The Hypnotic Eye

[Twokeets]

Possible Spolier--

 

This movie may not have received a wide viewing, but I taped it and enjoyed it. Very oddball! A Mad Men Era horror film with cool decor, cars and music. What I didn't understand, however, was the motivation of the 2 evil-doers. Does anyone understand why these crimes against the young women were being committed? It was made clear that the assistant of the great Desmond was angry and jealous, but I missed how she became this way, and what she might hope to gain. The ending looked effectively shocking, but made no sense. I really liked watching this unusual horror film, though, and am glad TCM showed it.

[Swithin]

1 hour ago, Twokeets said:

Possible Spolier--

 

This movie may not have received a wide viewing, but I taped it and enjoyed it. Very oddball! A Mad Men Era horror film with cool decor, cars and music. What I didn't understand, however, was the motivation of the 2 evil-doers. Does anyone understand why these crimes against the young women were being committed? It was made clear that the assistant of the great Desmond was angry and jealous, but I missed how she became this way, and what she might hope to gain. The ending looked effectively shocking, but made no sense. I really liked watching this unusual horror film, though, and am glad TCM showed it.

I've always felt that The Hypnotic Eye should be shown back-to-back with She Demons.  In the former, the evil Justine throws down her mask, saying, "If you like my face so much you can have it!" In She Demons, the good Mona, says, "Would you go, if you looked like THIS?!!"

Justine after she throws her mask down

Mona when she pulls off her bandages

 

 

 

[Sepiatone]

Here's a movie about another kind of "Hypnotic Eye".   

Sepiatone

[Eucalyptus P. Millstone]

5 hours ago, Twokeets said:

Possible Spolier--

 

This movie may not have received a wide viewing, but I taped it and enjoyed it. Very oddball! A Mad Men Era horror film with cool decor, cars and music. What I didn't understand, however, was the motivation of the 2 evil-doers. Does anyone understand why these crimes against the young women were being committed? It was made clear that the assistant of the great Desmond was angry and jealous, but I missed how she became this way, and what she might hope to gain. The ending looked effectively shocking, but made no sense. I really liked watching this unusual horror film, though, and am glad TCM showed it.

First, thank you, TCM, for enabling me to revisit The Hypnotic Eye, which was frequently shown on Chiller (a TV horror film showcase in Los Angeles) during the 1960s. In hindsight, I am amazed that it was easily available on the telly to kiddies -- it is one seriously twisted flick! Its fiery introduction rivals the grisly beginning of Horrors of the Black Museum for setting the sadistic tone with a jaw-dropping, squirm-inducing shock.

Co-screenwriter William Read Woodfield wanted Pedro Armendariz as the sinister hypnotist. Star Jacques Bergerac, to me, was a perfectly suitable substitute. His Gallic inflection as he challenges,

"And now . . . if you dare -- Look into the hypnotic eye!"

. . . enhances the otherwise prosaic line with a seductive musicality, imparting it with an immortality on par with "Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make."

Regarding your curiosity about the motive behind the mutilations, you are not the only viewer who has questions. Consider making up a motive as an added "attraction" of The Hypnotic Eye.

[Swithin]

Btw, slightly off topic interlude: Jacques Bergerac was married to Ginger Rogers and Dorothy Malone.

 

[Eucalyptus P. Millstone]

12 hours ago, Swithin said:

I've always felt that The Hypnotic Eye should be shown back-to-back with She Demons.  In the former, the evil Justine throws down her mask, saying, "If you like my face so much you can have it!" In She Demons, the good Mona, says, "Would you go, if you looked like THIS?!!"

Justine after she throws her mask down

One of the makeup artists on The Hypnotic Eye was  Emile LaVigne who also disfigured Laurie Mitchell in Queen of Outer Space.

 

PHOTO LIFE report on Allison Hayes'  transformation for The Hypnotic Eye

"It takes more work to become ugly than it does to become beautiful." -- words to live by from Allison Hayes.

 

 

[nakano]

51 minutes ago, Swithin said:

Btw, slightly off topic interlude: Jacques Bergerac was married to Ginger Rogers and Dorothy Malone.

 

He used his hypnotic eyes to swindle them for a lot of money...He was Ginger's boy toy, he died only in 2014

[cigarjoe]

10 hours ago, Twokeets said:

Possible Spolier--

 

This movie may not have received a wide viewing, but I taped it and enjoyed it. Very oddball! A Mad Men Era horror film with cool decor, cars and music. What I didn't understand, however, was the motivation of the 2 evil-doers. Does anyone understand why these crimes against the young women were being committed? It was made clear that the assistant of the great Desmond was angry and jealous, but I missed how she became this way, and what she might hope to gain. The ending looked effectively shocking, but made no sense. I really liked watching this unusual horror film, though, and am glad TCM showed it.

 I  can't believe after all these years how everybody's missed a crucial part of this Horror Noir and that's the nature of the psychotronic femme fatale Justine played by Allison Hayes. The reason everybody mentions the unexplained relationship between Justine and Desmond is because they didn't get it. 

It is Justine who is the master hypnotist. She has Desmond hypnotized. It is she that has made him Desmond the Great. Justine is the one with the jealous vendetta against beautiful women.

Desmond is her suave pawn. It's easy to imagine, after watching the opening theater demonstration of the power of hypnotic suggestion, that Justine, could have even given Desmond, if that is even his real name, his French accent. He could be a cabby, her grease monkey, or a plumber who came over to unlog her pipes, wink, wink.

Remember that during the act it is Justine who is picking out her victims. She, signaling through probably pre determined eye gestures, or facial expressions, like a lift of an eyebrow etc., etc., her audience choices to Desmond. Desmond is her lure. He wines and dines and sexually excites Justine's victims so that it is they who invite Desmond to their place. 

[cigarjoe]

PS - Next time you watch it think of Justine as the behind the scenes femme fatale manipulator. Anyway it's an entertaining 7/10. I only wish that as Desmod lays dying on the stage he comes out of his hypnotic trance and says in a Brooklyn accent, "All I did was ask her to pass me dat wrench?" lol

[Eucalyptus P. Millstone]

3 hours ago, cigarjoe said:

 I  can't believe after all these years how everybody's missed a crucial part of this Horror Noir and that's the nature of the psychotronic femme fatale Justine played by Allison Hayes. The reason everybody mentions the unexplained relationship between Justine and Desmond is because they didn't get it. 

It is Justine who is the master hypnotist. She has Desmond hypnotized. It is she that has made him Desmond the Great. Justine is the one with the jealous vendetta against beautiful women.

Desmond is her suave pawn. It's easy to imagine, after watching the opening theater demonstration of the power of hypnotic suggestion, that Justine, could have even given Desmond, if that is even his real name, his French accent. He could be a cabby, her grease monkey, or a plumber who came over to unlog her pipes, wink, wink.

Remember that during the act it is Justine who is picking out her victims. She, signaling through probably pre determined eye gestures, or facial expressions, like a lift of an eyebrow etc., etc., her audience choices to Desmond. Desmond is her lure. He wines and dines and sexually excites Justine's victims so that it is they who invite Desmond to their place. 

So, like, uhh . . . where were you when the police needed your help, Sherlock?

How can you live with yourself after letting all those poor, hypnotized dames be cruelly and horribly disfigured?  Especially doll-baby Dodie Wilson?! Or . . .

Did you too succumb to the power of THE HYPNOTIC EYE?!

If you didn't, I think someone needs to take a class in Civic Duty.

[cigarjoe]

It is terrible, ain't it Euc?

[Fedya]

15 hours ago, Swithin said:

Btw, slightly off topic interlude: Jacques Bergerac was married to Ginger Rogers and Dorothy Malone.

There's an interesting ménage à trois.

Oh, you mean they weren't married at the same time?

[jameselliot]

Cigar Joe wrote the reason for Justine and Desmond's warped scheme but the filmmakers had no interest in spelling everything out for the viewer. There are no scenes of Bergerac and Allison Hayes interacting off stage besides her interruption of his date with Marsha. Hayes was the perfect casting choice. She had a commanding screen presence, beauty and often played very bad girls. This might be her most malevolent yet underplayed role until she explodes like a pressure cooker during the shocker of an ending.  What elevates the movie is how it's close to a noir at times although not enough to qualify for Noir Alley. The closing comment by the police psychiatrist takes the viewer out of the film but it seems as if the producers wanted  to cover themselves legally. The William Castle style gimmick with the balloons is kept short. Any film with a beatnik coffee house scene gets extra props from me. The doctor was played by Fred Demara, "The Great Imposter." 

Edited September 26, 2021 by jameselliot
Spelling

[cigarjoe]

3 minutes ago, jameselliot said:

Cigar Joe wrote the reason for Justine and Desmond's warped scheme but the filmmakers had no interest in spelling everything out for the viewer. There are no scenes of Bergerac and Allison Hayes interacting off stage besides her interruption of his date with Marsha. Hayes was the perfect casting choice. She had a commanding screen presence, beauty and often played very bad girls. This might be her most malevolent yet underplayed role until she explodes like a pressure cooker during the shocker of an ending.  What elevates the movie is how it's close to a noir at times although not enough to qualify for Noir Alley. The closing comment by the police psychiatrist takes the viewer out of the film but it seems as if the producers wanted  to cover themselves legally. The William Castle style gimmick with the balloons is kept short. Any film with a beatnik coffee house scene gets extra props from me. The doctor was played by Fred Demara, "The Great Imposter." 

It tips Noir enough for me I wrote a Noirsville review of it.

[Twokeets]

Thank you, Cigarjoe and others, for the explanation. Now it makes sense! Knowing Justine is really in charge makes me like this flick even more. I noticed Desmond watching Justine as she chose the next victim, but I didn't go far enough in assuming she was the master (mistress) manipulator. Still....Justine's motivation is revenge, a twisted need to destroy beauty, and enjoyment of the glamorous life of the stage magician? I guess that makes as much sense as anything...

[Cigarjoe cellph]

You're welcome