A criminal mastermind responsible for a series of murders has London on edge. Police have no suspects and the victims appear to be chosen randomly. Criminologist Edmond Bancroft takes great pleasure in being a thorn in Scotland Yard’s side, pointing out their shortcomings in his articles. Bancroft is a particularly loathsome individual who not only mocks the authorities but finds women insufferable. The only person he really tolerates is his assistant Rick, who aids him in his Black Museum, a chamber of horrors filled with prominent criminal figures. Rick does as he is told, but may be too attached to that girlfriend of his. Will Bancroft identify the murderer before the police and how long will this reign of terror last?

American Independent Pictures (AIP) was a leading distributor of low-budget horror and exploitation titles of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. They scored hits with producer Herman Cohen and his teen-driven films I Was A Teenage Werewolf and I Was A Teenage Frankenstein (both 1957), so it was an obvious match for his follow-up Horrors of the Black Museum (1959). Unlike his previous efforts, Horrors would be shot in color and Cinemascope, which provides higher production values. The success of this picture paved the way for Roger Corman’s series of widescreen Poe pictures starring Vincent Price.

Directed by Arthur Crabtree (Fiend without a Face), working from a script he co-wrote with Aben Kandel (Konga), the story carries a mean-spirited tone with its infamous opening murder. A woman receives binoculars in the mail, but when she places them to her eyes, daggers pop out, killing her! This is the most famous kill in a string of creative murders that are particularly impressive given the era of filming. Critics lambasted the picture for its cynical tone, but audiences proved more enthusiastic.

Michael Gough (The Phantom of the Opera, 1962), best known to contemporary audiences as Alfred, the butler in Tim Burton’s Batman movies, steps away from his nice guy image to play the devilish wretch Edmond Bancroft with scene-chewing relish. Gough played his share of bastards, but Bancroft is particularly despicable and he is absolutely wonderful! June Cunningham (Strange Affection) gives as good as she gets from Bancroft as his sort-of girlfriend, Joan, who is using him for his money. There are a pair of familiar faces in the cast, most notably Geoffrey Keen (Taste the Blood of Dracula) as Supt. Graham. Keen appeared in six James Bond films as the Minister of Defense. Shirley Ann Field (Peeping Tom) appears as Angela Banks, the woman who pushes her way into Bancroft’s affairs.

Horrors of the Black Museum has one of the worst marketing campaigns I have ever seen. Despite the film concealing the killer’s identity for an hour, the trailer tells us almost immediately. This pattern continues to the plot synopsis on the back of this Blu-ray release, which spills the beans in the second sentence! To give this film a fair shake, DO NOT watch the trailer or read the back of the disc before watching.

Horrors of the Black Museum is an enjoyable B-movie that revels in its bleak message of the public’s fascination with death. It has enjoyed a cult following for many years and remains an engaging picture, which will likely please today’s more sophisticated audiences.