Mansion of the Doomed – 1976
What happens is so horrifying we can’t even hint at it in this poster.
Director
Michael Pataki

Writer
Frank Ray Perilli

Producers
Albert Band supervising executive producer
Charles Band producer

Cast
Richard Basehart – Dr. Leonard Chaney
Gloria Grahame – Katherine
Trish Stewart – Nancy Chaney
Lance Henriksen – Dr. Dan Bryan
Al Ferrara – Al
JoJo D’Amore – Georgio (as Jojo Damore)
Donna Andresen – Sylvia Porter
Marilyn Joi – Miss Mathews
Katherine Fitzpatrick – Elevator Victim
Katherine Stewart – The Hitchhiker
Vic Tayback – Detective Simon
Simmy Bow – Ambulance Doctor
Arthur Space – Wino
Del Negro – Black Intern
Libby Chase – Libby
Barry Chase – Delivery Boy
Sally Marr – Landlady
Sandy Champion – Doctor in Corridor
Patsy Sublime – Miss Dunn
Barbara Sloane – Woman Bystander

Review by Sven Soetemans

An eye for an eye!!,

I was prepared to see the worst when I pushed the play button, but this early Charles Band production turned out to be a lot better than I thought! It shamelessly steals the plot of Franju’s masterpiece `Les Yeux sans Visage’, but I hardly see this as an obstacle since the great Jess Franco did the same thing for his Dr. Orloff.

It’s the macabre fable about a doctor who causes a car-accident, and his daughter loses her sight in it. Driven by love and feelings of guilt, the doctor start to kidnap ‘eye-donors’ to cure his daughter Nancy. Charles Band adds very few to the original plot except for a lot of inhuman cruelty and nasty images. The shots of the eyeless people in the basement were pretty disturbing to me, and I like to think I can handle quite a share of morbidity! By the way, the gory images of the cut out eyeballs were the work of Stan Winston, who grew on to be one of Hollywood’s most respected make-up artists.

The film also proves that acting performances CAN make a difference in these little low-budget gems! Richard Basehart is really good as the surgeon who slowly goes insane and Gloria Grahame is adorable as the devoted assistant. Unfortunately, this underrated actress died a few years later. Mansion of the Doomed also stars Lance Henriksen in an early role.

Mansion of the Doomed is especially recommended for being a modest – but very decent – little gem, that doesn’t portrays itself as highly original…just as good and gruesome entertainment!