Dungeon of Harrow (1962)

Director:

Pat Boyette

Writers:

Pat Boyette (written by) and
Henry Garcia (written by)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

An evil, sadistic count lives in a waterfront castle with his insane family members. One day the survivor of a shipwreck washes ashore near the castle and finds himself a captive there. |

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Leprosy | Mute | Torture | Island

Cast

Russ Harvey	...	Aaron Fallon
Helen Hogan	...	Cassandra
William McNulty	...	Count Lorente de Sade
Michele Buquor	...	Ann
Maurice Harris	...	Mantis
Eunice Grey	...	Countess de Sade
Henry Garcia
Don Russell
Leon Schumacher Jr.
Lee Morgan	...	The Captain

Also Known As:

Dungeons of Horror
The Dungeon of Harrow (USA)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

San Antonio, Texas, USA

Company:

Herts-Lion International Corp.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the final chase begins, Mantis is bareheaded, but at the end, he has a hat.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Aaron Fallon: How many times have I stood before this symbol of my family's greatness? And now this crest and I are dying together. In another time and another place, I might have brought honor and glory to the Fallon family, but instead I shall leave a legacy of decay and unspeakable horror.

Give It A Try, Really! Ignore Those Other People!

I've seen me a lot of bad movies, and I've seen me a lot of low budget movies.

Note: those two are NOT necessarily the same! I shouldn't even have to say this, but everyone who has watched at least a few movies (and that includes almost everyone in the United States), has had this experience; you go to a theater or turn on a movie channel. What you get is either a huge budget major studio film that is oddly hollow, perfunctory and disappointing; or a film that is entertaining in spite of its low budget, transcending its limitations.

The latter is what we get here. In the world of low budget film-making, there are a few "cheats" that can be used to make up for a lack of sumptuous screen images. One is great acting. Another is great writing. We are not treated to either of those in DUNGEON OF HARROW.

But we are treated to a creepy, hallucinatory atmosphere which is quite effective, and gives the viewer a bang for the buck infinitely out of proportion with its tiny budget. Remember, this is (to speak simplistically) a period Gothic horror film shot in Texas in 1963 for a budget under $50,000. Keeping that in mind, the filmmakers and actors have come up with quite a laudable final product. Fans of CARNIVAL OF SOULS can expect similar chills on a small budget, though COS is a much better film.

For a couple of bucks, or in a cheap DVD box set, this film is well worth your time if you like late show type horror thrills.