Strangler of the Swamp
by Frank Wisbar
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Blake Edwards, Charles Middleton, Effie Laird, Robert Barrat, Rosemary La PlancheDirector: Frank Wisbar
Brand: Image Entertainment
Cinematographer: James S. Brown Jr.
Writer: Frank Wisbar
Editor: Hugh Winn
Producer: Raoul Pagel
Writer: Harold Erickson
Writer: Leo J. McCarthy
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 59 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-09-21
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Image Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Strangler of the Swamp
Movie Review: A pleasant surprise
Summary: 5 Stars
To be honest, I don't quite remember how I ended up ordering this particular film (somehow the recommendation robot must have something to do with it <g>), but it definitely had me hooked the moment I pressed Play on the remote.As pointed out in the amazon-description this is sort of a remake of Wisbars earlier German effort "Faehrmann Maria" and therefore is less a 'horror thriller' than a dark, moody fairytale.
The plot circles about villagers housing in a swamp area which have lynched an innocent man some years ago. The hanged man swore deadly revenge to all involved in his killing and does this quite effectively. When young Maria shows up, granddaughter of the real criminal, and falls in love with Chris Sanders, next on the stranglers list, the real trouble starts. Well, sort of. This is not an action flick and, this has to be said, the climatic standoff between strangler, Maria, Chris and his father in an abandoned church is a bit of a letdown but I figure that this has something to do with the budget (if the movie actually had one - you can't be too sure when you're talking 'bout a PRC movie).
But you watch a film like this not because of the plot (as a matter of fact, we are introduced to our leading characters over 20 minutes in the film - considering that the entire picture runs 58 minutes, it's quite hard to put up some characterization, but somehow it works) . You watch it because of the stylish, dark photography, which puts Dreyers "Vampyr" into mind (not exactly surprising, as the German version even starred Sibylle Schmitz of "Vampyr"), the scary swamp settings and an overall eerie attitude. Besides that the movie is quite intelligently written, well-acted and in its own way haunting.
The DVD transfer is really good considering the age of the material (I've seen FAR worse transfers of younger films), even the sound is quite understandable. Only letdown: with 58 minutes of film, why didn't Image pair it with "Devil Bat's Daughter"? A trailer or some accompanying material would've been fine, too.
But overall enthusiastically recommended to all who have the slightest interest in expressionistic filmwork - it's a rare example of an American film of that kind.
Summary of Strangler of the Swamp
Studio: Image Entertainment Release Date: 08/20/2002 Run time: 59 minutes Rating: NrWritten and directed by Frank Wisbar, this hour-long B thriller from 1946 is so obscure that it doesn't even rank an entry in Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide, but it's a perfectly adequate example of the low-budget fare that was cranked out like sausages by Producer's Releasing Corporation (PRC) in post-World War II Hollywood. Of interest to trivia buffs is the youthful appearance of future Pink Panther director Blake Edwards as the movie's youthful would-be hero, while Rosemary La Planche plays his beloved, who would sacrifice herself to spare her lover from the title character--the shadowy ghost of a ferryman (played by Charles Middleton) who haunts the local swampland, avenging his wrongful hanging for murder. Steeped in rich, foggy atmosphere, the film copies the effective visual style of Wisbar's earlier German film Fährmann Maria, and although this shoestring spooker barely registers on the fright meter, it's still an interesting oddity for hardcore film buffs, who will appreciate the fact that a movie of such minimal consequence has somehow made its way to DVD. (Collectors, take note: Another Wisbar curio from 1946--The Devil Bat's Daughter--was also released on DVD in 1999.) --Jeff Shannon
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