Film #138: THE FACE OF MARBLE

The Face of Marble
3 out of 5 stars
This creaky little tale of mad scientists, voodoo, bringing the dead back to life, and even spectral dogs is a mixed bag. Made in 1946 and directed by William Beaudine (BILLY THE KID VS DRACULA, BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA), the film offers a subdued John Carradine and a stern Robert Shayne (HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER) in one of the last – if not THE last – of Monogram’s horror movies. While the film runs short at 72 minutes, it still seems a tad long with a plot that never quite makes enough sense. Loaded with clichés and wild caricatures (Rosa Rey as the voodoo practicing maid and Willie Best as the bug-eyed black house servant are just two examples), THE FACE OF MARBLE never seems to find its stride. Is it a Frankenstein-inspired story of a scientist looking for the cure to death? Is it a tale of an over-protective maid who is willing to use her voodoo powers to ensure her mistress is happy… even if that means the killing of those around her? Is it a “big, dark house” picture? And what the hell is up with the ghost dog (hint: it ain’t Forrest Whittaker!)? Who cares? FACE manages to achieve a pleasant mood and keeps things just creepy enough to maintain its viewer’s interest. No blood. No gore. And all of the deaths happen off-screen. But still, THE FACE OF MARBLE is perfectly fine fare for late nights or early mornings when you want something comfortable -  but not too challenging – to watch. Safe for the kids, but I think they’ll get bored with the proceedings pretty quickly. John Carradine fans will dig this one as he plays a decent guy and, although he’s cast in the mad scientist role, he still far from “mad.” Flawed… but fun.