highwaytourist This is one of many films which is "inspired" by such films as "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte." It's also one of the less memorable ones. In it, a glamorous wealthy socialite (Zsa Zsa Gabor, ideally cast) dies in a fire under mysterious circumstances and the priceless diamond necklace she was wearing when she died has disappeared. Her little daughter witnessed the event and was traumatized and forgot. After several years in a convent for disturbed young people, her father (Don Ameche) brings her home along with his new wife (Martha Hyer), who was the daughter's governess when the fire occurred. Well, in the will, the daughter (Susan Gordon) was left virtually everything, but can't touch it until she turns 25. The father was largely left out of the will, which has damaged his marriage to the conniving, gold-digging new wife. Daddy is in such dire straights, he has to sell the furniture. He didn't even inherit the house, which was left to the government as a historical site. But if something were to happen to her, the money would go to someone else. Among the potential heirs is Gabor's creepy cousin (Maxwell Reed), who is also the caretaker and who was injured trying to save his cousin's life. So strange things start happening in the house, to the surprise no one. This was old hat as even back in 1966, but the house makes a good setting and there are a few creepy scenes and surprise twists. Problem is there aren't enough of them to sustain a feature-length film. Some of the acting works. Martha Hyer gives a credible performance as the wicked stepmother and Wendell Corey is dryly amusing as the cynical family lawyer settling the estate at the beginning of the film. While Zsa Zsa Gabor only has a minor role despite her prominent billing, she is the perfect choice to play the haughty and pampered socialite whose death is the center of the film. Call it a failure with a few bright moments here and there.

tamstrat This is one of those movies I saw as a young kid back in the late 60's that always stuck with me, so creepy when I was little and now that I am older it is just plain campy!!!! Susan Gordon overacts playing the demented daughter of Don Ameche and Zsa Zsa Gabor. Seems Susan comes out of a convent or was it a mental institution? Anyway, she's got major issues since her Mom burned to death in the family mansion. Now Daddy Warbucks has married her former nanny, sleazily played to the hilt by Martha Hyer. The nanny wants all of Daddy's money and is willing to do anything and anyone in order to get it. I love the scene where the toys are coming alive, pretty creepy stuff when you are 8 years old and not too bad now that I'm 43. Lot's of fun to watch and the ending comes as somewhat of a surprise. Enjoy.

Hoohawnaynay One of those low budget films that had lots of style. Filmed at the famous Doheny Mansion in Beverly Hills, opening scene has a horrendous bedroom fire consuming the dead body of Zsa Zsa Gabor. I first saw this in the 70's and being a teenage pyro I was fascinated by the fire sequences. Teenage girl Susan Gordon (Producer Bert Gordon's daughter) gets let out of a convent 7 years after her mother (Zsa Zsa) gets crispy in the previously mentioned fire. Seems the girl still has some issues and things get wierd after her dad (Don Ameche) brings her back to the house where it happened! (How tacky is that?) Enter her old nanny (Martha Hyer) who just wed Daddy Don Ameche. Seems Martha wants to get her hands on an old Diamond necklace Zsa Zsa reported missing before the fire. Seems Martha is a bit of a tramp and will let anyone grab a hold of her Double D cups that will tell her where the jewels are hidden. Dig the crazy scene where Susan scratches a portrait of Zsa Zsa and the picture starts to bleed! They don't make 'em like this anymore. Wendell Corey makes a rare appearance (right before he died) as a surly character who likes tormenting Susan with remarks about the fire like "it must be what hell is like" just to watch Susan twitch out big time. Great bit of film noir (even in color) this movie has lots of shadows, great photography & direction, even the scene where the bedroom is ablaze is photographed in an almost beautiful way with the flames towering up expensive drapes and ashed slowly cascading down. Great fun, it's on video I hope they put this film on DVD. Of course, anything with Zsa Zsa Gabor is a hoot, even though here she is essentially playing herself.

N. Eades-2 Martha Hyer, Don Ameche, and Zsa Zsa Gabor in a horror film?-- It's definitely cult material. The three stars give unusually good performances for this type of film, with the rest of the cast over and under-acting. Truly an unusual horror film, the plot of this haunted mansion-whodunit isn't as predictable as it would seem. It's hard to find, but worth it.