The Horrible Dr Hichcock [L’orribile segreto del Dr Hichcock] **** (1962, Barbara Steele, Robert Flemyng, Silvano Tranquilli) – Classic Movie Review 9708

Robert Flemyng, OBE, MC (3 January 1912 – 22 May 1995) is probably best known today for his appearance in director Riccardo Freda’s much admired, splendidly lurid cult Italian Gothic horror movie The Horrible Dr Hichcock [L’orribile segreto del Dr Hichcock] (1962), in which he memorably plays a necrophiliac, Professor Bernard Hichcock. That is ironic, for when the actor discovered his character’s necrophilia, he tried to bail on the movie.

The impressive Barbara Steele stars as Cinzia Hichcock on her finest form.

Also in the cast are Silvano Tranquilli, Maria Teresa Vianello and Harriet White Medin.

The creepy story and screenplay are by Ernesto Gastaldi, who wrote it at the request of producer Luigi Carpentieri under the title Raptus in a script that did not contain the necrophilia in the film. Gastaldi said he did not remember why he added it, though ‘perhaps one of the associates asked for something harder, more macabre”

Freda later claimed that the story was ‘entirely my idea. I nurtured it for a long time but it is Ernesto Gastaldi who shaped it into form.’

But Gastaldi said Freda did not discuss the film with him and that producer Ermanno Donati gave Freda his script, saying: ‘Let’s see if you have the balls to shoot this stuff, it’s about corpses!” Gastaldi said Freda did not even read the script and replied: ‘As long as I get paid, I’m shooting even the phone book.’

The story is set in 1885 and concerns Dr Hichcock whose horrible secret involves drugging his wife, Margaretha (Maria Teresa Vianello), for sexual funeral games, and ends up thinking he has killed her. But, 12 years later, he marries Cynthia (Barbara Steele), who starts to believe she sees Margaretha round the house.

Steele took a 10-day break from filming Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 to film The Horrible Dr Hichcock.

Robert Flemyng accepted the work after reading the script then titled Raptus as he wanted to go to Rome where The Horrible Dr Hichcock was being filmed. He only later found the film involved necrophilia and tried to get out of the film but his agent said it was too late, as he had signed the contract, so he went ahead. He phoned American actress Harriet White Medin suggesting they act so badly the film could not be released.

The Italian cast and crew hid their names under English-sounding names, with Freda credited as Robert Hampton, while set designer Franco Fumagalli became Frank Smokecocks, a literal translation. All cast members spoke their own language while filming.

It was shot in two to three weeks at Villa Perucchetti in Via Pietro Paolo Rubens 21, in Rome. Steele recalled long 18-hour days ‘thanks to the massive doses of Sambuca [iqueur] and coffee. If a dolly collapsed, Freda would just pull the camera on a carpet. Nothing would stop that man.’

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9708

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