What makes it different from others?

ridiculous rating

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

A Universal-International classic starring Richard Greene as Sir Ronald Burton, who is searching for two of his friends at the rambling Austrian estate of Count von Bruno (Stephen McNally), who hides the fact he is displeased with the British government for setting natives against him in colonial Africa. Burton fears that his friends are victims of Bruno, who is obviously planning something dark for Burton. Count Bruno's henchmen stand in the way of the daring Burton, who wants to runaway with nonetheless, the Countess Elga von Bruno (Paula Corday).A costume drama directed by Nathan H. Juran. Released in Sweden ten days before its American debut, Christmas 1952. Kudos for cinematography by Irving Glassberg. The very talented cast also features: Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr., Michael Pate, John Hoyt, Tudor Owen and Nancy Valentine.

In my opinion, this film is an underrated horror classic. Fans of mysteries and thrillers should be able to enjoy this creepy film easily. The movie is deeply Gothic and over all a scary film.As others have mentioned, the film is reminiscent of the 1932 film classic "The Most Dangerous Game". The chase, the hunt, the thrills are are similar yet the two films are completely different from one another.If you like movies with spooky old castles/homes, a Gothic atmosphere, elaborate costuming & sets, a good cast, horror, thrillers, and a good mystery then you should like "The Black Castle" because this film has it all.This is one of those movies that is excellent to watch late at night - in particular on a dark and stormy night! 9/10

Richard Greene plays Sir Ronald Burton, who goes to the "black castle" of evil Count Karl Von Bruno(played by Stephen McNally) whom he suspects of murdering his two friends. He meets the Count's attractive wife Elga, who had been forced to marry him. Naturally, they fall in love, and are aided by Dr. Meissen(played by Boris Karloff) who does all he can to help, but they are found out, leading them to take drastic actions... Lon Chaney Jr. costars as hulking servant Gargon, who tends to a pit of alligators in the Count's dungeons. Mediocre film quite similar to "The Strange Door", which also wasted Karloff in a small role, and likewise may make a suitable double-feature on a rainy day, but that's all.

The best thing -- and that's pretty good -- about The Black Castle is that it's a black-and- white Forties' Gothic grabber featuring a murderous mad count which was somehow made in 1952. The star ostensibly is the British actor Richard Greene, a capable leading man who reminds me of an earlier version of Roger Moore. The villain is a mad count played by Stephen McNally, who does a credible job except when he's called on to laugh maniacally. Skulking around in the shadows is a long-gowned Boris Karloff in a decidedly secondary role of an aged doctor who may or may not be the salvation of our hero. It's the middle of the 18th Century in Austria and Sir Ronald Burton (Greene) is determined to find out what happened to two close friends. They disappeared in the vicinity of the castle belonging to Count Karl von Bruno (McNally), deep in the Black Forest. It seems that Sir Ronald and his friends had been instrumental in defeating a brutal plan of von Bruno's in Africa three years previously involving slavery and ivory. The Count was left not only with failure, but with a scar on his face and a black patch he now wears to cover a ruined eye. von Bruno vowed revenge, and it seems he might have been partially successful. So under a false name, Sir Ronald arranges for a hunting invitation from the Count, and off we go by carriage through a dark journey of storm and howling wolves to the Count's castle. It's a hulking mass of stone turrets and corridors, shadowy stairways, huge fireplaces...and creepy passages that lead to dank dungeon cells, a torture chamber and a great pit filled with snapping, thrashing crocodiles. It also is filled by the Count's lovely, blond, sensitive wife, Elga (Paula Corday, who sometimes is billed as Rita Corday), and by the Count's two close friends played by those two actors we know from the Fifties who specialized in being slime in costume, John Hoyt and Michael Ansara. There is a dangerous leopard hunt, forbidden kisses, knuckling servants, wooden signs creaking and swaying in the cold wind and poison in a cup. Not the least, Doctor Meissen (Karloff) has a special vial filled with a drug which will so slow the bodily functions that death will seem to have occurred. The risk is that...well, when the person awakes ten hours later, he'd better hope he's not already nailed shut in his coffin. Surprisingly, for all the clichés, The Black Castle keeps moving merrily along. The movie takes itself seriously, but it's competently enough made to keep our interest, even if we wind up sitting back with a smile while we watch. It's even reassuring in a way to realize there are strong echoes of The Most Dangerous Game. When Burton realizes just how crazy von Bruno is, he becomes even more determined to bring von Bruno to accounts. And, naturally, he has fallen for Elga. von Bruno, crazed by vengeance yet crafty and capable, is a man who loves the hunt and is engorged by the kill. Hollywood's second creative rule has always been, "If you're going to steal, steal from the best." It's first creative rule, of course, is "If you're going to steal, steal from the best and then turn it into liverwurst." The Black Castle is a nice bite of Austrian braunschweiger.