Darlings, "The Haunted Strangler" Was Simply Haunting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Too bad that Elizabeth Allan gets it halfway through the film.  After her heartbreaking performance as Clara Copperfield in Selznick's 1935 adaptation of the Dickens novel, she deserved better from Hollywood.  This 1958 film turned out to be her last.  What a way to end a career!

                                        The film is better than expected.  With the MGM budget, and more money from Eros Films, a U.K. company, this could have been another "Gaslight;" the direction, by Robert Day offered superb work by everyone involved, especially for a picture of this type.

                                         I was expecting another "She-Wolf Of London."  Someone is pretending to be Edward Styles, executed in 1860 as the Haymarket Strangler.  Now, in 1880, strangler-like murders are taking place, at lurid locales like The Judas Hole (great name for a gay bar!) where dancing can-can chorines, looking as if about to sing the Shop-Rite song, practically show their cooches!!!!!!!!!!!!  The U. S. censors must have had a field day with this one.

                                          Turns out things are more contrived than that, and while the ending is satisfying, the contrivances to getting there discredit the quality the film might have had.

                                             So, not quite a Svengoolie gem, but an unexpected surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              Hey, girls, I'd like to dance at The Judas Hole, myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!