The Black Torment (1964)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

A Masterpiece!

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Sir Richard Fordyke (John Turner) is a nobleman who returns to the family manor with his new bride, Elizabeth (Heather Sears), after some time in London. He soon hears disquieting reports about the locals seeing him running around, pursued by a female figure that resembles his late first wife. He also hears that "he" could very well be responsible for some rapes & murders that have occurred. Sir Richard must ponder the idea that there could be some sort of conspiracy to drive him mad.As produced & directed by Robert Hartford-Davis, "The Black Torment" is a very handsome film, with meticulous set design, and gorgeous cinematography by Peter Newbrook. It's at least good enough to compare favourably with the kind of thing that Hammer Studios always did so well. The story, by Derek and Donald Ford, is not a great one but it's a reasonably absorbing one, keeping the viewers' attention to see how things will be resolved. Unfortunately, it has no real surprises in store. That is a shame considering how much atmosphere and tension that Hartford-Davis is able to generate.The acting is superb right down the line. Ms. Sears is a very beautiful and appealing leading lady, while Turner delivers a performance of incredible intensity (this guy sure does a lot of shouting). Ann Lynn, Peter Arne, Norman Bird, Raymond Huntley, Francis De Wolff, Joseph Tomelty, and Patrick Troughton offer very fine support. Tomelty has a particularly interesting role as the crippled patriarch who is now obliged to communicate through the use of sign language.The film does manage to be consistently entertaining, with a fairly rousing sword fight at the end.Seven out of 10.

This film is set in the 18th century. Sir Richard Fordyke has just returned home from a long visit to London and he's brought with him a new bride. However, soon strange reports are brought to Sir Richard's attention--reports of him rampaging about the countryside committing various atrocities! There are also reports about his dead wife also riding about at night shouting 'murderer!'. Yet, this cannot be--as many of these incidents occurred during this London trip. And, after his return, more and more weird incidents happen. Soon, the locals are clamoring for justice--that the wicked Sir Richard be brought to trial for his sins.The audience is never sure about what's happening until the end--and that makes this a very, very good story. You aren't sure is Richard is nuts or if he has an evil twin or if there are demons about or he has some odd doppelganger. All you know is that there is lots of room for doubt and you start to feel sorry for the guy. It makes for a very tense and very involving story--a fine Gothic horror film that you won't soon forget. Nice acting, a nice creepy mood and wonderful locales all help to make this a very nice film overall.By the way, how is it that at the end, one of the characters was stabbed with a sword and there was no blood...none. Yet, they were wearing a WHITE outfit. Weird. Also, the plot, in MANY ways is like the Hugo episode from one of "The Simpsons" Halloween shows!

A 17th-century aristocrat called Sir Richard Fordyke (JOHN TURNER) returns to his country estate in Devon with his new bride Elizabeth (HEATHER SEARS). But all is not well because people including his horseman Black John (FRANCIS DE WOLFE) are shunning him. Fordyke soon discovers from his accountant Seymour (PETER ARNE) that a farm girl called Lucy Judd (EDINA RONAY) was raped and murdered in the woods and that just before she died she named Fordyke as the culprit. This is impossible because Fordyke had been in London for the past three months and the superstitious locals are inevitably spreading rumours of witchcraft and devilry. Three years ago, Fordyke's first wife Anne committed suicide by throwing herself out of a top floor window and the locals claim that they have seen him on horseback at night (while he was supposedly away) being chased by a ghostly woman dressed in white uttering cries of "murderer". They believe the woman to be the ghost of Anne as her voice resembles the deceased. This sparks off a number of supernatural happenings. For instance, a new horse saddle arrives for Sir Richard with Anne's name engraved on it and the maker insists that Fordyke came into his shop and ordered it personally. Meanwhile, Fordyke begins to see the alleged ghost of his late wife prowling the grounds at night. Two more murders follow and Elizabeth and Fordyke must find out the truth behind the sinister goings-on before disastrous consequences could ruin their lives...THE BLACK TORMENT is one of the most striking British horror films ever made. Robert-Hartford-Davies (in my opinion) is an unfairly maligned director. It is true that he was often lumbered with inferior films, but this is quite a literate little film and he recreates the 17th-century period with great delicacy. Another work of note from this director is INCENCE FOR THE DAMNED (1972: aka BLOODSUCKERS), this was a promising adaptation of a vampire novel by Simon Raven. Alas, the picture was marred by production problems and Davies had his name removed from it and was credited as Michael Burrowes. When you watch that film you can see some of the scars from those troubles, but there really was an intelligent movie itching to get out there. In THE BLACK TORMENT, the setting of the story by Donald and Derek Ford (they penned the spirited Holmes vs the Ripper yarn A STUDY IN TERROR) beautifully suits the Gothic overtones of the picture and the costumes and set-work are exemplary, while the music of Robert Richards is also sympathetic to the proceedings. The film may be set back by some occasionally laughably over-the-top acting that you'd like to laugh, but it contains some of the most striking Gothic visuals that rival producers Hammer and Amicus could never quite recreate and this is more than enough compensation for any flaws it might suffer from. Peter Newbrook's subtle lighting contains sinister moonlight blues with evil yellow candles flickering in the background as the tortured Elizabeth confronts the madman at the climax and every still of Newbrook's could be hung up on the wall of every any gallery! There is another splendidly Gothic sequence which stands out in the memory when Fordyke is pursued through the moonlit forest by the ghostly Anne (who looks truly supernatural in a shiny white dress) crying "murderer". Hartford-Davies's choice of gaudy camera-work and fuzzy echoing sound ensured that the audience of 1965 was well and truly kept on the edge of their seats.

Robert Hartford-Davis("Corruption","The Fiend")directed this little gem of horror in 1964.Admittedly the action is pretty slow,but still the film has some eerie moments-especially the beginning is very creepy.The ghostly bits are well-done and the ending is a bit confusing.The acting is acceptable and the film has one or two unsettling moments.So if you like British horror movies "The Black Torment" is worth checking out! Recommended!