The Dark Tower (1943)

The Mesmerising Menace. The Dark Tower is directed by John Harlow and is adapted to screenplay by Brock Williams from the play George S. Kaufman and Alexander Woollcott. It stars Ben Lyon, Anne Crawford, David Farrar, Herbert Lom and William Hartnell. Music is by Jack Beaver and cinematography by Otto Heller. A failing circus employs a mysterious hypnotist to boost the coffers, which with his skills working superbly makes the show a huge success. However, as Torg (Lom) begins to realise his worth to the show, and starts to make designs on the leading lady of the high-wire act, things quickly turn nasty... The play of the same name had already been adapted to the big screen in 1934, where titled as "The Man with Two Faces" it was directed by Archie Mayo and starred Edward G. Robinson. Here this version differs, but on core principals the story remains thematically the same. It's not a particularly strong plot, with it being a variation on the Svengali story, it never really breaks free of safe narrative projection. Yet it's well constructed by Harlow and in fourth billed Lom (the acting highlight by some distance) the pic has a character to really boo and hiss at. Comic relief comes in the form of Frederick Burtwell and Elsie Wagstaff as a married couple dominated by the wife, while all the various circus acts we see, notably Crawford's high-wire hypnotised balancing act (well shot for breath holding rewards), are hugely enjoyable - even if some come off as padded filler. Having the talents of Heller on photography duties is a plus point, he knows how to light a scene for atmospheric gain, though he would be seen at his noirish best in "Queen of Spades (1949)". While of note is that ace Hammer Horror director Terence Fisher is on editing duty here, though he certainly was a better director than an editor... It's no must see unless you be a fan of the stars, mainly Lom in this instance, but in spite of a daft revelation at pic's end, this is above average and holds its own as a competent circus based thriller. 6/10

Herbert Lom is superbly pervasive in this drama about the hypnotic "Torg", who alights on a struggling circus run by "Phil" (Ben Lyon) and his brother "Tom" (David Farrar). He introduces them to a game-changing acrobatic act that soon has the crowds turning up in droves. As success starts to come, "Torg" seeks more from the pair, and from his high-flying partner "Mary" (Anne Crawford) and when they start resisting his demands, things start to take a some distinctly threatening turns. At times, it's got a really effective feel to it, this film - the cast work well together and Lom really has an eeriness and creepiness about his personality that exudes as good a degree of menace as I've seen in ages. Unfortunately, though, the dialogue is poor as is the overall pace of the story - far too many distracting circus routines and romantic sub-plots that drag it down when "Korn" isn't driving the storyline. Pity. Had John Harlow focussed more on his best asset - the nasty and increasingly egregious character we could have had a better film. Still, it is a good watch.