Rating: 3.5/5
The Tingler is the story of Dr. Warren Chapin (Vincent Price) investigating the effect of fear on the body. He believes that it is the scream that releases the deadly tension and that without the ability to scream, fear will shock you and perhaps kill you
With the help of his assistant David (Darryl Hickman), as well as a couple who own a silent movie theater — Ollie Higgins and his deaf/mute wife Martha — he learns that the shock felt in the body isn’t just nerves, but a living creature that everyone has on their spine
The movie is delightfully dopey and over-the-top. The actors play their roles straight, but there is nothing serious about The Tingler and its ridiculous setup
Only Vincent Price could sell the absurdity of The Tingler with such conviction, and it’s his commitment that keeps everyone on board
In some ways, the movie is a loving homage to the power of silent films — we see an extended sequence from one in the theater, as well as several moments with Martha, whose muteness prevents her screaming, so every moment of horror must be visual
While William Castle made his career out of being a campier Hitchcock, he finds an approach here that transcends the comparisons and has fun
Stray Thoughts
- Percepto: Castle’s gimmick was to attach electric buzzers to the undersides of some of the theater seats and then open the movie with a warning that some people are more sensitive to “tingling” than others. He also hired actors to faint and scream during the movie
- “Cut my head off. Boil me in oil,” David says with a smile as he walks in the door
- incredible use of color for the scene with the blood in the sink
- Vincent Price saying that he has taken LSD to “induce paranoia” is a treat