Crucible of Terror (1972)

An artist psycho on the coast of southern England

A reclusive artist (Mike Raven) on the coast of Cornwall, England, is doing dubious things with his models when his son (Ronald Lacey), his friend (James Bolam) and their wives arrive from London.

"Crucible of Terror" (1971) is Brit horror reminiscent of “Corruption” (1968) and comparable to Hammer or Amicus films of the era. Raven is a Christopher Lee lookalike, but only did four films from 1971-1972.

Blonde Beth Morris (Jane) stands out on the female front with thin brunettes Mary Maude (Millie) and Judy Matheson (Marcia) also on hand. The latter two are attractive but reflect the popularity of Twiggy at the time. The flick really needed one or two voluptuous women that Hammer was known for, like Veronica Carlson, Susan Denberg, Linda Hayden, Hazel Court, Barbara Shelley, Yvonne Romain, Caroline Munro, Ingrid Pitt and so on.

It’s decidedly obscure and typically gets bad reviews so I was skeptical at first, but the movie won me over with the coastal Cornwall setting, the imaginative caves that link to the artist’s quaint house and the revelation at the end.

FYI: Ronald Lacey is perhaps best known for his role as the coat-hanger Nazi with the scarred hand from “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot at Shepperton Studios & Hammersmith in London and the Blue Hills/Jericho Valley area of St Agnes, Cornwall.

GRADE: B-/B (6.5/10)