The Crawling Eye

Unrated

7/7/19581h 24m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The nightmare terror of the slithering eye that unleashed agonizing horror on a screaming world! ~

Overview:

A United Nations investigator crosses paths with a pair of psychic sisters on his way to Trollenberg observatory in the Swiss Alps, which has been plagued by a series of mountaineer disappearances that may be related to a radioactive cloud at the mountain's south face.

Director:

Quentin Lawrence

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

monster
switzerland
mountain
cloud
alien life-form
radioactivity
psychic power
decapitation
trance
subzero
mountain climbing
observatory
mind reading act
fire bombing
cable car
animated corpse
mountain rescue
molotov cocktail
isolated hut

Cast

Forrest Tucker

~ as ~

Alan Brooks

Jennifer Jayne

~ as ~

Sarah Pilgrim

Janet Munro

~ as ~

Anne Pilgrim

Laurence Payne

~ as ~

Philip Truscott

Warren Mitchell

~ as ~

Prof. Crevett

Frederick Schiller

~ as ~

Mayor Klein

Colin Douglas

~ as ~

Hans

Andrew Faulds

~ as ~

Brett

Stuart Saunders

~ as ~

Dewhurst

Derek Sydney

~ as ~

Wilde

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

John Chard
Written 10 year(s) ago
7
The Crawling Eye.

The filmic adaptation of a 1956 UK TV serial of the same name, The Trollenberg Terror is a whole bunch of fun and not deserving of the stinker reputation it has in some sci-fi loving circles.

Action is set in Trollenberg, Switzerland and concerns a creature from outer space that has taken residence in a radioactive cloud atop of the Trollenberg mountain. As the bodies start to pile up and various climbers go missing on the mountain, the United Nations send a boffin to help the local scientists to hopefully solve the mystery.

The effects work has been the source of some disdain, and in truth it’s poor but not the worst from the 1950s pantheon of “B” schlockers. The back projection scenes are crude, but again in keeping with the fun aspects of the genre and era. However, Jimmy Sangster’s screenplay is tight and produces brainy conversations and strong sequences.

Horror comes by way of headless bodies turning up and that once sane people turn into maniacs as “the terror” weaves its magic. On the normal human side the narrative is given a boost by Janet Munro’s (excellent) telepathic darling, something which troubles the visitors greatly and puts her in grave danger. The psychological aspects of the story mark this out as a genre piece of worth.

Elsewhere director Quentin Lawrence does a study job with what is available to him, Forest Tucker is the hero in waiting, playing it reserved like, and Warren Mitchell proves good foil for Tucker and the Terror! It’s not a great film, but it is a good one, let down in some tech departments for sure, but strengths elsewhere make up for its flaws. 7/10