Jul 3, 2020

The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff (1973)


Jesús Franco made The Awful Dr. Orloff in 1962, and followed it up with numerous sequels over the decades  Since that film, there have been numerous sequels including The Sinister Doctor Orloff (1984) and even a remake of this film in 1986.  This one is conspicuously lacking Howard Vernon, but does feature the great Montserrat Prous and Loreta Tovar.


Melissa Comfort (Montserrat Prous) is a paraplegic, and has spent most of her life in bed, waking up screaming.  She had a tragic incident happen when she was young, that manifests as only a hazy memory of her bleeding father (played byJesús Franco).
  
 Her chainsmoking stepsister, Martha Comfort  (Loreta Tovar). They both live in Fisque Manor.



Martha catches Albert Mathews (José Manuel Martín), the house servant, eavesdropping.

 Martha and Lady Flora Comfort (Kali Hansa) decide they need to seek professional help for Melissa's mental well-being.

 Dr. Orloff (William Berger) is brought in to help.

 Orloff explains what happened to her father years ago.  Both he and her father were in love with her mother; Orloff ended up rejected.  Her father was later killed by having his throat cut.

Melissa, in a trance, is able to walk.  She kills rich Uncle Henry Robert Comfort  (Jaume Picas).


 She goes back to sleep and remembers none of it.

 Melissa sees her new neighbor.

Sweet Davey Brown  (Robert Woods) is her hippie rock star neighbor.

His girlfriend is played by Lina Romay 

When Melissa gets the news of her uncle's death, she passes out and can't be woken up.

 Ineffective and boring Inspector Crosby (Edmund Purdom) is on the case.

Orloff has a plan - to have Melissa in a hypnotic state kill off the Comfort family and it's house staff.  Martha and Flora are on board with this plan since it will mean that they get the uncle's inheritance.

 Flora carries the still-unconscious Melissa.


 They haul her to Orloff's lab.  Little do they know, their pop star neighbor is watching.


Albert rescues Melissa.

But Melissa's murderous trance state is activated and she kills him with a tire iron.

 Martha may be wearing the shortest dress ever captured on the big screen.

 Martha takes a bath.

 Flora suspects she's been betrayed and beats her to death with a shower head.


 Davy tells the inspector what he's witnessed.


This is really the problem with this movie.  Montserrat Prous is actually an amazing and compelling actress, but she has to spend half the film unconscious.

 She kills Flora, again under hypnosis.

Orloff is about to inject her when the inspector and pop star jump in, and he's shot. THE END



This didn't seem like a Jesús Franco jam at all.  It also wasn't particularly sleazy.  With Loreta Tovar in your film, you'd think it would be wall-to-wall nudity; even Montserrat Prous has done her share of nude scenes.  And speaking of this actress, as mentioned, she has to spend half the film unconscious.  What a waste - she is an excellent actress and fun to watch.  So, a lot of potential, considering the cast, the director, and the Orloff story... but pretty much wasted on a bland, rather forgettable flick.

Double Feature: Would you believe there's another film with a handicapped/immobile girl who's abused by her two scheming hottie relatives?... all taking place in a rural mansion like this?  I recommend you also check out From Ear to Ear (1970)

★★★★☆

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