Michael Neumann This bargain basement Hitchcock plagiarism (from the author of 'Psycho') stars Barbara Stanwyck as an unhappy widow who fears the ghost of her tragically killed husband is trying to drive her insane. But is she truly haunted, or only hallucinating? And who is that tall, dark and handsome stranger who stalks her dreams night after night? There are more plot holes than you'd care to count before the astonishing resolution, but like any guilty pleasure the film is certainly enjoyable in a ludicrous, low rent sort of way. It's all very stylish and improbable, and thrown together (like all good B-movies) with a brazen disregard for logic. Along the way are (surprisingly) one or two truly frightening moments, and the atmospheric (if not exactly subtle) chiaroscuro visual effects are first rate. Don't miss the portentous introductory narration, explaining the psycho-significance of dream imagery.

bkoganbing William Castle was always one for gimmicks to get attention for his product. Whether it was those tinted glasses for 13 Ghosts or those insurance policies for Macabre, Castle always had a keen eye for publicity. For The Night Walker he did things the more conventional Hollywood way, he reunited two stars from Hollywood's golden age of the studio who happened to be married to each other at one time.This was done once before, for William Powell and Carole Lombard in My Man Godfrey. The trade papers were buzzing about how the former marrieds would get on. Actually they did and they produced a classic motion picture comedy.Would that The Night Walker did the same for Taylor and Stanwyck. Neither was especially fond of the project although they behaved professionally whether the cameras were rolling or not. I agree with a previous reviewer, you either love the film or you can't understand it. I belong in the latter category.Barbara is a beauty parlor owner married to a really creepy blind guy in Hayden Rorke. He's got the idea she's cheating on him and with his attorney Robert Taylor. Later on he's killed in an explosion in the house. After that Stanwyck starts having nightmares, so much so she can't tell reality from dream. The audience has some problems in that regard as well.A really talented cast milks whatever entertainment value can be gotten from The Night Walker. Let's just say that at the end of the proceedings only one is left to tell the tale, a tale the police are going to have a lot of problems believing.Castle puts his usual chilling atmosphere on the proceedings. But I assure you if you think about the plot the whole thing is quite ridiculous.

4friedchickensandacoke William Castle's B/W thriller ( 1964 )with Barbara Stanwick and Robert Taylor .. Is this available on TCM ?? I see it is not available on DVD,, but there a lot of great films not available that get run regularly on TCM . I thought there was a box I could check that would alert me when this title is to be run during the week, so I won't miss it. For those of you who are familiar with this Gothic style horror film,, Castle did wonders with the Music, the Angles of the camera lens and the Black and White composition of this little 86 minute gem of a film. The music of this film gives me the creeps whenever I think of the melody. And the angle of the Dutch framing ( on an angle ) makes the horror that much better.

jonkru12 William Castle has successfully managed to thrill audiences with low-budget films that manage to creep into our collective psyches and scare us silly. Being the showman that he is, he used a lot of gimmicks and tricks. "The Tingler", "House On Haunted Hill", and others are examples of this unique technique. He knows what scare us. "Night Walker" differs from this format somewhat. There are no gimmicks, no tricks. Just a solid, believable script of a woman tormented by troubling dreams after the death of her husband. Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck add credence to the story by virtue of their considerable "star" power, making a possibly unbelievable story believable. The casting is exceptional, the music is appropriately effective, and the ending is...well, quite surprising.