Any movie that co-stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee is all right with me. This second tier Hammer production (behind the Dracula and Frankenstein franchises) has a few chills to offer.
Tagline: “A Monster With the Power to Turn Living Screaming Flesh Into Stone!”
WTF Factor: **
Notable Dialogue:
Nameroff: “We are men of science. I don’t believe in ghosts or evil spirits, and I don’t think you do, either.”
Professor Heitz: “That’s one of the most unscientific remarks I have ever heard. I believe in the existence of everything which the human brain is unable to disprove.” [A unique view on scientific thinking]
Synopsis: Title card: We are in the village of Vandorf near the Castle Borski in the early 1900s. Legend says a monster lives there. Artist Bruno Heitz’s pregnant model dies in the woods after seeing something horrible; she is turned to stone. Bruno is accused of the crime and police dogs find his hanged body in the woods. There’s a kangaroo court where Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing!!!) testifies that the model’s death was the result of violence, leading Bruno’s dad, Professor Heitz (Michael Goodliffe), to denounce the proceedings, calling his son a scapegoat. The crime is ruled a murder-suicide anyway. In private, Professor Heitz expositions that there have been seven deaths, each body with the same marks and each turned to stone. He vows to clear his son’s name.
Carla Hoffman (Barbara Shelley!!) is Namaroff’s assistant at the hospital. Professor Heitz visits Namaroff and says that there is a monster loose and the village is living in fear. He thinks it is Megaera, one of the not-so-mythological Gorgon sisters, who has fled to the local area. Namaroff warns him away from the village.
The locals assault the Professor in his home but Inspector Kanof (Patrick Troughton) is not sympathetic. Professor Heitz writes to Professor Meister (Christopher Lee!!!), who sends his apprentice Paul (Richard Pasco), Bruno’s brother.
That night Professor Heitz hears singing outside his villa. He goes into the woods and up to the castle, where he sees the Gorgon (we don’t). His servant Hans finds him slowly transforming to stone in his study. He has just enough time to write a letter to Paul, who is arriving in the morning. The police take away the body and Namaroff plans to testify that he died of heart failure. Paul is neither pleased nor convinced.
Carla visits Paul, and warns him to leave the village before something terrible happens to him. She is really there to find and memorize Professor Heitz’s letter, at Namaroff’s command. After she reports back, Namaroff tells Carla that Megaera has taken on human form.
That night Paul hears noises outside and sees Megaera in the water and then in the glass window (we don’t). He is treated in the hospital by Carla and Namaroff. He is not well; his hair has turned grey and he’s having horrible dreams. His father’s inquest was held during his illness. Paul decides to stay in town and destroy the creature. Namaroff is not pleased. He assigns his orderly Ratoff to watch Carla at night, because “she may be close to death.” Wonder why.
Paul digs up his father’s body and of course it is stone. Carla follows him and admits that Namaroff had sent her earlier to get Professor Heitz’s letter. She says Namaroff is shielding someone, and he is also in love with Carla and very jealous of anyone else who comes near her. Paul offers to take her away because this is twu wuv. Karla says she can’t leave; she is compelled to stay, but she doesn’t know why. [A discerning viewer has a pretty good idea by now.]
Imperious Professor Meister arrives after he is summoned by Paul, who tells him the entire story. Namaroff questions Carla about her walk and whether she was with anyone. Meister visits the Inspector and demands records of females who have moved to the village recently. Carla has been here only seven years; the murders started five years ago.
Namaroff accuses Carla of seeing Paul but Carla is aware of the spies that he sent after her. He tells Carla she has spells where she must not be alone and in turn Carla tells Namaroff she’s sick of him. Namaroff is not pleased. He refuses to meet with Paul and Meister to discuss the situation. Carla arranges to see Paul tomorrow at the castle. When they meet, Carla wants to leave immediately before it is “too late.” Paul won’t leave until he and Meister finish the investigation. Carla says a final goodbye.
The orderly Ratoff tries to kill Paul but Meister saves him. Meister breaks into Namaroff ‘s office and finds Carla’s patient records. Carla arrived in 1903 and in 1905 started having bouts of amnesia. Meister checks the dates and her amnesia spells correspond to the full moon every time. Meister tells Paul that Megaera’s spirit is in Carla. Paul is not pleased by the suggestion.
Ratoff grabs Carla in the garden. Paul saves her and hides her in the house. Namaroff comes with the Inspector and various police and search for her, but Carla is gone. Paul tells Meister he sent her to Leipzig but Meister says that Carla won’t be able to leave; it’s the full moon. When Paul calls Leipzig, Carla has not arrived at the hotel. Meister and Paul have a violent confrontation and Paul sits in his room like a naughty child.
Paul sneaks off to search for Carla and goes to the Castle. The Inspector now has an arrest warrant for Paul for kidnapping Carla, but Meister also escapes the police. When Paul arrives at the Castle, he is met by Namaroff with a sword. They fight. Megaera appears and watches the fight. Namaroff realizes Megaera’s presence and even though he wants to kill her, he looks at her. Oops. Megaera forces Paul to look at her while Meister sneaks up from behind and beheads her.
Paul is turning to stone and Megaera ‘s head turns into Carla’s. Paul is not pleased. Meister says, “She’s free now, Paul. She’s free.” Paul turns to stone. Nobody lives happily ever after.
Thoughts: This was one of many Peter Cushing/Christopher Lee movie pairings, although they share very little screen time together in The Gorgon, unfortunately. Terence Fisher directed many of the classic Hammer horror films such as The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) and his work here is solid as usual. There are some strong atmospherics on several of the soundstages.
Christopher Lee famously commented, “The only thing wrong with “The Gorgon” is the Gorgon!” He’s on to something there. The Gorgon herself is wisely kept off-screen until the climax of the movie. The Gorgon makeup effects are not great, especially the snakes for hair, although the green gown is highly photogenic. It was a mistake, I think, to not have Barbara Shelley also play the Gorgon; it would have been more convincing.
I guess that someone thought that the name Megaera sounded most appropriate for the movie, because in mythology, Megaera was not one of the Gorgons, but one of the three Furies, the goddesses of vengeance. Megaera was the goddess of jealous rage, though, so that certainly fits.
All-in-all, The Gorgon is a deliberately paced movie that emphasizes chills over shocks, and is well worth a watch.
Random additional thoughts:
- And the perpetual, why couldn’t they put Lee and Cushing on screen together for more scenes? Their chemistry is always riveting.
- Why does Professor Heitz have time to write a letter when everyone else turns to stone rather quickly?
- Great cape work in this movie!
- Be grateful that I decided not to write a lengthy polemic about the movie as an allegory for the way the patriarchy acts to suppress female power. It’s all there, but clearly unintended, so just enjoy the damn movie!
Suggested double feature: Clash of the Titans (OG, 1981) for a stop motion Medusa. If you’d like to go off the mythological track but stick with the turning-to-stone theme, try The Monolith Monsters (1957).
Tagline for coming attraction: “WANTED! Have you seen this sheep?”
