The Hypnotic Eye (1960)

 

This was a lot of fun! Shot clearly on the cheap by director, George Blair (he might be considered the "Superman director" since his resume has a ton of Superman on it from the 50s), in a week and change, The Hypnotic Eye (1960) really feels like a holdover from the 50s. The men wore suits and ties while the women dresses that fit their voluptuous form. That feeling of noir is also in the film as a detective, Dave Kennedy (Joe Patridge, way down the cast list) is bewildered at a series of gruesome "self" mutilations where beautiful women (most blonde) "accost themselves" with horrible results. This feels almost like a B&W photographed, more "civilized" Herschel Gordon Lewis B-movie, except Blair is more talented -- HGL is a guilty pleasure of mine, but I'd never accuse him of being a good filmmaker -- with more style and craft. This is about a suave, handsome hypnotist who is able to perform his stage presentations with mostly women volunteers from the audience named Desmond (Jacques Bergerac); it is noted by a friend of Dave's, Dr. Philip Hecht (Guy Prescott), with plenty of knowledge of hypnotism (more of a psychiatric sense, meant to help not exploit for personal and professional gain), that the ability to put someone under as fast as he does can be quite dangerous.

I think you could tell that Hollywood would be turning a corner in the 1960s, pushing the envelope more than the previous decade. When this film opens up with a woman turning on a stove eye and setting her hair on fire, screaming while the top of her head is in flames, The Hypnotic Eye was just an example of what was to come. Dave's girlfriend, Marcia (Marcia Henderson), is fascinated by Desmond, entertained by his hypnotist routine. Marcia's best friend, Dodie (Merry Anders), is a volunteer chosen from the audience to be part of an act that involved her "being a stone then light as a feather", levitated off the floor when two other women from the audience on both ends (feet and head) let go. Later, when she gets home, Dodie turns on her faucet in the sink, filling it with water...and sulfuric acid! Dodie splashing that in her face is shown when she collapses to the floor and later when in the hospital...her doctor tells her it will take two years and plastic surgery to make her good as new.

Not only are those two poor women victims. Dave and Dr. Hecht visit some of the victims, such as a woman who put her face in a spinning fan (believing it was a massage machine), another swallowing lye (she needs to use a microphone to her throat to speak), and a third whose eyes are gouged out!

Allison Hayes is the big star in the film. She's most notable for "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" (1958), but I think she's even better in "The Hypnotic Eye" as Desmond's "assistant" (though she's as much a hypnotist as he is!), purposely targeting beauties for a very specific reason revealed at the end when she "removes her mask" in a fantastic scaffolding stage scene, as Marcia's life is in jeopardy way above the floor as Dave chases after them. Hayes' Justine helps Desmond select certain women with a beauty she wishes to forever scar. There is definitely this disguised disdain and undercurrent of rage Hayes is able to convey. You can see it barely contained. My favorite scene with Hayes is when she's in the bathroom with Anders, preparing her for a scalding shower...Dave, fortunately, listens to Hecht and goes to Marcia's apartment after Desmond leaves (not before Desmond gets a seductive kiss and a little foreplay, however, much to Dave's dismay). Marcia is Justine's target the remainder of the film.

I thought Hecht was an interesting character. He wears silk robes, a necklace around his neck, a chain around his wrist, plays his piano quite feverishly and flamboyantly, and has quite a Liberace flavored bachelor pad. Anyway, Hecht gets to tell the audience at the end that hypnosis isn't to be trifled with...it can be a medical tool, but its use also could be used in a way that is harmful.

The finale has Desmond placing an entire audience under hypnosis, pulling out his gimmick light palmed in his hand (neon that circles counter-clockwise), as they obey his commands such as slapping their knees, straightening out their hands and turning them, etc. This part of the film does get a bit long in the tooth, but it seemed like Blair had an interest and intrigue in the use of hypnosis, so he made sure it was always a fixture deserved of our attention. I have to say, the makeup effects -- considering the time -- are rather hideous...to me, quite effective even if dated and low budget. I actually think this could be a hoot if you are a fan of this era of horror. 3.5/5