SINISTER ASYLUM, A HORROR CLASSIC – PART TWO

RF Lucchetti
EEdition: Marco Aurélio Lucchetti

Original (American) movie poster Sinister Asylum.

I begin the second part of my text regarding Sinister Asylum, saying that several scenes in the film are impressive..
Among these scenes, I would highlight five:

1 – Master Sims showing Nell the interior of St. Mary's of Bethlehem Asylum, which more closely resembles a chamber of horrors..
I think it's important to mention that Val Lewton initially gave the film the title of Chamber of Horrors, i.e, Chamber of Horrors. Then, he decided to title it. A Tale of Bedlam; and finally, Bedlam.

Master Sims introduces Nell to one of the patients at St. Mary's.

2 – The alienated one (Glen Vernon) who, personifying Reason, during a show created by Master Sims to entertain lord Mortimer and his guests (one of whom is Nell Bowen) end up dying of asphyxiation, as their bodies were entirely painted with gold paint.

Glen Vernon (1923-1999), painted gold, in Sinister Asylum.

In the movie 007 Against Goldfinger (Goldfinger, In the 1964 film *The Dark Knight Returns*, directed by Guy Hamilton, there is a somewhat similar scene: as punishment for getting involved with secret agent James Bond (Sean Connery), Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton), an assistant to the villain Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), dies with her entire body covered in gold paint.

3 – William Hannay's scene shows him secretly visiting the asylum to see Nell. At a certain point, during the climax of the scene, the patients try to grab him, reaching their hands out of their cells.

4 – The one about the madmen judging Master Sims, who, in despair, tries to defend himself, saying:

“I never intended to hurt them. I never intended to chain anyone, to torture anyone. I already told them why I did it. Because I needed to. I was afraid. I was afraid of this big world, the big world of men. I was afraid of the little wealth I had obtained. What the world thinks… I also think. What they do… I also do. What I know is worthless! I had to accept it, bow down, reduce myself to nothingness, to avoid having to hear the world laugh at me.”

5 – Master Sims being walled up alive after being mortally wounded by one of the lunatics..
Upon seeing this scene, I was immediately reminded of the ending of one of Edgar Allan Poe's (1809-1849) most celebrated short stories, "The Cask of Amontillado" (first published in the November 1846 issue of the journal). Godey's Lady's Book, a women's magazine published in Philadelphia), in which Fortunato is walled up alive in the cellar of his rival, Montresor.

Boris Karloff's facial expression reveals the agony felt by Master Sims as he learns his end is near. Only the head remains before he is walled up alive.

Sinister Asylum It impresses not only with its extremely refined cinematic language, but also with its bitter, ironic, and cultured dialogue..
In most of these dialogues, the characters reveal their contempt for the insane and the unfortunate, as can be seen in this conversation between Nell and William, when the actress meets the Quaker, in front of the asylum:

William: I saw when he hit Sims. He shouldn't have done that..
Nell: Do you think I'm afraid of him? Do you think he could hurt me?
William: I'm not afraid for you, miss. It's those who are hospitalized there that I'm afraid for. Sims will make them pay dearly for that scam..
Nell: And who gave you permission to call my attention to it? I don't even know you..
Nell's employee informs her that Hannay is a Quaker.
WWilliam: My name is William Hannay. I am from the Society of Friends..
Nell: I've heard of you. You always turn the other cheek..
WWilliam: To be Quaker It's not just about turning the other cheek and treating everyone as equals. It's about feeling compassion for those who are inside. Like Miss....
Nell: Do you think I hit Sims because I felt sorry for the alienated?.
WWilliam: I saw it in his face..
Nell: Pity?! I don't know such a feeling, sir. I hit a man because I felt like it. Because he's an ugly thing in a beautiful world..
WWilliam: There is so much ugliness in this beautiful world! This has to change!
Nell: Sir Quaker, When I came into the world, I wasn't wearing velvet..
WWilliam: I already suspected as much. And although there are people like you, who face the weariness of a hard life with spirit and intelligence, there are thousands who cannot..
Nell: I feel no pity for them! Let them do as I do!
WWilliam: And what about those who are hospitalized? Will they be able to take care of themselves?
Nell: I don't feel sorry for them either! They're soulless animals!
WWilliam: That's not true..
Nell: You think not? Well, go to Vauxhall tonight at eight o'clock, and you'll see me laughing at those fools you think I pity..
WWilliam: You won't be able to laugh at those poor wretches. I don't think so. I've seen great ladies who had hearts of stone, however…
Nell: Mine is made of flint. Sometimes it throws off sparks, but it never gets hot. I don't have time to show love and brotherhood to my fellow men.

William Hannay questions Nell Bowen.

Sinister Asylum It impresses viewers with its unusual shots; with the perfection of the sets, which, as happened in other films produced by Val Lewton at RKO, were reused from other films [for example, the asylum had been the church of The Bells of Santa Maria(The Bells of St. Mary's, [1945], a drama directed by Leo McCarey (Thomas Leo McCarey, 1898-1969) and starring Bing Crosby (Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby Jr., 1903-1977) and Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982); by the interspersing of William Hogarth's engravings with the sequences, commenting on them or functioning as symbols; by the expressionist photography of Nicholas Musuraca (1892-1975); by the music of Roy Webb (Royden Denslow Webb, 1888-1982); by the masterful performance of Anna Lee, in the role of Nell Bowen, a sane woman who suddenly has to live with insane people; by the performance of Elizabeth Russell, who played Master Sims' niece, a vulgar, uncultured young woman, a lover of drink, who becomes the new protégé of... lord Mortimer…
(Open a parenthesis).
Elizabeth Russell (1916-2002), whom Joel E. Siegel called “"the quintessential Val Lewton actress"” (Val Lewton – The Reality of Terror, p. 103), had already appeared in a memorable sequence of Panther Blood.
The scene shows Serbian Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), Oliver Reed (Kent Smith), and a group of friends sitting at a table in a Serbian restaurant in New York. They are there to celebrate Irena and Oliver's wedding. Suddenly, an enigmatic, feline-looking woman (Elizabeth Russell) approaches the table, stares intently at Irena, and calls her... “moja sestra” ("my sister"“, (in Serbian). Irena stares at her. The woman asks: “"Moja sestra?"” Irena makes the Sign of the Cross. The woman gives Irena one last look and leaves the restaurant. While the other occupants of the table find what happened curious, Irena is frightened.

Elizabeth Russell, playing the feline-looking woman, in Panther Blood.

Despite being poorly regarded by RKO executives, Sinister Asylum This is conclusive proof that making a good film doesn't require a lot of money, but rather a lot of imagination and a team of talented people.

Sinister Asylum (Bedlam, United States, 1946, 79')
Production: Val Lewton
Direction: Mark Robson
Road map: Carlos Keith (Val Lewton) & Mark Robson
Photography: Nicholas Musuraca
Assembly: Lyle Boyer
Art Direction: Albert S. D'Agostino & Walter E. Keller
Music: Roy Webb
Musical Direction: C. Bakalenikoff
Cast: Boris Karloff (Master Sims), Anna Lee (Nell Bowen), Billy House (lord Mortimer), Richard Fraser (William Hannay), Elizabeth Russell (Master Sims' niece), Glen Vernon (golden boy), Ian Wolfe, Jason Robards Sr., Leyland (Leland) Hodgson, Joan Newton, Ellen Corby, Frankie Dee
Production and Distribution Company: RKO Radio Pictures
Observation: Each of the films produced by Val Lewton for RKO was supposed to have a maximum cost of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Sinister Asylum It was the only film where the cost was increased to three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.