i must have seen a different film!!

good back-story, and good acting

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Lon Chaney, Jr (Alex Gregor), Evelyn Ankers (Maura Daniel), Milburn Stone (George Keene), Tala Birrell (Valerie Monet), Elena Verdugo (Nina), Martin Kosleck (Rudi), Douglass Dumbrille (inspector), Arthur Hohl (inebriated contestant), Pauline Drake (Mabel), Dennis Moore (announcer), William Haade (policeman), Leyland Hodgson (doctor).Director: HAROLD YOUNG. Screenplay: Bernard Schubert, Luci "Quick- Draw" Ward. Story: Henry Sucher (also adaptation), Harrison Carter. Photography: Paul Ivano. Film editor: Fred Feitshans, Jr. Art directors: John B. Goodman and Abraham Grossman. Set decorator: Russell A. Gausman. Costumes designed by Vera West. Sound recording supervisor: Bernard B. Brown. Associate producer: Will Cowan.Copyright 20 November 1944 by Universal. New York opening at the Rialto: 27 July 1945. U.S. release: 29 June 1945. U.K. release: 1 October 1945. Australian release: 19 April 1945. 5,568 feet. 61 minutes. SYNOPSIS: A professional hypnotist fears he has the will to kill.NOTES: This Universal series commenced with Calling Dr Death in 1943. It was followed by Weird Woman, Dead Man's Eyes, The Frozen Ghost (all 1944), Strange Confession, Pillow of Death (both 1945), and Inner Sanctum (1948). The first six films all starred Lon Chaney, Jr. The seventh film, starring Mary Beth Hughes and Charles Russell, was a Film Classics release that is currently available on an Alpha DVD. (Universal DVD box set of six titles rates 9 out of ten).COMMENT: Fourth of the seven "Inner Sanctum Mysteries", "The Frozen Ghost" is much more entertaining than the odd title might suggest, thanks largely to the inventive direction of Harold Young. The story itself is not all that involving. Anyone who is genuinely surprised by the various twists and turns of the complicated plot has obviously not sat through too many of these "B" delights. What makes "The Frozen Ghost" entertaining is not the script, nor even the wooden "acting" of cult hero, Lon Chaney, Jr. (who is actually more animated than usual), but the cast of seasoned players led by such lights as Evelyn Ankers, Elena Verdugo, Tala Birell and particularly Douglass Dumbrille, who easily steals the acting honors. I love all Dmbrille's scenes, whereas Martin Kosleck, who seems ideally cast, disappoints. Paul Ivano's lighting photography is not up to scratch either.

The sudden death of a drunken participant in his hypnosis act has brooding Lon Chaney Jr. looking for a new gig and moving onto a wax museum where a slew of sinister characters who seem to have something rotten going on the moment you see them. Chaney dumps assistant girlfriend Evelyn Ankers and finds himself torn between two exotic women, alluring Elena Verdugo and her aunt, Tala Birell, but in his state of hypnotic power, he discovers that he seemingly has the ability to kill with just a simple stare. One of the truly camp moments in film happens when wax museum designer Martin Kosleck goes around to his creations, treating each of them like a spoiled little girl would treat her dolly collection. Kosleck is a disgraced plastic surgeon whose life like statues are treated like his patients might have been. It's obvious where these plot ideas came from, even though a later film version of what inspired this is much more famous.Joining the series line-up of tough, determined police detectives is the ruthless Douglas Dumbrille whose interest in culture is exposed by lines like "Lead on, McDuff!" Kosleck, as sinister villain as there ever was, proves himself an expert knife thrower as he deals with his involvement in the mystery in evil and sinister ways. The overly convoluted plot line just gets so bizarre that the idea of accepting the fantastic elements just goes way off track. Still, there are enough amusing and thrilling elements to keep you involved, even though all the while, you might be saying to yourself, "Oh, brother."

One of the better Inner Sanctum Mysteries, THE FROZEN GHOST is directed by Harold Young and stars Lon Chaney Jr. A famous radio hypnotist Alex Gregor (Chaney) is guilt ridden after an audience member dies accidentally during a broadcast. Gregor "The Great" is so despondent he breaks off his engagement to his assistant Maura (Evelyn Ankers) and refuses to perform again. His business manager George Keane (Milburn Stone) gets him a small job with a wax museum. A mentally unstable sculptor Rudi (Martin Kosleck) becomes jealous of Alex and the attention he gets from the museum's owner Valarie Monet (Tala Birell) and her niece Nina (Elena Verdugo). When Mme. Monet disappears, Gregor desperately walks away and Rudi castes suspicion. Miss Maura appears to champion her former love. Douglass Dumbrille rounds out the cast as Inspector Brant.

After a promising start with Calling Dr. Death (1943), Universal's Inner Sanctum series hits near bottom with this turkey. Mentalist Gregor (Chaney) uses his hypnotic powers to read minds, which makes for a good stage act until he goes bonkers over a subject's accidental death. From then on events pile up in no particular order or reason. The only requirement appears that whatever the four writers come up with, it has to happen inside the cheesy wax museum where notorious villains of the past slouch around like department store manikins. I guess they're supposed to be scary. But that's hard to tell since director Young appears to have no discernible purpose in what he puts on-screen. The final product plays like it's assembled from 5-dollar odds and ends inside a single tacky set.And that's too bad, because it's a waste of an outstanding supporting cast-- Dumbrille and Kosleck, Ankers and Birell. One thing about this series—it sure has its share of classy dames. However, part of the series' problem is a miscast Chaney. His hulking frame is not exactly the dress-up, lover-boy type. Yet his role in the series has him playing intellectual, irresistible types from one entry to the next. No doubt the studio was hoping to promote the films with his Wolf Man reputation. Also, note that he's not appearing with any body make-up as he does in so many of his other horror features. I wouldn't be surprised he had that written into his contract, maybe in hopes of elevating his career out of the horror genre. As a result, the scariest thing he does here is stare into the camera for bleary-eyed close-ups. Thus, about the only reason to scope out this disappointing 60-minutes is to catch Chaney in a Clark Gable moustache.