Murders in the Rue Morgue

Since the original Poe story had been done several times earlier, Hessler and Wicking decided to approach it at a different angle. Set in period France, the story centers on an acting troupe who perform Poe’s Murders in the Rue Morgue as a spectacular Grand Guignol-style stage play. The troupe is led by Cesar Charron (Jason Robards in one of his few exploitation roles) who is married to the much younger Madeleine (Christine Kaufmann). Madeleine keeps having strange, surreal dreams about an axe murderer and other macabre apparitions. In the meantime, members of the acting troupe are being nastily offed by the masked Rene Marot (Herbert Lom). Marot is believed to be dead, but he’s alive and well and seeking revenge by pouring acid on anyone connected with his scarred appearance (leading to a bogus suicide) and his doomed relationship with Madeleine’s late mother (Lilli Palmer). —DVDdrive-in.com