Mr. Sardonicus
In 1880, Sir Robert Cargrave, a London physician known for his experimental work in paralysis treatment, is summoned to Gorslava by the mysterious Baron Sardonicus—who is now married to Cargrave's former wife, Maude—to treat his disfigurement. When Cargrave arrives, he finds the masked baron is a cruel sadist who has threatened to harm Maude if he is not successfully cured.
Critics Sentiment
Marek opens his father's grave and sees the grinning corpse
Henryk dies with the winning lottery ticket
The film dramatically shifts from the slow setup of Henryk's death to the masterful graveyard horror sequence, jumping 3.3 points.
Critics found Mr. Sardonicus to be an effective gothic horror film that overcomes its B-movie limitations through strong performances and atmospheric direction. The graveyard sequence earned universal praise as a masterpiece of psychological horror, while Oscar Homolka's Krull and the poetic justice ending were consistently highlighted. Though some found Castle's gimmicks and torture scenes gratuitous, most appreciated the old-fashioned horror approach and quality dialogue.
Full cast
Ronald Lewis
Sir Robert Cargrave
Audrey Dalton
Maude Sardonicus
Guy Rolfe
Baron Sardonicus
Oskar Homolka
Krull
Vladimir Sokoloff
Henryk Toleslawski
Erika Peters
Elenka
Lorna Hanson
Anna
Constance Cavendish
Mrs. Higgins (uncredited)
James Forrest
Geoffery Wainwright (uncredited)
Tina Woodward
The Girl (uncredited)
Mavis Neal Palmer
Head Nurse (uncredited)
Charles H. Radilak
Stationmaster (uncredited)
David Janti
Janku (uncredited)
Franz Roehn
Gravedigger (uncredited)
Annalena Lund
First Girl (uncredited)
Ilse Burkert
Second Girl (uncredited)
William Castle
Self (uncredited)
Crew
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