Two reporters, one American and one British, have their train car (not the train itself) accidentally diverted into the tiny country of Gudavia where their arrival causes excitement. Once there they eventually discover nefarious goings on performed by the evil Boronski, namely subjecting people to gamma rays to make them brainy or brain-dead. It sounds strange and it is but I found it enjoyable and watched all the way through. It starts off like Ruritanian comedy then moves into a more sinister direction. There are some creepy scenes, comic scenes and dramatic scenes. There is a classic in there somewhere but unfortunately it didn't come out.
The reporters, Paul Douglas as Mike Wilson and Leslie Phillips as Howard Meade are chalk and cheese but actually they make a plausible pairing. Philip Leaver is good as the chief of police with the elaborate headgear and Michael Caridia as the boy Hugo is quite scary. Eva Bartok is adequate but Rosalie Crutchley gives another good intense performance. Walter Rilla makes a fine villain but is not in it enough.
There are two scenes that impressed me a lot. The first is when the reporters hear a child playing the piano really well and on seeing her they are delighted with her skills but hovering over her is Hugo and it becomes apparent that the child hates being a brilliant player and when she makes a mistake Hugo berates her in a cruel fashion. What began as a charming scene develops into something a lot darker. The other scene is the carnival where amidst the revelry is drama and danger. The carnival is also wonderfully edited by Jack Slade.
All in all an odd one but worth seeing nevertheless.
The reporters, Paul Douglas as Mike Wilson and Leslie Phillips as Howard Meade are chalk and cheese but actually they make a plausible pairing. Philip Leaver is good as the chief of police with the elaborate headgear and Michael Caridia as the boy Hugo is quite scary. Eva Bartok is adequate but Rosalie Crutchley gives another good intense performance. Walter Rilla makes a fine villain but is not in it enough.
There are two scenes that impressed me a lot. The first is when the reporters hear a child playing the piano really well and on seeing her they are delighted with her skills but hovering over her is Hugo and it becomes apparent that the child hates being a brilliant player and when she makes a mistake Hugo berates her in a cruel fashion. What began as a charming scene develops into something a lot darker. The other scene is the carnival where amidst the revelry is drama and danger. The carnival is also wonderfully edited by Jack Slade.
All in all an odd one but worth seeing nevertheless.