Homicidal (1961)

Cast:

Glenn "I am the One TRUE Zefram Cochrane of Star Trek!!!" Corbett is Karl Anderson
Patricia Breslin is Miriam Webster
Eugenie Leontovich is Helga Swenson
Alan Bunce is Doctor Jonas
Richard Rust is Jim Nesbitt

What the IMDB says:

The story centers around a murderous scheme to collect a rich inheritance. The object of murder is Miriam Webster, who is to share in the inheritance with her half brother Warren, who lives with his childhood guardian Helga in the mansion where Warren and Mariam grew up. Confined to a wheelchair after recently suffering a stroke, Helga is cared for by her nurse Emily, a strange young woman who has formed a close bond with Warren.

Plot:

William Castle introduces the movie. In 1948, a brother takes his sister’s doll from her.

Years later, a blonde woman, Miriam Webster checks into a hotel. She flirts with Jim, the bellhop. Offering him $2000 to get married if they annulled afterwards, Jim accepts.

That night, they drive into the country to an out of the way house. Meeting the justice of the peace’s house and getting married, Miriam repeatedly stabs him to death and drives away. Down the road, she switches cars.

Plot specific news radio announces the death of the justice of the peace.

At a large house, Emily who was going by the name Miriam earlier, cleans her knife. She talks to Helga, the mute handicapped old lady she’s taking care of, about the dead justice of the peace…In the morning, we get the feeling that Helga doesn’t trust Emily. Miriam stops by. The verbal catfight between Emily and Miriam ensues.

Emily heads into town drugstore for strychnine. In the process she tries throwing herself at the druggist, Karl, Miriam’s boyfriend. Later Emily sneaks into Miriam’s flower shop and trashes the place.

That night, when Karl stops by the place, he is knocked unconscious by Emily. Karl is roused by Warren, Miriam’s brother. He wants Miriam to stay at the house.

Back at the house, Miriam talks to Warren about Emily. Apparently, Warren’s dad wanted his son tough. The estate will be turned over to Warren in a few days where he gets $10,000,000 upon turning 21.

Late night, Miriam awakens and finds Emily watching her.

In the morning, Emily denies being in Miriam’s room. Emily does claim to have married Warren and threatens to kill Miriam.

Heading back to town, Miriam is questioned by the police. Jim doesn’t recognize her. The cop explains some woman used Miriam’s name and killed a local justice of the peace.

Miriam tells Karl about Emily. Karl reveals how the flower shop was trashed. They decide to go and find out about if Warren and Emily are married.

Karl and Miriam meet Warren. He explains how they’re we’re secretly married several months ago. Warren can’t believe that Emily is a murderer. Karl wants to let the cops have a picture of Emily for a photo ID.

At the house, Emily has her knife sharpened. It just Emily and Helga all alone…Just when she’s about to kill Helga, Dr. Jonas stops by to pay a visit. Helga can’t communicate she wants the good doctor to stay very long. Emily takes Helga up the stairs and fade from this scene.

The cop takes Karl to the bellhop who identifies the picture. Karl calls on Miriam.

Warren gets to Miriam’s shop. They decide to check on Helga. Warren has Miriam stay in the car. She still goes after him.

The Fright Break is the human heartbeat counter which will let the too frightened to leave.

Miriam heads into the house. Helga chair comes down the stairs, and her head rolls into the floor. Emily attacks Miriam. Emily is Warren in a blonde wig? He’ll blame Emily for killing Miriam. However the cop is to the rescue. Miriam gets a hold of the gun and promptly and quite righteously caps Warren.

Later, Dr. Jonas explains things. Warren was born before he got to the house. Warren’s mother and Helga masqueraded Warren as a boy. Warren’s dad’s will left the entire estate to his son. The birth certificate had to be falsified by the county clerk who eventually became the justice of the peace. Helga took Warren to Denmark where she had a stroke. Warren needed to get rid of the justice of the peace, Helga, and Miriam, who’d inherit the estate. Warren created another personality to do the killing.

What I say:

Warning: I'm discussing the ending so spoilers doth ensue.

The late 20th century just seems like if any movie idea could be done, it could inspire more and more movies. George Romero's Dawn of the Dead inspired most of the early 1980s Italian zombie movies. Thinking back several more decades, the number of mad scientist movies because of Frankenstein is a bit harder to realize that some movies were that inspirational. Homicidal is very inspired by (the French term is le'ripped off) Psycho. The ending is definitely the William Castle version of Psycho. The first half hour, I wasn't really expecting the shocker.

William Castle, the man who gave us, House on Haunted Hill, Macabre, 13 Ghosts, and Tingler. This isn't the typical William Castle movie. Typical and William Castle are concepts that go together like Jessica Simpson with particle physics or Brittany Spears with sobriety...Though the Fright Break with the 1 minute warning to give you time to leave if you're easily frightened. William Castle never met a gimmick he didn't love. From the House on Haunted Hill with Emergo, the fake skelton on a wire that is sent scaling above the theatergoers heads. From the Tingler with the joy buzzers wired into the back of seats, that is one classy promotion.

Leaving out the Crying Game shock ending, was there an Emily or not? We never saw Emily and Warren at the same place at the same time. But, using that logic, I've never been seen with Bruce Lee, so I must be Bruce Lee. I thought that after Warren came back to the country he brought a nurse, Emily, from another country for his sick guardian. Thought at the end, Warren mentioned he'd killed Emily and was going to blame her as the killer of Miriam. Though, we can assume that every time we saw Emily we knew she had to be Warren. Look at how "Emily" acted to the guardian and Miriam.

I thought I lived in a small town where everybody knew or was related to everybody else. The town in Homicidal is much smaller. One of the elementary things about all small towns is that there really aren't any secrets. People may hide some secrets from the surface, but most people know them, they just aren't that concerned about those little ones with so many bigger secrets or quiet gossip for them.

This family makes the one from Spider Baby seem almost normal which is probably more than can be said for your cousins or my cousins. Considering when the inspiring family is the Bates's family, you've got to expect them to be a bit south of sanity.

Quotable Dialogue
"As she is to be considered homicidal."
"Abrams died tonight screaming."
"You would dry up and die."
"That's a rotten filthy thing to say."
Morals of the Story
$2,000 is the standard tip for delivering ice.
Trying to kiss the bride is a crime punishable by death.
Strichnyne is a commonly taken medicine.
Surgical knives are common place in houses.