Review of The Horror of It All (1964) by John T — 07 Dec 2014

This horror-comedy was directed by Terence Fisher and stars Pat Boone as an American who is introduced to his fiancée's eccentric family, just as they begin to be murdered one at a time. This is basically an extended version of an Addams Family episode with a cast of characters to match.

The strengths of this movie are it's strong cast, and Terence Fisher keeps the movie relatively short (only 75 minutes). This movie could have been agonizing to sit through if it hadn't been for one thing; the cast consistently refuses to resort to desperation for laughs, and it somehow leaves the movie with an amiable watchable quality it might not otherwise have. The best gags involve an inventor who keeps working on things that have already been invented, and these jokes are only mildly funny. All in all, it's pretty bad, but it could have been a lot worse.