The Black Torment, A Haunted Mansion, Ghosts, and Euro-Babes in Peril

We have a nice one that will remind you of the Hammer horror films of yesteryear. Almost a Hammer offering, but maybe a bit too stiff. That English stiff upper lip thing, you know. No matter...the babes in this one all sport wonderful cleavage while wearing those Victorian gowns. I wonder if the babes back then really looked like that. No matter. Yep, the typical trope of an English lord, married abroad to a babe, bringing her back to his home estate, only to have their lives turned upside down by ghosts and family members still devoted to his first wife...now dead. Our feature today is 1964's "The Black Torment," directed by Robert Hartford-Davis.

Yep, Sir Richard (John Turner) returns to his mansion with his new bride, Lady Elizabeth and her cleavage (Heather Sears). Uh oh...the townsfolk who see him arrive are irate. Even though Richard was gone for three months, or so he says, the locals saw him riding at night being chased by his first wife as she screeches "Murderer." Even worse, the very buxom Lucy (Edina Ronay) has just been raped and murdered. Before dying, she told her would be rescuers Sir Richard was the culprit. This is all a surprise to Richard and to Elizabeth, who swear they were gone for 90 days. Welcoming them home, sort of, is Sir Giles (John Tomelty), his dad who is confined to a wheelchair, unable to move or speak after a stroke, his nurse, and the lovely Diane (Ann Lynn), who is the only one who can communicate with Giles through sign language. 

Ghostly yells are heard at night as Elizabeth and Richard share a marital bed. Yep, Anne's ghost hollers at the window she fell out of. Did she commit suicide or was she pushed. The ghost calls Richard a murderer. Uh oh...the buxom Mary (Annette Whiteley) is murdered in the barn. What's even worse, whenever Richard leaves, another Richard comes to take his place. Thus when Richard is chased all over the countryside by the vengeful Ann-ghost, Elizabeth is in the bedroom with...another Richard. Now Richard believes he is going mad.  It is here that Richard's most trusted valet, Seymour (Peter Arne) tells Elizabeth that criminal insanity runs in the family...of course. Uh oh...Richard is throwing fits of rage and even tries to strangle Elizabeth.  For Richard's part, he claims he was nowhere near the castle during these episodes as he was running from Anne's accusing ghost in the wilderness.

Is Anne back to gain vengeance on her killer, Richard?  Did Richard kill Anne or is there something more devious taking place?  Will the buxom Elizabeth survive her first few days in this apparently haunted mansion? The ending is loud and ambitious, and for a 1964 film, it has much eroticism and even has Elizabeth and Richard sleeping in the same bed...or whoever that guy is who looks like Richard. See "The Black Torment" for an exciting and sexy Gothic horror tale.