Comment

Dec 31, 2014Nursebob rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
If you can ignore a few plot holes and a suspiciously long string of convenient coincidences this big budget Walt Disney thriller is actually quite entertaining. Director James Neilson avoids much of the syrupy twaddle one expects from the studio and replaces it with some gorgeous technicolor location shots and elaborate sets including the seaside ruins of an ancient temple, a raucous pagan celebration, and an eerie old church complete with mouldering subterranean crypt. An especially well executed scene involving an escape from a locked windmill would have made Hitchcock smile. The performances are generally above par notably Joan Greenwood as the matronly aunt and legendary Irene Papas as the unhappy innkeeper with an advanced case of prickly conscience thanks to her brother’s illicit schemes. Even a browned and accented Eli Wallach puts in a convincing performance as the evil uncle Stratos and silent film star Pola Negri’s cameo as an eccentric heiress is pure camp. A fun family romp whose sense of peril never wanders far from a solid “G” rating.