was a random disembodied head in a crystal ball giving an introduction. I understand this was a constant in the series; The Cryptkeeper wasn’t the first to do such a thing by any means. Chaney played a doctor who does hypnotism. He is in an unhappy relationship with his wife Ramsay Ames but is going out with his nurse, Patricia Morison; how do some guys get the luck of relationships w/ women like that fighting over them… anyhow, one weekend he blacks out and wouldn’t you know it, the wife is found dead.
This is not the best nor most convoluted mystery I’ve seen by any means. Be that as it may, this was a breezy watch barely over an hour long & it was nice to see Chaney in the lead role. Multiple people say he was miscast in the series but at least here, I had little in the way of complaints, re. his performance. Furthermore, this is barely longer than an hour so even if the movie isn’t to your tastes, it won’t be a massive time commitment. Those familiar with this era probably will be delighted that J. Carrol Naish has a large part as an exasperating police detective.
Two moments made me laugh out loud: first, a key supporting character is named… ROBERT DUVAL. The rewind button was hit to confirm what I heard. Later, his surname appeared on screen and I chuckled again. Throughout the movie, Chaney’s inner monologue is heard often. It was whispered; the realization eventually hit that it was Lon Chaney, Jr. ASMR. Some will naturally find that appealing; perhaps this is a task you’d want AI to fulfill…
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