Michael_Elliott
Strangler of the Swamp (1946) ** 1/2 (out of 4) PRC film, which is actually very well made and also received quite a bit of critical praise. The film tells the story of a small village out in the middle of a swamp that seems to be haunted by the ghost of an innocent man they hung years earlier. There's a lot of great things about this extremely low budget film but there's one big flaw and that's that the film runs 59-minutes and even that seems a tad bit long. There are several segments of the film where it becomes too talky while the most interesting aspects are forgotten about. What really makes this film stand out and makes it worth watching are the wonderful sets and the terrific atmosphere brought by the director. This thing is very thick in atmosphere so much so that at times you can feel the heat of the swamp all over your body. The mystery of the film is pretty well written and the ending is a major winner considering how most of these type films end.
Bucs1960
PRC which was the lowest of the low actually struck gold with this moody little thriller. They did the same thing a year earlier with "Detour" which is probably one of the finest low-budget films ever made."Strangler" is basically a one set film, filled with mist and shadows, a technique used by most poverty row studios to hide the sets, or lack thereof. But here, it works well. The ghost of Charles Middleton (better known as Ming the Merciless) lurches around the swamp killing those involved in his wrongful execution for murder and generates some sympathy from the viewer. His final victim is to be the daughter of the ferryman.....he concentrates his wrath not only on those directly involved in his fate but their relatives as well.Rosemary LaPlanche does her usual imitation of someone in a coma that passes for her acting style. She offers herself up to the strangler in order to put a stop to the killing but as a sop to the audience, the strangler sees the goodness of her gesture as a sign that his mission is complete and he returns to the hereafter, somewhat chastened. If Ulmer(who directed "Detour") has directed "Strangler" she would be hanging from the nearest tree and the strangler's job would be done. But who's complaining? It's not the story that is the major attraction but the shrouded sets, lighting and the general moodiness of the piece. It stands, right behind "Detour", as PRC's finest hour
docdespicable
It's really a pity more people haven't seen this little number from PRC - it has a tight story, good acting, amazing atmosphere, just everything so many of their features lack. The joke was, and in some cases remains, that PRC stood for Pretty Rank Crap (actually Producers Releasing Corporation). They kept Bela Lugosi from going hungry and delivered quite a list of entertainingly awful crud - I mean, they made Monogram look like MGM! Generally considered the studio where name actors went to pick up enough cash to pay off their bar tabs (which explains the presence of otherwise outstanding actors like J. Carroll Naish, John Carradine and George Zucco), by the law of averages, they were bound to hit the mark, once in a great while.And here, they do. Despite, or perhaps because of the obvious sound-stage set, the film has an atmosphere of unreality, a similar effect attained in "City of the Dead" (1960) by the same means. Both films have an almost Lovecraftian sense of foreboding. The core of the film's success can be attributed to the "Strangler" himself, character actor Charles Middleton, perhaps most known for his turns as Ming the Merciless in the "Flash Gordon" serials and his menace of Laurel & Hardy in several of their shorts and features.Please understand - "Strangler from the Swamp" is never going to give Hitchcock or the Val Lewton horror pictures a run for their money, but all in all, it is still a very satisfying film.And yes, that Blake Edwards is THAT Blake Edwards!
bensonmum2
Strangler of the Swamp is a surprisingly nice little poverty row thriller from PRC. While many of today's horror fans would find little to frighten, it's a wonderful example of creating atmosphere on a VERY limited budget.The movie concerns the ghost of a ferryman, seeking revenge for being unjustly hanged. He's out to get those who 'done him wrong'. My biggest problem with the story is that it gets away from the spooky swamp too often in favor of a love story. Had the movie concentrated more on the Strangler and the creepy swamp and less on the love story, Strangler of the Swamp would have been much better. The direction of Frank Wisbar is tight and he gets the most out of the limited funding he was given. One final note, the movie stars Blake Edwards (of Pink Panther fame) in an early role.Not the best, but better than many of the films PRC was cranking out in the 40s.
AD
