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Barbara Stanwyck reunited professionally with ex-husband Robert Taylor in William Castle's 1964 suspense starrer, "The Night Walker." |
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thrills artist William Castle’s The Night
Walker, was really more suspense than shock. The flamboyant producer/director
played up the scares to ride the early ‘60s wave of post-Psycho/Baby Jane style
fright flicks, but this outing was light on horror.
The
1964 film was hardly “hag horror” as star Barbara Stanwyck played a perfectly
normal person being tormented and looked quite attractive at age 57. Stanwyck
was teamed opposite former husband Robert Taylor, who actually did look very haggard and prematurely aged at 53.
They worked together as professionals and without feuding, unlike other stars
with histrionic “history.” Five years later, Taylor would be dead of lung
cancer, after a lifetime of chain-smoking.
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Producer/Director William Castle with his stars, Robert Taylor & Barbara Stanwyck, for 1964's "The Night Walker." |
The
premise of this moody noir-like movie is that after the death of her unstable
scientist husband (Hayden Rorke in disfigured makeup), Stanwyck’s Irene Trenton
returns to her beauty salon to take her mind off hubby’s sudden death. Irene’s
dreams have become increasingly romantic, which had inflamed her jealous
husband, convinced that she had a lover. Well, we see at least in her dreams that
she has one, played by that unctuous smoothie, Lloyd Bochner of Dynasty fame. At least he doesn’t wear
his usual smoking jacket and ascot! He’s quite young and handsome, in his
aquiline way.
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That's quite a liplock dream lover Lloyd Bochner lays on Barbara Stanwyck in 1964's "The Night Walker." |
The
dreams become more intense and dire, as Mr. McDreamy wants to marry her. Are
the dreams becoming reality? Is Irene in danger? Or is she merely wigging out?
With the rather small cast, there are not a lot of suspects to choose from. The
plot of The Night Walker is as slim
as Stanwyck’s figure. And you know that Barbara Stanwyck, one of the most
sensible stars ever, is not going berserk like Joan Crawford or all “Baby”-ish
like Bette Davis. So “the how” of this mystery is more the question than whodunit.
Stanwyck
is supposed to go over the top in response to her mental torture, but acting a hysterical
scream queen is not Barbara’s bag. “Stany” is best when she’s down to earth or
cool and understated. In her best film noirs or suspense films, Barbara Stanwyck
is the acting equivalent of Peggy Lee, slyly insinuating without going big.
Overall, Stanwyck’s performance is her usual total pro turn, with natural empathy.
But when she starts screaming and hollering, it feels false and falls flat.
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Barbara Stanwyck bellowing hysterically was not a good look for the cool actress! |
I
think Stanwyck aged quite gracefully and strikingly, with her gray hair now
silver, in a subtle hairstyle and makeup. This is a far cry from most of her
contemporaries who were becoming increasingly cartoonish looking or just going
to seed. Stanwyck looked her age, but with great style.
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Barbara Stanwyck was subtle and stylish in her older years, here in 1964's "The Night Walker." Thankfully, "The Big Valley"was just around the corner, a big career boost. |
As
the family lawyer in The Night Walker,
Robert Taylor acts like a sleep walker. As he aged in dog years, Bob looked
increasingly dour, much like Alan Ladd. Taylor also didn’t have Gable’s strong
personality or Tyrone Power’s warm charm. The long-time MGM star seemed to be
put increasingly out to pasture in westerns. Still, this horror film was a
hiccup in both Bob and Bab’s careers.
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Robert Taylor was a rough-looking 53 when he made 1964's "The Night Walker." |
Producer-director
William Castle used great imagination to stretch his B-movie budgets. In The Night Castle, the intro, complete
with spoken work creepiness by Paul Frees, is visually striking if not terribly
related to the movie itself. The score is by Vic Mizzy, the prolific composer
who famously came up with The Addams
Family theme. One recurring riff sounds amazingly like “Food, Glorious
Food” from the Broadway musical Oliver!,
which made its Broadway debut around this time. Coincidence? Who can say?
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No, Hayden Rorke and Robert Taylor aren't debating who's the hotter dude for Barbara Stanwyck! From 1964's "The Night Walker." |
The
dream scenes are stylishly done and subtly, too, except when the courtroom
wedding scene is populated by puppets that look like life size versions of The Thunderbirds. Hilariously camp,
especially when the chandeliers catch fire and spin, with Stanwyck’s smoky
voice emitting raspy screams!
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No, this isn't Raymond Burr with blonde hair from "Rear Window," it's one of the creepy puppets/mannequins from 1964's "The Night Walker." Bizzaro! |
This
film has a thin plot, low budget, and loony logic, typical of William Castle.
As a mood piece, it’s quite entertaining and shows some style, along with some
eye-rolling chills! The Night Walker
pairs well with Stanwyck’s half-baked ‘40s WB thriller, Cry Wolf, with Barbara’s character dealing with the loony men in
her life, and a secret lab!
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Below is a link to "The Night Walker." Enjoy! |
Here
is an excellent, free copy of The Night
Walker to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5RYClikxcc&t=5s
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Below is the link to my review at Stanwyck's "Sorry, Wrong Number." |
Here’s
my look at Barbara’s best “woman in jeopardy” role, 1948’s “Sorry, Wrong Number”: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2025/06/stanwycks-fatal-phone-call-sorry-wrong.html