In an opening sequence that can rightly be described as "Wild", the governor of California gets the shock of his life when a bronze bust in his likeness suddenly opens it's eyes and looks back at him. Next, the governor is slipped a paralysing injection and placed into the hollowed out table from which his double has disengaged himself. So begins "The Night Of The Torture Chamber" as the ersatz politician now in charge sets about diverting state funds to an art-obsessed collector who schemes to buy all the great works of art. A strange plot to be sure, but also a refreshing break from the megalomaniacs with a yen to control the world generally favoured by "WWW"'s writers.
Orchestrated with zest by frequent director Alan Crosland Jr., "Night Of The Torture Chamber" benefits from a brisk pace as well as some fine action sequences including a street fight with a pack of thugs that ranks among the most exciting of the series. A well-cast Henry Beckman effectively plays both the kidnapped governor as well as his nervous double. Also noteworthy is the return of the duplicitous secretary to the governor, Miss Piecemeal played by Sigrid Valdis. Previously seen working in the same office in "The Night The Wizard Shook The World" for Dr. Loveless, Miss Piecemeal apparently is an evil secretary for hire. Ross Martin has fun assuming the guise of a stuffy French art appraiser who dupes the villainous Prof. Bolt into thinking his prized collection is one big pile of forgeries. Alfred Ryder, playing art-hungry professor may not be quite among the best of the WWW villains, but this does little to de-value what is otherwise a genuinely entertaining episode.
Orchestrated with zest by frequent director Alan Crosland Jr., "Night Of The Torture Chamber" benefits from a brisk pace as well as some fine action sequences including a street fight with a pack of thugs that ranks among the most exciting of the series. A well-cast Henry Beckman effectively plays both the kidnapped governor as well as his nervous double. Also noteworthy is the return of the duplicitous secretary to the governor, Miss Piecemeal played by Sigrid Valdis. Previously seen working in the same office in "The Night The Wizard Shook The World" for Dr. Loveless, Miss Piecemeal apparently is an evil secretary for hire. Ross Martin has fun assuming the guise of a stuffy French art appraiser who dupes the villainous Prof. Bolt into thinking his prized collection is one big pile of forgeries. Alfred Ryder, playing art-hungry professor may not be quite among the best of the WWW villains, but this does little to de-value what is otherwise a genuinely entertaining episode.