Tormented (film)
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| Tormented | |
|---|---|
 A promotional film poster for "Tormented." |
|
| Directed by | Bert I. Gordon |
| Produced by | Bert I. Gordon Joe Steinberg |
| Written by | Bert I. Gordon George Worthing Yates |
| Starring | Richard Carlson Susan Gordon Lugene Sanders |
| Music by | Albert Glasser Calvin Jackson |
| Cinematography | Ernest Laszlo |
| Editing by | John Bushelman |
| Distributed by | Allied Artists Pictures Corporation |
| Release date(s) | 22 September 1960 |
| Running time | 75 min |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Tormented is a 1960 horror movie starring Richard Carlson and was directed and produced by Bert I. Gordon for Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. The film was featured in the fourth season of the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K).
[edit] Plot
Jazz pianist Tom Stewart (Carlson), who lives on an island community, is preparing to marry his fiancee Meg. Shortly before the wedding, Tom's old girlfriend Vi visits and informs him that she will end Tom's relationship with Meg, using blackmail if necessary. While arguing on top of a lighthouse, the railing Vi is leaning against gives way. She manages to briefly hang on, but Tom refuses to help and watches her fall to her death.
The next day, Tom sees Vi's body floating in the water. He retrieves her only to see the body turn into seaweed. Tom tries to forget what he's seen, but over the next several days, all manner of strange occurrences happen. Vi's watch washes up on the beach and mysterious footprints appear in the sand. Before long, Vi's ghost appears and tells Tom that she will haunt him for the rest of his life.
Later in the day, Meg's little sister Sandy shows up and asks Tom if she can see the engagement ring. As Tom shows it to Sandy, he's spooked by a disembodied hand that soon makes off with the ring.
Soon after, Vi's disembodied head makes a small appearance in a photo of Tom's, and when alone, Vi taunts Tom that she'll now use her voice to tell the world how Tom Stewart killed her.
To add to Tom's dilemma, a ferry-driving beatnik comes looking for Tom, intent on collecting the $5 Vi owes him for her trip to the island. Tom's haste to pay the fellow off causes the shifty man to stick around, where his attempts to blackmail Tom lead to the ferryman being killed by Tom. However, Sandy inadvertently witnessed the murder.
At the wedding, Sandy keeps quiet about what she's seen, but almost says something at the point in the sermon where it asks if anyone "can give reason why these two should not be joined in matrimony." Before she can speak, the church's front doors burst open and the flowers all begin to wilt as the candles die out, ending the ceremony.
Later that night, Tom goes to the lighthouse, telling Vi that he's leaving the island. Soon after, Sandy listens in to what Tom says. When Tom finds her, he realizes that he's now trapped; Sandy knows too much and will tell Meg and the others. A desperate Tom leads Sandy up to the broken lighthouse railing with the intent to push her over. But just then, Vi's ghost swoops down on Tom, causing him to go over the edge as Sandy watches.
Soon afterward, the islanders go searching for Tom's body. However, the first one they find is Vi's. Shortly afterward, Tom's body is found and placed next to Vi's body, which somehow manages to turn and lay it's arm across his body. On Vi's dead hand is the engagement ring that was supposed to be Meg's, signaling that Tom is now stuck forever with Vi.
[edit] DVD releases
- This film has been released by multiple studios as a "bargain box" disc.
- The MST3K version of the film has been released by Rhino Home Video as part of the Collection, Volume 11 box set.
