Horrors of the Black Museum(1959) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Horrors of the Black Museum is a 1959 horror movie directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Michael Gough, Shirley Ann Field and Geoffrey Keen.

The movie begins with a woman called Gail who receives a gift of a pair of binoculars. She ends up dying when she uses them and there are spikes in them which go through her eyes. Her friend, Peggy goes to the police. They ask about Gail's boyfriend. A man called Edmond Bancroft(Gough) goes to the police and he looks at the binoculars. He is a writer and he is there to ask questions about the murder. The police don't have any clues. There is a place in Scotland Yard called the 'Black Museum' and the binoculars seem to come from there. Bancroft goes to an anitque shop and he sees a dagger which he buys and places into his own museum with his friend, Rick. It emerges that Bancroft has more items in his morbid collection. He is very interested in objects that have a bloody past.

Bancroft is being seen by a doctor who thinks that he should be in hospital because he is obsessed with the killing. He falls out with his lover, Joan and she ends up dead. The police come. The residents tell them that the man they saw was old. A kid spotted Bancroft. She tells the police, but they don't take her seriously. Joan's head is missing. Superintendent Graham(Keen) speaks to Bancroft about the nasty business. The killer is found and he is a crazy man who confesses to dozens of other crimes. The police can't hold him. They decide that they might be able to use him to flush out the real killer.

Rick is meeting his girlfriend, Angela(Field). He tells her that Bancroft has a hold on him. Rick tells her not to tell anyone about them yet. Bancroft goes to the antique shop and talks to the lady who works there. She has something for him. She tells him that he needs to pay her for all the help that she has given him. She knows that he is associated with the murders. He makes a bargain with her but he kills her after. He ends up murdering the doctor also because the doctor has figured out that he is the killer. Rick helps him dispose of the body. Rick isn't very happy about it. Bancroft catches Rick with Angela. She wants to know more about the work that Rick does with Bancroft.  Bancroft is furious and tells him that women cannot be trusted.

Bancroft injects Rick with something. He tells Rick that he will leave everything to Rick and he wants him to take over his 'work' when he is gone. He also tells Rick to get rid of Angela. Angela is afraid of Bancroft. Rick takes her to the funfair and he kills her. He runs off and the police are after him. Bancroft is at the police station with his new book. He hears them receive a phone call. Rick is on the ferris wheel. Bancroft rushes there and talks to him. Rick tells him that he did everything Bancroft told him and jumps off the ferris wheel, killing himself but not before killing Bancroft. The police realise what was happening and they solve the murders.

This is a good film with a fine cast. There is plenty to like about it. It has a good story and is very entertaining. Michael Gough is good in the lead role. I recommend this one and I will give it a 6/10.