THE SPANIARD’S CURSE (1958)
Article 2203 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 3-28-2007
Posting Date; 8-24-2007
Directed by Ralph Kemplen
Featuring Tony Wright, Lee Patterson, Michael Hordern

A man framed for murder proclaims a curse on those responsible for his situation. Then the jury foreman who found him guilty dies in a freak accident. Some of the people involved begin an investigation into whether the sentenced man is innocent or not.

The basic vengeance motif of a condemned man seeking justice through a curse is pretty standard stuff, but the way the story unfolds is quite interesting, and for a while the movie looks like its going to be a better-than-average take on the story. Unfortunately, once the investigation gets underway, the movie becomes a disappointingly dull mystery, hampered by static direction and turgid pacing. Things do start to pick up again towards the end, but I didn’t think it really saved the movie. It’s a bit of a shame; there’s some interesting touches to the story, such as a subplot about a pickpocket and a good sequence involving a church cemetery. I just wish the movie had added some energy to the proceedings; it could have been a really decent thriller.