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A 17th-century aristocrat called Sir Richard Fordyke (JOHN TURNER) returns to his country estate in Devon with his new bride Elizabeth (HEATHER SEARS). But all is not well because people including his horseman Black John (FRANCIS DE WOLFE) are shunning him. Fordyke soon discovers from his accountant Seymour (PETER ARNE) that a farm girl called Lucy Judd (EDINA RONAY) was raped and murdered in the woods and that just before she died she named Fordyke as the culprit. This is impossible because Fordyke had been in London for the past three months and the superstitious locals are inevitably spreading rumours of witchcraft and devilry. Three years ago, Fordyke's first wife Anne committed suicide by throwing herself out of a top floor window and the locals claim that they have seen him on horseback at night (while he was supposedly away) being chased by a ghostly woman dressed in white uttering cries of "murderer". They believe the woman to be the ghost of Anne as her voice resembles the deceased. This sparks off a number of supernatural happenings. For instance, a new horse saddle arrives for Sir Richard with Anne's name engraved on it and the maker insists that Fordyke came into his shop and ordered it personally. Meanwhile, Fordyke begins to see the alleged ghost of his late wife prowling the grounds at night. Two more murders follow and Elizabeth and Fordyke must find out the truth behind the sinister goings-on before disastrous consequences could ruin their lives...

THE BLACK TORMENT is one of the most striking British horror films ever made. Robert-Hartford-Davies (in my opinion) is an unfairly maligned director. It is true that he was often lumbered with inferior films, but this is quite a literate little film and he recreates the 17th-century period with great delicacy. Another work of note from this director is INCENCE FOR THE DAMNED (1972: aka BLOODSUCKERS), this was a promising adaptation of a vampire novel by Simon Raven. Alas, the picture was marred by production problems and Davies had his name removed from it and was credited as Michael Burrowes. When you watch that film you can see some of the scars from those troubles, but there really was an intelligent movie itching to get out there. In THE BLACK TORMENT, the setting of the story by Donald and Derek Ford (they penned the spirited Holmes vs the Ripper yarn A STUDY IN TERROR) beautifully suits the Gothic overtones of the picture and the costumes and set-work are exemplary, while the music of Robert Richards is also sympathetic to the proceedings. The film may be set back by some occasionally laughably over-the-top acting that you'd like to laugh, but it contains some of the most striking Gothic visuals that rival producers Hammer and Amicus could never quite recreate and this is more than enough compensation for any flaws it might suffer from. Peter Newbrook's subtle lighting contains sinister moonlight blues with evil yellow candles flickering in the background as the tortured Elizabeth confronts the madman at the climax and every still of Newbrook's could be hung up on the wall of every any gallery! There is another splendidly Gothic sequence which stands out in the memory when Fordyke is pursued through the moonlit forest by the ghostly Anne (who looks truly supernatural in a shiny white dress) crying "murderer". Hartford-Davies's choice of gaudy camera-work and fuzzy echoing sound ensured that the audience of 1965 was well and truly kept on the edge of their seats.

Though owing a bit to the Gothic tradition of Hammer Horror, this British ghost story is actually more attuned to the cycle made in this vein and running parallel to it emanating from Italy. Apart from the color scheme (courtesy of cinematographer Peter Newbrook, later director of the literate horror film THE ASPHYX {1972}) and languid pace, obvious links include the haunted protagonist (with many a skeleton in his family closet), the innocent heroine, the killing spree, the apparitions (which are usually revealed to be far closer to home and reality than one could have foreseen), etc.

Leading lady Heather Sears had just appeared in Hammer's underrated version of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1962). Her male counterpart, John Turner (and resembling John Payne quite a bit actually), was new to me but he certainly left an impression - making for one of the most irascible heroes in any film, constantly blowing his top at everyone and everything, sometimes without provocation!; indeed, the whole unfolds at a somewhat hysterical pitch which seems to be an idiosyncrasy of the director. As it happens, this is one of a handful of interesting genre efforts from him: the others are CORRUPTION (1968), THE FIEND aka BEWARE, MY BRETHREN (1972) - both of which I am familiar with - and the as-yet-unwatched BLOODSUCKERS aka INCENSE FOR THE DAMNED (1972); for the record, I also own and still need to check out his star-studded comedy THE SANDWICH MAN (1966). Anyway, also on hand here are Peter Arne (seemingly devoted to the estate's invalid master and his son but unsurprisingly proving to be villainous), Patrick Troughton (as Turner's stable-master), Raymond Huntley (as a seasoned Colonel also serving as Magistrate in the community) and Francis de Wolff (as a stout blacksmith who acts gruffly and confrontationally towards Turner upon the latter's return from abroad with a second wife over a series of apparent hauntings/murders).

The hero's father is cared for by the sister (Ann Lynn) of Turner's first bride - who, it seems committed suicide by leaping from a window because she could not produce a male heir (again, this alone should immediately alert one to her role in the elaborate revenge scheme!). Another party who comes into play towards the end is a man who is the spitting image of the hero, a twin whom the old man kept institutionalized (he is repeatedly described as an "imbecile") and a secret to everybody, but who was 'reclaimed' for their own devious ends once Arne and Lynn take control of the household following their master's debilitating condition; with this in mind, the family tree (called "Bible"!?) and motto (which pretty much conditioned the extreme actions of Turner's late spouse) have much to do with the proceedings. As I said, we get a number of motiveless murders of wayward wenches, as well as one that is clearly premeditated (the old man is found hanging from a chandelier after his empty wheelchair has come crashing down the stairs!) - not to mention eerie sightings outside the window, with the 'phantom' even giving chase to the cry of "Murderer" and, for the grand finale, a gun-shot wound to the face plus a rather well-choreographed swordfight!

Some viewers may not even refer to this as a horror film. It's more of a Gothic mystery with elements of horror, particularly the Hammer films, several of the Vincent Price American International films, and certainly Italian and German thrillers of the 1960's, particularly the Mario Bava films from Italy.

British nobleman John Turner is returning home with his much younger bride (Heather Sears), a sweet and completely innocent young lady unprepared for what she will find. At first, all goes well, but changes in her husband's behavior and his sudden reappearances after allegedly leaving. The presence of the pretty but seemingly cold Ann Lynn casts a shadow over the marriage until Sears realizes a shocking truth.

Hopefully you can find a print of this in the magnificent quality I did because the colors are vivid and every detail is stunning. There are quite a few slow points in the film, but films of this type require sharp detail. I've seen this plotline in various forms, most notably Boris Karloff's 1935 forgotten classic, "The Black Room". This is a 60's discovery that is worthy of classic status.

After a three-month absence, Sir Richard Fordyce and his new bride return to his estate under a black cloud. A young woman who lived on his lands was brutally raped and murdered just two days prior to his return. Her last words seemed to accuse Sir Richard of being the culprit. In addition, several of the locals report seeing Sir Richard's dead first wife chasing him through the village on horseback yelling "Murderer!" Sir Richard is at a loss to explain these strange events. He has been more than 100 miles away for months. Is it witchcraft or something equally sinister? As the dead bodies begin to pile-up, Sir Richard must discover the truth to keep his tenants from revolting and losing his new wife.

What Works:

• The Opening. The movie begins with a woman we know nothing about running through the forest frantically trying to escape an unseen assailant. Unfortunately, she doesn't make it. This scene provides a wonderful opening and a lot of promise for The Black Torment. There is some real tension and atmosphere in this scene. It's a shame the rest of the movie couldn't be as good as the first five minutes..

• Other Set-Pieces. Other than the opening, there are a couple of other set-pieces that work reasonably well. The ending features a twist and a showdown that are nice. Nothing spectacular, just nice. But the best set-pieces are the ones featuring the dead first wife. The sight of the shrouded woman either lurking through the garden or riding a horse through the forest was a treat to a fan of Gothic horror like me.

What Doesn't Work:

• The Cast. I can't think of one member of the cast that I enjoyed watching. The actors are unappealing and the characters they play are unlikable. The worst are the two leads - Heather Sears as the new wife and John Turner as Sir Richard. I didn't think it was possible for two people to annoy me as much as these two do. Every time either opened their mouth it was like fingernails on a chalkboard. I really wish the killer could have gotten hold of their necks.

• Talk, Talk, Talk. In between the bits of horror, The Black Torment turns into an incredibly inane melodrama. Now it's not that I mind melodrama as long as it's done well, but much of this is painful to watch.

• The Stupidity of Sir Richard. The character of Sir Richard has to be one of the dumber characters put on film. Had he stopped yelling at everyone long enough, solving the mystery would have been easy. Instead, every little thing seems to unrealistically upset him and send him off half-cocked. A little rational thinking on the part of Sir Richard could have cut the runtime of The Black Torment in half.

To say that I was disappointed in The Black Torment would be an understatement. The plot description I had read across the internet made the movie sound like an undiscovered Gothic gem. And while a few bits of the horror were fun to watch watch, these moments seem to be enjoyable almost by accident when compared with the bulk of the movie. The ideas for a good movie are here, but, unfortunately, neither the script nor the actors were able to turn The Black Torment into one.

Sir Richard Fordyke (John Turner) is a nobleman who returns to the family manor with his new bride, Elizabeth (Heather Sears), after some time in London. He soon hears disquieting reports about the locals seeing him running around, pursued by a female figure that resembles his late first wife. He also hears that "he" could very well be responsible for some rapes & murders that have occurred. Sir Richard must ponder the idea that there could be some sort of conspiracy to drive him mad.

As produced & directed by Robert Hartford-Davis, "The Black Torment" is a very handsome film, with meticulous set design, and gorgeous cinematography by Peter Newbrook. It's at least good enough to compare favourably with the kind of thing that Hammer Studios always did so well. The story, by Derek and Donald Ford, is not a great one but it's a reasonably absorbing one, keeping the viewers' attention to see how things will be resolved. Unfortunately, it has no real surprises in store. That is a shame considering how much atmosphere and tension that Hartford-Davis is able to generate.

The acting is superb right down the line. Ms. Sears is a very beautiful and appealing leading lady, while Turner delivers a performance of incredible intensity (this guy sure does a lot of shouting). Ann Lynn, Peter Arne, Norman Bird, Raymond Huntley, Francis De Wolff, Joseph Tomelty, and Patrick Troughton offer very fine support. Tomelty has a particularly interesting role as the crippled patriarch who is now obliged to communicate through the use of sign language.

The film does manage to be consistently entertaining, with a fairly rousing sword fight at the end.

Seven out of 10.

Though made at Shepperton Studios, this film follows the Hammer style rather closely, down to casting two Hammer film alumni, Heather Sears and Patrick Troughton from Phantom of the Opera.

The period details are nicely rendered with lots of attention to small details like candle snuffing and moving a carriage up a rather steep incline. The costumes also look nice as does the beautiful estate where the action takes place. Unfortunately, that's the best this movie has going for it.

Spoilers Ahead!!! Opening with a scene straight out of numerous Hammer horror films, a buxom young lady is chased through the woods at night by a shadowy killer. This scene is well done and has a jolting conclusion. The rest of the film slows down considerably with a rather tedious plot about someone trying to discredit and possibly drive Sir Richard mad. I've seen a few of these types of films before, and it quickly became apparent who was behind the plot. Once you see that supernatural forces are not at play, the list of suspects is very short indeed. The ending picks up a bit with not one but two late in the movie plot twists and a sword fight.

Lead actor John Turner tends to over emote in his later scenes as he receives shock after shock in the (overly) elaborate plot to drive him mad. He starts chewing scenery and pretty much blows poor Heather Sears, in a nicely understated performance, off the screen, and I don't mean that in a good way. The supporting actors all do nicely, I just wish they had been given more to do.

If you're looking for a Gothic style murder mystery with supernatural overtones, you could do much worse, but you could stick with a Hammer film like Hound of the Baskervilles and do much better.

To brag about the film: the sets, costuming, the overall look and feel to the film everything is beautiful. Lots of eye candy for those that enjoy Gothic atmosphere.

***************Spoiler***************** The disappointment: In the end of the film Sir Richard was not shocked at all to find out he had a murderous look-alike brother that was kept secret from him all these years. He seemed like he did not care at all nor was he surprised.

I agree with another reviewer that Sir Richard was ill-tempered almost all the time and could have solved this mystery early on in the movie if he was calm and used his thinking skills. Apparently Sir Richard had the same uneven temperament his grandfather had -- while his twin(?) brother had the same anger problem plus the mental derangement of his grandfather. ************************************

This movie had the potential to be an excellent film - I think it needed a bit more work on the script and character development. The movie is still worth watching if you like Gothic "ghost" stories and mysteries.

6.5/10

Made by Compton Films, directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and written by Derek and Donald Ford. I watched this because those three men also made one of the wildest British horror movies, Corruption, which we all know is not a woman's picture.

It feels like British filmmakers trying to make an Italian film, as it starts with Lucy Judd (Edina Ronay) being chased through the woods by a black hooded figure and strangled. We then meet Sir Richard Fordyke (John Turner) and his new bride Elizabeth (Heather Sears) who have come to town so that she may meet her father-in-law Sir Giles Fordyke (Joseph Tomelty). She worries about her first impression, but his father has been weakened by a stroke and can only speak sign language, which can only be understood by his first wife's sister Diane (Ann Lynn). And oh yeah - Anne killed herself a few years ago when she was told she couldn't get pregnant. Oh these British upper-crust families and their horrific family trees!

When they finally get there, everyone - from villagers to family - treats them with cold eyes and whispers, because the rumor is that Richard killed Lucy, even if he was far away in London at the time. Witchcraft is in town and the Fordykes are said to be the cause. In fact, there are reports of Richard riding his horse about the village while the dead Anne follows him shouting "Murderer!"

Obviously, someone is trying to destroy Richard. But who? And why?

If you enjoy period dramas with a bit of the supernatural thrown in, well, this is certainly for you. I love that Hartford-Davis would go on to direct a toy tie-in movie, Gonks Go Beat, as well as School for Unclaimed Girls, Incense for the Damned and The Fiend.

Enjoyable to watch as the characters are rational, real people we can engage with, and the costumes, horses and scenery are great to see. But there are lots of shots of the outside of the house with its many sash windows with three panes of glass horizontally. Inside, the window that the first wife jumps out of is a casement window, symmetrical, which must have the same number of of panes each side. We see lots of shots of that window so how come everyone ignores this? When we see workmen climbing up the outside to put bars on the window, but when we see the job done they are screwed to the inside.

When we learn that Sir Richard has an imbicile brother who is responsible for the supposed ghostly appearances of Sir Richard, we have to guess which appearance of the Sichard was real and which the imbicile brother. When Sir Richard tried to strangle his second wife, was that him or the imbicile brother. If it was him then he is a bit of a rogue anyway, if the brother then he did very well as an actor that even his wife didn't know that it wasn't her husband!

Sir Richard Fordyke returns to his family seat with his new bride Lady Elizabeth and soon strange events start to occur.Why do people accuse him of certain acts, who is the woman in white who haunts him and who is murdering young women on the estate? It doesn't take much guessing to work out the answers but this is a surprisingly gripping film from director Robert Hartford-Davis with lots of gothic atmosphere enhanced by good cinematography from Peter Newbrook and lovely art direction from Allan Harris. A fine low budget well told tale.

The actors all perform well and the supporting cast includes welcome stalwarts of the 1960's British film industry including Ann Lynn, Peter Arne, Norman Bird,Francis De Wolff, Patrick Troughton and Joseph Tomelty, The latter is moving as the decrepit Sir Giles Fordyke. John Turner is OK as Sir Richard but the part needed a stronger actor. Heather Sears as Lady Elizabeth doesn't have much to do as the sympathetic wife but does look beautiful in her period costume.

Somewhere between Hammer's period horrors and the Italian ghost shockers featuring Barbara Steele falls "The Black Torment". It's not very well known, but it does have a fairly good story, even if the delivery is a little flat.

The plot is fairly formulaic: nobleman Sir Richard Thorndyke and his new (second) wife Elizabeth return to the family mansion, only to be haunted by what seems to be the ghost of the first dead wife, walking around at night in a white dress and veil. The extra twist to this tale is that they are also being haunted by another Sir Richard - while he's still alive and well! There's also a wheelchair bound, crippled father who may be keeping a secret, and the murders of busty young wenches.

The acting is not great. John Turner really hams it up in the lead role, while Heather Sears makes a rather two dimensional heroine. What works best are the scenes where Sir Richard keeps being informed that he has been seen somewhere when he has not been anywhere near there. I really enjoyed these. The best was when Sir Richard departed down the house drive in a carriage, but as soon as Elizabeth turns around and walks back into the house, a servant tells her that Sir Richard is currently in the living room, and we can hear him through the door, shouting the place down! This is a great scene, and really racks up the bewilderment as the characters stare at the door and try to deduce which one is the real Richard. Very clever.

The climax does explain everything but it's pretty daft and there aren't enough suspects in the cast for the big reveal to be that much of a surprise. There's very little in the way of shocks, and zero blood and gore, but at least the rather bonkers story makes it worth seeing through to the end, to find out the explanation

When Richard Fordyke (John Turner) arrives back at his estate with his new bride Elizabeth (Heather Sears) he expects a warm welcome. What he gets is accusations of rape and murder. He's obviously none to pleased because he was miles away at the time. He starts seeing visions of his first wife Anne, in the grounds of his estate, but she committed suicide four years ago. Is he going mad like his father? When his father is murdered he finds out he has a brother he didn't know about, his brother is mad and has been masquerading as him.

Beautifully made, the biggest compliment I can make is that it looks like a Hammer film.

Gothic horror The Black Torment stars John Turner as Sir Richard Fordyke, who returns to his family estate with his new wife Lady Elizabeth (Heather Sears) to discover that, even though he was over 100 miles away in London at the time, the villagers believe him to be responsible for the recent murder of local girl Lucy Judd (seen being throttled in the opening sequence). Other strange occurrences drive Sir Richard to breaking point, including the ghostly appearance of his first wife Anne, who committed suicide because she was unable to produce an heir.

In the tradition of Hammer's gothic classics and many a Euro-horror, this production boasts oodles of eerie atmosphere and quite a few heaving bosoms. The mystery and suspense is well handled by director Robert Hartford-Davis (who also directed the excellent Corruption and the not-so-excellent Incense for the Damned), but it all falls apart in the final act when the truth is revealed, and the spooky stuff turns out to be a rather preposterous plot for revenge (involving Sir Richard's doppelganger imbecile brother) concocted by Anne's sister Diane (Ann Lynn) and her brother Seymour (Peter Arne), who hold Sir Richard accountable for Anne's death.

This film is set in the 18th century. Sir Richard Fordyke has just returned home from a long visit to London and he's brought with him a new bride. However, soon strange reports are brought to Sir Richard's attention--reports of him rampaging about the countryside committing various atrocities! There are also reports about his dead wife also riding about at night shouting 'murderer!'. Yet, this cannot be--as many of these incidents occurred during this London trip. And, after his return, more and more weird incidents happen. Soon, the locals are clamoring for justice--that the wicked Sir Richard be brought to trial for his sins.

The audience is never sure about what's happening until the end--and that makes this a very, very good story. You aren't sure is Richard is nuts or if he has an evil twin or if there are demons about or he has some odd doppelganger. All you know is that there is lots of room for doubt and you start to feel sorry for the guy. It makes for a very tense and very involving story--a fine Gothic horror film that you won't soon forget. Nice acting, a nice creepy mood and wonderful locales all help to make this a very nice film overall.

By the way, how is it that at the end, one of the characters was stabbed with a sword and there was no blood...none. Yet, they were wearing a WHITE outfit. Weird. Also, the plot, in MANY ways is like the Hugo episode from one of "The Simpsons" Halloween shows!

After a long stay in London, Sir Richard Fordyke returns to his ancestral seat, in the company of his new, much beloved bride. He expects a festive welcome but in fact many of his servants and tenants regard him with fear or disgust. Very much to his surprise, Sir Richard discovers that he's gaining a reputation as a criminal and/or a warlock...

A Gothic horror/mystery tale set in the 18th century, "The Black Torment" makes the best of the various opportunities afforded by aristocratic mansions, creaking stable doors, galloping stallions and ample costumes complete with capes and veils. There is also an array of muttering tenants and frightened servants, which is as it should be. (Personally I would have added an old gipsy woman offering to read Sir Richard's palm and then recoiling in fear, that's a classic too.) The clues may be over-obvious and the acting may be over-emphatic, but what the heck, I like it. It contains a number of creepy scenes and sinister twists - that scene with the hopeful saddlemaker is disquieting enough - and it ends with a wild, barnstorming duel. You can always wake me up for more of this.

Still, a small rebuke to Sir Richard on a matter of etiquette : a true gentleman always tells his second wife if the first one threw herself out of the window. It prevents future misunderstandings at charity bazaars and church fêtes.