Horror fans have always been counted on to keep Hollywood afloat during the tough times. Other genres may ebb and flow, but fright flicks have always provided something irresistible for a certain passionate fanbase. After seeing how successful William Castle was with House On Haunted Hill and The Tingler, among other hits, Warner Bros. gave the green light to a series of low budget suspense films hoping to replicate such success. The first of these was 1965’s Two On A Guillotine from director William Conrad (star of Cannon) based on a screenplay by John Kneubuhl and Henry Slesar. While it had the core ingredients that often seemed to work for Castle, there was something about the production that did not click critically or financially. While not a catastrophe by any means, there is a lack of care in the execution that keeps this one from being as chilling or intriguing as it could be. If only Hollywood would learn there is more to success than a soulless replication.
The story begins with John Harley “Duke” Duquesne (Cesar Romero, Batman), the world’s greatest illusionist and magician who is driven to elevate his craft at every turn. He is beloved by most, but the same cannot be said for his wife, Melinda (Connie Stevens, Grease 2), who feels less like a partner in his show and more like a shiny prop for him to play with. When Duke attempts one of his most ambitious stunts yet involving a guillotine, things go horribly wrong and the grief-stricken man sends their infant daughter to live with her aunt. We cut to the present 20 years later and Duke has passed, leaving his now-adult daughter, Cassie (also Connie Stevens), to mourn the estranged father she never knew. Ever the ultimate showman, Duke has his will read in the most spectacular fashion, and in this document it states that in order for Cassie to inherit his mansion she must spend seven consecutive nights there. The catch? It’s haunted, of course! We come to learn even if the house is not haunted, her prankster father has left behind a litany of tricks and traps to scare the daylights out of her.
With this being a particularly intriguing story, there is another angle at play with a young reporter, Val Henderson (Dean Jones, The Love Bug), who attempts to get close to Cassie for information on a tabloid story but finds himself falling for her. The particulars of the story do not go much further than this. Cassie makes a fine screaming female getting spooked by any little thing that pops up along the way. Her chemistry with Val is far from off-the-charts, but they make an amiable enough pairing as they investigate the old house. The most fun comes from seeing what contraptions have been staged to scare the young pair during their stay. The scares are nearly nonexistent, but how they are pulled off is worthy of exploration. Unfortunately, the film is ultimately just too dull. Seeing characters get scared but not feeling any thrills yourself gets a bit old after a while. At 107 minutes long, the film overstays its welcome quite a bit and makes lengthy detours that do not even attempt to fortify the creepy aesthetic for thrills down the road. The film plays out in a predictable manner and does not give you much to hold on to outside of the production design and strong performances. At 90 minutes, this film may have had some bite to it, but there is too much waiting around to call this a hidden gem.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Two On A Guillotine for the first time on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer sourced from a new master. The image is nothing short of stunning for a film that is a minor effort in the grand legacy of the studio. This black and white feature has nice, natural film grain throughout that provides a great amount of detail to the image. The presentation has a good amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush. Fine detail is very strong as you can see subtle details in the ornate clothing and distinct production design. Print damage is virtually nonexistent throughout the duration of the movie. Warner Archive has once again displayed why they are considered one of the best in the business.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that sounds incredibly strong. The dialogue always comes through crystal clear with nothing ever getting clipped or overwhelmed by competing sounds. None of the sound effects or the lovely score from Max Steiner ever experiences distortion on this release. There are a few sequences that are kinetic here, but mostly there are effective environmental details that are appropriately lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear to the track. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it. Overall, this is an excellent audio presentation that suits the material really well.
Special Features
- Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Two On A Guillotine is an unsuccessful attempt at trying to replicate the success of low budget thrillers of the time period. There are moments of intrigue, and the film gets points for the performances and the general look of the story, but there is no depth to the narrative. The film is entirely too long for what it is trying to accomplish which makes you want to check your watch pretty often. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation, but not much in the way of special features. If you are a fan of the film, you could not ask for it to look or sound better.
Two On A Guillotine can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
