a5c7b9f00b The spirit of an executed murderer enters the body of a physician, and forces him to do its bidding–namely, murder. I just caught up with THE PHANTOM SPEAKS yesterday, and it's one of a group of disturbing, yet riveting hour long thrillers that Republic produced in the mid 1940s, along with such filmsVALLEY OF THE ZOMBIES, THE MYSTERIOUS MR. VALENTINE, and THE VAMPIRE'S GHOST; short, evocative, and deeply atmospheric. While Republic's serials dealt in nonstop action, and their Westerns offered up the artificially cheerful spectacle of Roy Roger and family in a seemingly endless series of singing westerns, Republic's hour long programmers are melancholy, paranoid, world weary, and genuinely disturbing. Directed by such superb veteransPhil Ford, Leslie Selander, and in this case, John English, Republic's "B" films offered the viewer a vision of the worlda vast, bleak, and friendless place, inhabited only the corrupt and powerful, and their unwilling victims. Superb direction by English, with Tom Powers excellentthe ruthless killer, and the ever reliable Stanley Ridges both sympathetic and harrowinghis dupe. Watch for an uncredited Kenne Duncan in the opening scenePowers's victim. All of these films, needless to say, should be available on DVD. When the film begins, Harvey Bogardus (Tom Powers) kills a man in cold blood. He's soon captured and executed…swearing vengeance on everyone even up until the end. However, before he was killed a goofy psychic researcher meets with him and talks about trying some experiment to allow his spirit or will to live beyond death. Why he would pick this creep of all people is beyond me but the experiment turns out to work too well. The death man's evil spirit is strong and is able to take over this idiotic professor's mind–compelling him to murder all those he blames for the death sentence. It really makes no sense but seeing the murders done in such a brutal and cold fashion was very entertaining! Plus, despite its goofiness the film is never dull and kept my interest…and made me laugh occasionally and unintentionally. Well worth seeing and reminiscent of some of Bela Lugosi's B films.
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