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Few writers have so persistently defied successful adaptation to the screen as H.P. Lovecraft. Sure, there’s FROM BEYOND and RE-ANIMATOR, which are fun, and THE HAUNTED PALACE, starring Vincent Price, which is relatively faithful to “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward,” but even those — among the better film treatments Lovecraft has received and perhaps closest in spirit to their inspiration — fail to strike the notes of cosmic dread and human insignificance that earned the master his reputation (albeit, sadly, not until years after his death). Low-budget Lovecraftiana ranges from the Karloff B outing DIE, MONSTER DIE! (also directed by Haller) to THE CURSE (both re-tellings of “The Colour Out of Space”) to the more recent and more palatable THE RESURRECTIONIST (also released as SHATTERBRAIN, another take on “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward”) to Stuart Gordon’s adaptation of “The Shadow Over Innsmouth,” DAGON. The spirit of HPL had best been captured in movies not based on his work, like John Carpenter’s THE THING or GHOSTBUSTERS (yes, that’s right, GHOSTBUSTERS — stop snickering!)

So where among its sinister brethren falls THE DUNWICH HORROR (1970)? Frankly, it’s better than generic efforts like The Unnamable and The Lurking Fear, but, well, that’s not saying much. Still, it’s an entertaining bit of seventies, low-budget, celluloid horror, probably more enjoyable to those who have never read HPL’s original short story.

Bringing the classic tale into the present, the film finds Wilbur Whateley (Dean Stockwell) — young scion of the Whateley clan, notorious for their dark past tinged with the stain of sorcery — studying the Necronomicon at Miskatonic University. Whately, a bestial, deformed figure in HPL’s story has been transmogrified into a dashing young lad of the gentry. At MU he meets an attractive co-ed named Nancy (Sandra Dee) and Prof. Armitage (Ed Begley), an expert on the history of the Whateleys. Whateley gets Nancy to drive him home to the Whateley estate outside isolated Dunwich, where it’s soon clear that his intentions are less than honorable. Nancy begins to experience strange visions, as Whateley steadily draws her under his spell. When Prof. Armitage comes nosing around, he is re-buffed, but not dissuaded, and begins to investigate Whateley. Meanwhile Wilbur takes Dee to see the ancient relics of an outdoor altar built upon a seaside cliff, leaving little doubt as to his ultimate plans. But what is the horrible secret that harkens back to Wilbur’s birth, and what terrible truth hides in the upper reaches of the Whateley house?

Stockwell delivers a surprisingly subtle performance, the perfect, self-confident, charming rogue methodically carrying out his plan, despite his penchant for aping the hand gestures of Aleister Crowley, and Dee holds her own as the ill-fated co-ed. Al Jaffe (let’s go all the way back to Capra’s 1937 LOST HORIZON, now) provides a strong turn as a nervous wreck. And much of what works here is due to their efforts.

The plot remains reasonably true to the events of Lovecraft’s story, while simultaneously going off in its own modern direction. The script proves unexpectedly engaging. The characters show more depth than the typical B movie stereotypes, and there’s an overtone of religious intolerance seen in the conflict between Wilbur and the townsfolk. Seems they don’t cotton to his strange beliefs about powerful beings from other worlds and dimensions.

The atmosphere is thick with mystery. The unnerving and macabre animated credit sequence sets just the right tone, and the score is suitably eerie. Where things go awry is in the inclusion of several bizarre sequences of pseudo-mystical episodes experienced by Dee, during the shooting of which someone, in an attempt to get “artsy,” smeared a little too much Vaseline on the lens and draped the camera with heavy gauze. Luckily, these are kept to a minimum, and are made up for by some Mario Bava-esque lighting and design. The film drives quickly toward its climax, and though the limitations of the budget are more than apparent in the closing sequences (wait till you see Wilbur’s brother and you’ll understand), the gang behind the camera still deserves some credit for effort and creativity and, heck, for just getting this one up on the screen.

Overall, THE DUNWICH HORROR qualifies as a forgotten B classic, especially for HPL fans (as long as they don’t take themselves too seriously). Despite some of its pretensions and a main character drastically and fundamentally altered from his literary inspiration, this is a smart, spooky, and enjoyable venture.

The DVD, from MGM’s Midnight Movie collection, is quite good and affordable, though no-frills. The widescreen presentation is very good and clear, showing off those parts of the movie that are beautifully filmed. Having seen this one years ago in pan and scan, I can safely say this works wonders for the viewing experience. Special features include the original theatrical trailer, a French audio track and French and Spanish subtitles.

Watch for Talia Shire in a small part, years before she hooked up with Rocky!

– James Chambers

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