The Night Walker *** (1964, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Taylor, Lloyd Bochner, Rochelle Hudson, Judith Meredith, Hayden Rorke, Marjorie Bennett, Jess Barker) – Classic Movie Review 4698

Barbara Stanwyck stars here in 1964 in her last movie as Irene Trent, a wealthy woman who has recurring nightmares, featuring both her apparently dead jealous, blind husband (Hayden Rorke) and a mysterious stranger (Lloyd Bochner), which, she tells her lawyer Barry Morland (Robert Taylor), start to impinge upon her waking hours. That is, she thinks her nightmares are real.

There is a huge lot of talent involved here, promising much. Robert Bloch, the writer of Psycho, as screenplay writer; William Castle, cult director of Homicidal and The House on Haunted Hill, as producer and director; plus actress Stanwyck reunited with her ex-husband Taylor as the main stars, are a potentially explosive combination. But even they can’t bring real class to this mechanical and preposterous second-rate shocker that should not be taken seriously for a moment.

It appears that Bloch is attempting to rework much of the plot of Psycho in this daft piece of hokum. But then, why not?

Nevertheless, daft piece of hokum it may be, but Stanwyck’s and Taylor’s performances, the eerie atmosphere, the dark and twisty plot and the odd scare or two give it much to recommend itself as a fun cult camp late-night movie on TV.

The main cast are Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Taylor, Lloyd Bochner, Rochelle Hudson, Judith Meredith, Hayden Rorke, Marjorie Bennett, and Jess Barker.

Castle offered the star role to Joan Crawford, who was already booked to make Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), though Olivia de Havilland took over there.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4698

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