Homicidal

Plot synopsis:
SPOILERS HEREIN!!!Calling herself Miriam Webster, a lovely blonde checks in at a seedy Ventura hotel. Asking the younger BELLBOY to see her to her room, Miriam acts flirtatiously, then asks the young Bellboy if he will marry her for a thousand dollars. She further tells the astonished Bellboy that the marriage will be annulled immediately after the ceremony.The Bellboy agrees and Miriam asks him to drive them to a specific Justice of the Peace, ALFRED ADRIMS, who agrees to marry them so late at night, against the protests of his annoyed wife, MRS. ADRIMS. He performs the ceremony but as he's about to kiss the bride, Miriam pulls a surgical knife from her purse and stabs him repeatedly, fleeing as the Bellboy and the hysterical wife call the police.Miriam changes cars and makes her way back to a secluded home in Solvang. She goes inside and deals with a wheelchair-bound elderly woman, HELGA, who's also been rendered mute by a stroke. The clearly disturbed Miriam takes delight in telling Helga that Adrims died screaming.The next morning, the real MIRIAM WEBSTER arrives, an attractive young woman who runs a nearby flower shop. Miriam checks in on Helga frequently, as Miriam is the sister of WARREN, who is close to Helga and who lives in San Diego. Miriam doesn't care much for the blonde, whose name it turns out is EMILY and who is apparently a friend of Warren and is acting as caretaker for Helga.Miriam's flower shop is next door to the pharmacy operated by handsome KARL, who is dating Miriam. Emily is obviously jealous, as she trashes Miriam's flower shop after Karl turns down her offer of a date. At the same time, she smashes the photograph of Miriam's brother, Warren. When Karl checks in on the plundered flower shop, Emily knocks him out.Warren wakes up Karl, concerned about what has happened. Warren is in town to check on Helga. It's also close to Warren's twenty-first birthday, at which point he will inherit a fortune from his late parents, both of whom were killed in a car accident. At the house, Miriam and Warren recall their wealthy father's cruelty. He often beat Warren, determined to make a "man" out of him.Emily continues acting oddly, is openly hostile to Miriam. When Miriam threatens to talk with Warren about her, Emily tells Miriam that she, Emily, and Warren are married. Emily even threatens Miriam's life. Miriam leaves the house, rattled by Emily's behavior.Emily has her knife sharpened, and it's clear that she intends murdering Helga. Just as she's about to do so, the local DOCTOR JONAS drops by, but before the mute Helga can convince him she's in danger, he leaves. Emily cuts off Helga's head as the old lady comes down the stairs on her wheelchair lift.A POLICEMAN drops by Miriam's shop with the Bellboy who witnessed the murder. They are checking with Miriam since the killer used her name. The Bellboy obviously doesn't recognize the real Miriam. By now, both Miriam and Karl are suspicious of the peculiar, hostile Emily.Karl goes to Ventura to see if the Bellboy recognizes a photo of Emily as the killer. Miriam stays behind. Warren drops by, now concerned about Emily himself. When Karl confirms that the Bellboy has identified Emily as the killer, Warren is shocked and saddened. He also worries about Helga. Warren and Miriam drive out to the house. Warren asks Miriam to stay in the car while he goes into the house to check.Miriam grows restless and frightened as she waits. After Warren has seemingly been in the house too long, Miriam goes into the house to see if he's all right. Miriam is horrified to find Helga's headless corpse on the lift, her head rolling down the steps as Miriam backs up in horror. Emily suddenly leaps from the shadows with a knife poised to kill Miriam. The horrified Miriam screams for Warren, and it's then that Emily reveals that she is Warren, pulling off the blonde wig and removing a dental retainer.Warren/Emily raises the knife to kill Miriam but the Doctor, who remained concerned about Helga, enters the house, struggling with the knife-wielding Warren/Emily. Miriam shoots Warren. Later, in a wrap-up at the police department, the Policeman reveals what happened. It seems that Warren's mother actually delivered a girl, but the mother, knowing that her cruel husband was insisting upon a son, paid Helga and Alfred Adrims to convince the father that a boy - his preference - was born. Warren was actually a girl but was raised as a boy. Helga later took "him" to Denmark, where, perhaps, there might have been a sex change operation.With Warren's birthday approaching and the estate about to become his, it was imperative that he continue hiding his secret as the estate was left to a boy only. He had to kill Sam Adrims and Helga, who knew the secret and he had to kill Miriam, the real heiress to the estate. Now a wealthy woman, Miriam is ready to start a new life with Karl.

Tags: murder

Review:
William Castle's 1950s camp classics 'The Tingler' and 'House On Haunted Hill' are lots of fun, and highly recommended to all horror fans with a strong sense of the absurd.
Apart from Castle's typically hammy introduction, and the "fright break" towards the climax (a not too dissimilar idea to the one Gaspar Noe used several years ago in his shocking 'I Stand Alone'!), 'Homicidal' is nowhere near as gimmicky and tongue in cheek as most of Castle's best known movies.
William Castle's little fright flick was obviously rushed into production to cash in on the Psycho craze.
Castle injects all the same themes and many of the ideas from Psycho into this film, but luckily; the master of entertainment has enough ideas of his own to ensure that Homicidal isn't merely a rip-off.
One thing leads to another, and she quite shockingly ends up sticking the knife into the Justice of the Peace...the plot thickens with the introduction of the elderly Helga and an inheritance of $10 million.This film is never as good as Hitchcock's Psycho, but the master of entertainment always ensures that there's enough going on to ensure that it doesn't get boring.
The 'fright break' towards the end kills the shocking atmosphere that Castle has spent the rest of the film implementing, and as a result; the final macabre sequence is not nearly as effective as it could have been.
I wouldn't hesitate to label Homicidal as one of William Castle's better efforts, as even though it's not quite what audiences have come to expect from the master of entertainment, and it's purely derivative; Homicidal is still a fine quality B-movie shocker..
Highly recommended for horror fans, even though it's often compared with "Psycho" I feel that the film stands out on it's own and it's ending is actually more effective than Hitchcock's.
And the well thought out story is too brief for its own good.The truly great thing in HOMICIDAL is Jean Arless, or Joan Marshall.
what a way to start for a movie.The movie "Homicidal" then goes into a long and drawn out story about a dysfunctional family that's coming to a crisis point at the time that the son Warren is about to reach his twenty first birthday.
still Warren is so much in love Emily that he tries to overlook all of that.Homicidal has some very good plot twists in it with a surprise ending to the surprise of no one watching the movie.
I for one really liked that fright-clock scene that director William Castle put in the movie just before the you know what was about to hit the fan.
An ending that might very well have put them into cardiac arrest if their hearts were too weak and couldn't take the shock.But the most incredible thing about the movie was the appearance as well as the acting of of the star Gean Arless who played the part of Warren.
A very good storyline keeps the movie going smoothly with a plot that has more meat to it and is less complicated then "Psycho" even though I thought that the "surprise" ending was very predictable..
This movie has not received much attention through the years all the way back to its initial release.During that time period it was second on a double bill featuring "the brides of Fu Manchu".Recently viewed Homicidal for the the third time with many years between each viewing.Each time I found the movie entertaining and have to admit the story becomes clearer each time.Although I've done a lot of ad libbing during movies this is one tense and serious not deserving of it.For that reason I'm not in agreement with those calling this movie corny or having unintentional amusing parts.The main character is a tortured abused soul striking out in rage.The overall plot is believable and would fit right in to the current evening newscasts.Comments have been made how this movie does not compare well to the film Psycho.When Psycho was first released I saw it in the movie theater,after viewing it some persons were saying "too much #*#% publicity!".
Jean Arless has the flashy leading role, but in the end it's just a gimmick and she's not quite up to the stunt (to her credit, nobody in the cast comes out looking particularly good, as Castle's direction and Robb White's script are equally unsure).
William Castle's Homicidal straddles a mile wide line between Hitchcock's consensus classic Psycho and Ed Wood's no budget foray into transvestitism, Glen or Glenda.
A couple of scenes on a stairway with a special track for a wheelchair, where a disabled old woman descends aren't bad, especially the latter, which is done in the semi-darkness as the film heads into those final ten minutes of terror, where the audience is warned in advance to clear the theater.
There are growing suspicions that Emily might be homicidal, especially after a justice of the peace is witnessed murdered by an unsuspecting groom.Of William Castle's films, I found this one to be a bit on the lesser side.
The film's best part is undoubtedly the opening, which is certainly a shocking and quite gruesome sequence that gets off the shock by nicely intermingling the calmness before the attack to a rather startling sequence beforehand, the sheer suddenness bringing about a rather creepy time here and then the act itself with the stabbing being quite brutal and leading to a fine escape that features several close calls before the actual resolution and escape.
"Homicidal" screams out for a TV-movie or home video remake, with the "fight break" replaced by a "bathroom break".****** Homicidal (7/26/61) William Castle ~ Joan Marshall, Glenn Corbett, Patricia Breslin, Eugenie Leontovich.
Performances range from bad to good, but it's not too likely that you'll guess the surprise ending.William Castle produced this low-budget horror film with a certain amount of expertise and while none of it is particularly believable, it creates its own world suited to the horror film genre.Elements of other horror films with similar events are evident from the start.
This startling event gets the film off to a good pace that it sustains throughout with other twists that make no sense until a police detective explains the killer's motivations (a la "Psycho").Technical credits are a plus with an appropriate score by Hugo Friedhofer and some crisp B&W photography.
This wasn't the best of the Castle fare, that award belonging to "Mr. Sardonicus" easily, but there were enough scares and suspenseful moments in "Homicidal" to titillate the adolescent (as I was then) in all of us TRUE horror film buffs..
This is among the director's most popular works, being the one that overtly played him up as a potential rival to Alfred Hitchcock (complete with Castle's cheeky introduction a' la Hitch's own TV appearances); at the same time, its deliberate nods to PSYCHO (1960) did not really endear it to critics but, of course, audiences at the time lapped it up which only goes to prove just how much of a milestone the Hitchcock classic was when it first emerged and has remained so over the years through countless imitations!Anyway, taken on its own merits, the film is certainly an above-average chiller for Castle – yet one is left wondering whether he was audacious or foolhardy in his approach towards the all-important plot twist; Hitchcock was certainly wiser in keeping "Mother" in the background, whereas Castle throws the secondary personality of the titular figure in our faces almost from the get-go!
Gone is the camp value normally associated with this period of Castle's career, though we do get one of his gimmicks here, a 45 second countdown clock as Castle gives the audience chance to leave the cinema before the ending is revealed, they would then have to go and stand in "cowards corner" before claiming a refund on their admission ticket.Nicely shot in broad black and white by the talented Guffey, Homicidal is often considered as being either a homage or a rip-off of Hitchcock's Psycho released the previous year.
You'll figure it out pretty quickly, and of course you'll see the "surprise" ending coming a mile away, but it's still great fun to watch, and unusually complex for a Castle thriller.
I'm not sure if William Castle is paying homage to Alfred Hitchcock, ripping him off, or just trying to capitalize on Psycho's success.
And the twist ending of "Homicidal" is arguably more of a shocker than the appearance of "mother" in "Psycho." Thestory more closely resembles the real-life 1965 tragedy of a Canadian boy who was raised as a girl, due to a hospital accident, from the book "As Nature Made Him" by John Colapinto (Harper/Collins, 2000).
The statements it makes about gender identity are interesting.However this film is clearly a combination of a ripoff of "Psycho" plus loosely inspired by the true life story of the world's first male-to-female transexual, Christine Jorgensen - in fact a much worse biopic (The Christine Jorgensen Story(1970)) was made about her and might make a good double feature with this flick - "Homicidal".
Before the most intense scenes near the end of the film, a warning comes up on the screen giving the audience some time to leave the theatre.
Homicidal (1961) ** (out of 4) Incredibly disappointing film from director William Castle is more or less a rip of Hitchcock's Psycho.
The aptly-titled "Homicidal" follows a mysterious woman, Emily (Jean Arless) who is caregiving for the former guardian/mother figure of her new husband, Warren, in a small California town.
Warren's half-sister, Miriam (Patricia Breslin) finds her off-putting, but Emily's role in a savage random murder exposes a well of family secrets.In all frankness, William Castle was a relatively conventional filmmaker—he lacked the raw intuition and ingenuity that truly great filmmakers tap into.
It really is like "Psycho 2.0: The B-Movie Version." One can see Castle riffing on Hitchcock's classic in nearly every scene of the film, and yet it's difficult to completely write it off—partly because it's generally well-crafted, and partly because it is legitimately engaging.
However, "Homicidal" is a sluggish movie to watch, it lacks the artistic merit of "Psycho", and in fact has very little to offer in terms of plot or structure.
no substantive story, no thematic depth, just a gimmicky premise and that shocking climax.The visual shocks, the film's lurid title, the unsubtle acting, the cheap production design, and that hokey "fright break" near the end combine to telegraph "Homicidal" as b-grade drive-in flick.
This person is not "Homicidal" at all - we are talking cold blooded murder here folks, with monetary gain being the primary objective.Taken in the right spirit its terribly good fun, with Ms Arless having apparently learned her craft by watching a couple of Joan Crawford movies.
Homicidal has to be one of the most unusual films ever.Jean Arliss plays a great part.The eeriest thing in the movie is when she plays the man.It,s the weirdest makeup job ever with the fake teeth and the dubbed voice.That actually gave me the creeps.The story is a little confusing at times but you just have to pay attention and try to figure it out the best way you can.The murder scenes are shocking.This movie left a slightly uneasy feeling in me long after i finished watching it.I do highly recommend this film..
William Castle directed this blatant rip off of "Psycho", featuring Patricia Breslin as Miriam Webster, who is set to inherit a fortune along with her half-brother Warren, who still lives in their childhood home with his guardian Helga(now wheelchair bound) and her strange nurse Emily.
Weird things are going on, and after a justice of the peace is brutally murdered with a knife, it is obvious that a homicidal psycho is on the loose, and may well be living closer than Miriam suspects...
the killing that opens the movie comes out of nowhere which makes it more gruesome.The one downplay from the Campy Castle was his fright break, a gimmick that probably works better in a Grind house than it does on home video.
The clock that appears on screen timing down when the real scary stuff is about to happen while William Castle tells you to leave if you are too scared was cheesy, but Ironically once the break is over, the actual fight lives up to the clock's purpose.If you've seen Psycho you should check this out and compare..
First of all, if one adamantly holds that Homicidal is a Psycho knockoff and Castle is a Hitchcock wannabe, then take a fright break and do your historical research because neither holds up against the facts.
That being said, Castle is no Hitchcock, but personally I believe Homicidal is a better film than Psycho (it is my least favorite Hitchcock I might add, and I've seen only about a dozen).
Many directors pay homage to other films but director (and I use the term loosely) William Castle (he was really a showman, not a director) just rips-off ideas from Psycho.
Little things like the stairway, the knife, the motel, the large amount of money and the lead character driving in her car are obvious references to Psycho, and the basic premise and the ending are blatant.
In its favor, Jean Arless (Joan Marshall) is pretty good in her role as Emily and Warren manages to be creepy just by being on screen.
After years of making "haunted house" type movies, Castle makes in "Homicidal" a slasher movie like "Psycho." 2.
The story starts on a pretty blonde making a journey in a car.NOTE: Here comes BIG TWIST on "Psycho" : instead of killing the beautiful girl at the 30 minute mark, Castle surprises us by having the GIRL commit the bloody murder instead.
SPOILER: the twist ending is just like "Psycho": a man dressed like a woman has been committing the murders.Like most William Castle movies, "Homicidal" is cheesy fun on its own terms, and scary enough.
In fact the real twist came right at the end when Jean Arless (real name Joan Marshall) revealed her role as both Emily and Warren.
I guess I was part of the brave audience that persevered to see what happened when Miriam Webster (Patricia Breslin) stepped through the door, no fright break worth it's salt was going to stop me.I didn't think I'd seen Breslin in a movie before but she sure did look familiar so I had to look up her other credits on IMDb. Somewhat surprisingly, my memory dredged up another TV show from my childhood past I used to watch all the time - 'The People's Choice'.
Warren still has big teeth.In the next scene, a blonde woman calling herself Miriam Webster (Jean Arless / Joan Marshall) checks into a hotel and offers a bellhop $2,000 to marry her with the understanding that the marriage will be quickly annulled.
This was B-movie pioneer William Castle's answer to PSYCHO and although it never quite reaches the same level as Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece of horror, HOMICIDAL does have its virtues: gritty cinematography by Burnett Guffey, a few effectively-staged shocks, and some deliciously nasty villainy from Arless, who went on to portray Lily Munster in the pilot episode of THE MUNSTERS television series..
And strange family secrets are forced to the surface as Emily interacts with Helga, Miriam Webster (Patricia Breslin), and Miriams' boyfriend Karl Anderson (Glenn Corbett).Mildly gimmicky movie waits until almost the end for Castle to come up with one of his trademark tricks.
Surely there are similar themes and common story elements, but numberless of contemporary films cashed in on "Psycho", and most of them did it a lot less subtly than Castle's gem "Homicidal".
There's plenty going on throughout: something does seem off with Warren, but I didn't figure out his masquerade until nearly the end; Helga is miserable the entire time; and Emily seems not to be done killing after the first stabbing.Psycho, on the other hand, has much less continuity.
The opening fifteen minutes are brilliant, as the blonde convinces a bellboy to marry her in a late-night ceremony, only to shockingly stab the Justice of the Peace (who, perhaps not coincidentally, is named Alfred) with a surgical knife; it's Castle's very own "shower scene."Following this cold-blooded murder, the energy runs bare, the story revealing little for the next hour or so, treading water until the great final reveal.
Homicidal is Castle's rather obvious attempt to cash-in on the success of Psycho, released the year before.
It's how the twist is pulled-off that's important.I couldn't do the film justice without saying hats off to Jean Arliss (it's actually Joan Marshall) for her work in Homicidal.
HOMICIDAL (1961) **1/2 (D: William Castle) - The surprise opening sequence is an effective shocker.
Since the plot is a muddle where people say and do things for no apparent reason (like the knife-sharpening scene - incredibly strange!), the crummy visuals that are added to the overall messy happenings makes everything almost like something out of a dream (actually that is the way Castle said he got the idea to 'Homicidal', but it was more likely from Hitchcock).
All the same, her performance as a man was very convincing.I found it really puzzling that if William Castle had really wanted Homicidal to be a much more memorable rip-off of Psycho, then he should've made it a point to include a horrific "shower scene" in his film, as well.
But in many ways Hitch took inspiration from William Castle movies like House on Haunted Hill and The Tingler and made his own low budget black and white horror film with a gimmick because he knew it would make a lot of money.
Well, here's one of his best: Homicidal, a drama that borrows freely from Hitchcock's Psycho.The story opens as a strange blonde woman pays a stranger to marry her and promptly stabs the man who performs the ceremony.