THE
CRAWLING EYE (1958) (aka THE TROLLENBERG TERROR)Director: Quentin Lawrence
Image Entertainment
THE
CRAWLING EYE (1958) (aka THE TROLLENBERG TERROR)The snow-laden mountains of Switzerland beckon the viewer in all its pastoral majesty. A scene of silent harmony is interrupted by nothing more than the sound of a cow and the intermittent chirping of birds. Three men have scaled an Alpine peak, two upon one ledge while another waits above for them. The climber above them senses trouble and slips. His comrades attempt to retrieve him with his rope and encounter a grizzly discovery: the climber's head has been severed from his body!
Cut to a bullet train racing through the icy region and into a dark tunnel.
In credits worthy of Saul Bass poster art, the film auspiciously starts using its original title: THE TROLLENBERG TERROR.
The train continues onward as passengers converse. Two attractive women sit on one side of a car while observed by a gentleman reading a newspaper. One of the two women is upset and the man introduces himself as Alan Brooks (Forrest Tucker). He pulls a trusty flask from his coat and offers the two travelers to Trollenberg a bit of spirited libation.
The passengers arrive in the Swiss village where Klein, owner of the Hotel Europa, greets them. The four motor off to the hotel when the subject of the mountain climbers comes up. One of the two ladies remarks on the disappearance of the three climbers however Brooks appears to know much more about the mishap than is being stated.
After introducing the Pilgrim girls (Janet Munro and Jennifer Jayne) formally they retreat to their rooms to dress for the evening and their plan to investigate the matter becomes very obvious.
A colleague who suggests they enjoy a drink or two joins Brooks. In fact there are so many references to alcohol in the first few minutes that one is almost inclined to run to the family bar to prepare a cocktail or grab a beer! Perhaps investigations of this nature should be conducted by people greased, drunk or somewhat inebriated!
So the trio of Brooks, Dewhurst (Stuart Saunders) and Truscott (Laurence Payne) venture up the mountain via cable car to the observatory to meet with Professor Crevett (Warren Mitchell). The professor also points out that the most recent search party accident was far from the first. Brooks' brow furrows as they discuss the mysterious deaths, examine maps and use their Geiger counter to try and detect the presence of radioactivity.
While in the observatory the men observe Dewhurst and Truscott scaling the icy peeks. Once ensconced in their cabin, pretty much calling it a day, they retire.
Meanwhile back at the hotel the two young ladies give a preview of their telepathy act for the hotel guests. During the act the young psychic sees the two men at the cabin, one of which is lured out into the dark foggy mountains. She sees death looming for the men. At this point she collapses. Brooks seizes the moment and calls the cabin only to find herpredictions accurate: one man missing, the other in mortal danger.
Something unearthly is hiding in the cloudlike fog that is descending from the mountain peak and threatening the village below and all its inhabitants. It is left to science and the courage of the men at hand to save the earth from an invasion of The Crawling Eye!
As far as I know, this film never made it to my hometown in Illinois yet many of my friends here in California recall it vividly, fondly and with tremendous respect. Other than obvious matte shots (with people's shadows showing against them from time to time) this IS a superior sci-fi effort from the Fabulous 50s. The script is literate as only the Brits can make 'em and the monster itself does resemble a throbbing eyeball attached to a brain with tree branches coming out of the top of the creature for hair! This was pretty scary stuff for its time, no doubt, and good acting by all players involved.
The print quality is dynamic and the few flaws are bits and pieces of poor audio here and there. In this reviewer's opinion this minor problem is exactly that: minor. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 but seems even wider.
Liner notes by David Del Valle are informative and fun. It would have been nice if Image had let Del Valle know they were preparing the foreign uncut print so he could have mentioned that in his notes. A stills gallery is available as is the original theatrical trailer.
THE TROLLENBERG TERROR is proof that the Swiss (or Brits pretending to be Swiss) could do a lot more than give the world great chocolate and excellent timepieces! If you are a lover of British sci-fi and love the 50s, do NOT pass up this end of the year treat!
If I've said it once I've said it a million times: Image Entertainment, Englewood Entertainment and the Wade Williams Collection, you all are simply the BEST! Keep your fans happy and we'll return the favor with our dollars and good sense! (Christopher Dietrich)