Monogram Pictures released this British genre film in 1941. Director and screenwriter Norman Lee loosely adapted his script from Edgar Wallace’s novel, THE DOOR WITH SEVEN LOCKS (which was the film’s actual U.K. title). As usual with most novel-to-film translations, a lot of liberties were taken, such as the addition of new characters and the inclusion of humor. CHAMBER OF HORRORS has no supernatural elements and is not truly a horror film; it’s more of a gothic mystery thriller, with a truly memorable villain. But it does include a basement full of torture devices (including my favorite, the Iron Maiden), and enough atmosphere to give classic Universal horror movies a run for their money. The Roan Group released CHAMBER OF HORRORS to DVD in Summer 2000 without much fanfare.

Norman Lee cut his teeth on thrillers like THE STRANGLER (1932), MURDER IN SOHO (1939), and THE MONKEY’S PAW (1948). Lead actress Lilli Palmer’s film credits span six decades. Here she plays Judy Landsdown, heiress to a large fortune which remains unclaimed. British actor Romilly (TRAITOR SPY) Lunge plays ex-Scottland Yard detective Dick Martin. Leslie (THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME) Banks is the evil Dr. Manetta, a man with an affinity for torture devices. Richard (DEATH TRAP) Bird portrays Inspector Sneed, who also works for Scotland Yard. Gina (WHERE THERE IS A WILL) Milo provides comedy relief as Lilli Palmer’s Aunt Glenda. David (THE DEVIL’S DISCIPLE) Horne plays Selford Estate executor Havelock.

Young Ms. Landsdown (Lily Palmer) receives an antique key from a mysterious man named Mr. Silva (J.H. Roberts). She goes to visit him at a nursing home to find out what the key is all about. Mr. Silva turns out to be a bed-bound old man who talks to Ms. Landsdown about the circumstances surrounding the key. But before he can reveal the secret, he is shot by an unknown assailant. Ms. Landsdown is horrified, and (accompanied by her Aunt Glenda) she rushes down to Scottland Yard to report the murder she just witnessed. There she meets Inspector Sneed (Richard Bird) and ex-detective Martin (Romilly Lunge), who resigned from Scotland Yard that day. Even though he is no longer a detective, Martin offers his services to the pretty Ms. Landsdown, and the three of them check the scene of the crime. At the nursing home, they find no trace of a body or any clues of foul play. Martin suspects that Ms. Landsdown is just a hysterical young woman, and he offers to escort her and Aunt Glenda safely home. When they get to the apartment, they discover a burglar ransacking the place looking for the Ms. Landsdown’s key. Martin tussles with the masked burglar, but the intruder manages to escape. Now Martin and Ms. Landsdown know something is amiss, and there is more to the mystery than meets the eye.

Mr. Havelock (David Horne), executor for the Selford Estate, notifies Ms. Landsdown that she is heir to the Selford Estate. Mr. Havelock invites them to Selford Manor to lay claim to the Selford family fortune. Ms. Landsdown, Martin, and Aunt Glenda traverse the English countryside until they arrive at Selford Manor. There they find the Selford family physician, Dr. Manetta (Leslie Banks), who acts as overlord to the estate. The mysterious doctor welcomes them into the fold, and explains that the Selford family fortune is buried in a crypt beneath the mansion. He informs them that seven missing keys are required to unlock the crypt. Over dinner that evening (served by a mute, Neanderthal butler), Dr. Manetta discloses that he is a descendent of Torquemada, the grand master of the Inquisition. As a testament to his heritage, he collects torture devices and displays them in the dungeon-like basement of Selford Manor.

Ms. Landsdown and Martin come to the realization that all is not as it seems at Selford Manor. Various servants of the mansion keep disappearing. They investigate the crypts beneath the manor only to get locked in. Dr. Manetta’s pet monkey saves the day. Martin calls in his good friend and associate, Inspector Sneed, to get to the bottom of the mystery of the keys. Meanwhile, Ms. Landsdown has been abducted by Dr. Manetta's goons. Though she escapes, she is recaptured by the torture chamber enthusiast himself, Dr. Manetta. He ties her up in the dungeon and attempts to abscond with the Selford fortune. Martin and Inspector Sneed think they have figured out the mystery, but they have no evidence. One of Selford’s Manor’s denizens tips them off to Ms. Landsdowne’s location, but first they have to confront the criminal intellect of Dr. Manetta.

CHAMBER OF HORRORS is an intelligent mystery thriller which should strike a chord with fans of Sherlock Holmes films. Norman Lee adeptly handles the direction and plotting, but there is some pacing problems. Lee does not capably handle the few action set pieces or fight sequences. But he succeeds at creating suspense while unraveling the mystery, which is crucial to the film. CHAMBER OF HORRORS also benefits from having black and white atmospheric visuals which help create a disturbing tone. CHAMBER OF HORRORS offers interesting character interplay using some witty dialog. The protagonists and villains are well-developed for a film of this nature. Norman Lee also allows for some appropriate humor in the mix, such as obsessive Aunt Glenda, who relates almost everything to finding the perfect husband.

Actor Leslie Banks was in a real-life accident that disfigured his face. Thus, he was cast as villains in practically every film he was in. He was excellent as the antagonist, Count Zaroff, in the classic THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. In CHAMBERS OF HORRORS, Banks plays Dr. Manetta with the same evil relish . The make-up department adds a Fu Manchu-look to Banks, which helps contribute to his character’s presence. Lilli Palmer is great and endearing as Ms. Landsdown. Only lead actor Romilly Lunge is flat and shallow in his portrayal of the ex-detective. His fighting scenes are laughable. Thankfully, Richard Bird and Gina Malo bring some depth and personality to their characters. These two are responsible for the few bits of humor that occur in CHAMBER OF HORRORS.

-  Phil Chandler