SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Megamind To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

MARIO GAUCI I believe I first heard of this one after reading Michael Elliott's more or less favorable appraisal of it and, by and large, I find myself agreeing with his assessment. The title pretty much explains both the film's theme (horror/thriller) and style (foggy atmosphere). For a PRC effort, I guess it is slightly above-par quality-wise but this does not in any way make it some lost genre classic: this reminds me of Leslie Halliwell's comment about Edgar G. Ulmer's rather splendid 1944 BLUEBEARD: "possibly the most interesting film ever to come from PRC (which isn't saying very much)".The strangler (played, in ghostly form, by Charles Middleton) is a ferry-man who was hung for a crime he did not commit. It transpires that the person to succeed him in that job (which is vital for locals to travel across the swamp to the other side of town) was actually the one whose testimony proved decisive in the eventual conviction – and it is later suggested that he was merely after the post! However, before dying, Middleton curses not only the people who sent him to his death but their descendants as well...and, to be sure, a number of accidental stranglings have been occurring, which the superstitious community obviously blames on this blood-curdling warning! Soon, it is the turn of the new ferry-man to get his just desserts: a trio of intrepid elderly women cross over to cut down the hangman's noose left in place after Middleton's execution and, left alone in the boat to dispose of the rope, the old man throws it up in the air – with the noose then falling squarely around his neck and, as the other end is caught in some brushes, he ends up choking like the others! This latest victim had actually intended retiring since he was getting on in years and, soon after, his replacement – a girl, and his own niece – arrives, as does the son (played by future director Blake Edwards!) of an eminent member there. Naturally, the two youngsters fall for one another and, given that they are related to two of Middleton's 'murderers', he adds them to his list of proposed victims. The elders of the town are convinced that only if one of those involved gives himself willingly to the strangler can the curse be lifted but, needless to say, nobody has the courage for it. When Edwards himself is almost done in, it is up to either his father or his girl to save him – having already been made to take up what is normally a man's task, it is no surprise to find that it is she who comes through for the leading man as well...but rather than giving herself to the former ferry-man, she pleads with him to give up his revenge quest and rest in peace (yes, people in this film can actually converse with the ghost!).In the long run, this emerges as middling but not displeasing fare: the narrative may hardly be original yet it is reasonably engaging and, while the approach comes across as somewhat pedestrian, it nonetheless manages to convey the appropriate mood throughout.

Michael_Elliott Strangler of the Swamp (1946) ** 1/2 (out of 4) PRC film, which is actually very well made and also received quite a bit of critical praise. The film tells the story of a small village out in the middle of a swamp that seems to be haunted by the ghost of an innocent man they hung years earlier. There's a lot of great things about this extremely low budget film but there's one big flaw and that's that the film runs 59-minutes and even that seems a tad bit long. There are several segments of the film where it becomes too talky while the most interesting aspects are forgotten about. What really makes this film stand out and makes it worth watching are the wonderful sets and the terrific atmosphere brought by the director. This thing is very thick in atmosphere so much so that at times you can feel the heat of the swamp all over your body. The mystery of the film is pretty well written and the ending is a major winner considering how most of these type films end.

Chris Gaskin Strangler of the Swamp was made by low budget studio PRC and is certainly one of their best movies I've seen.A man who was hanged for a murder he didn't commit returns as a ghost for revenge on the people who accused him. He uses a rope to strangle his victims and after several deaths, including the old man who operates the ferry across the swamp, he disappears. The old man's granddaughter takes over the ferry herself and also falls in love with one of the local men and they decide to get married.This movie has plenty of foggy atmospheres, which makes it very creepy too.The cast includes Rosemary La Planche, Blake Edwards and Charles Middleton (Flash Gordon) as the Strangler.Strangler of the Swamp is a must for old horror fans like myself. Excellent.Rating: 3 and a half stars out of 5.

Chuck Straub Nice simple movie. Great atmosphere and good acting. Reminds me somewhat of the old Universal studios monster movies. This movie is by PRC Pictures in 1946. When I first watched it I thought it was made earlier. It almost looked like a movie from the 30s. Looks like this movie had a much cheaper budget than contemporary horror movies but they did well with what they had. It has a combination of horror, mystery and a love story all rolled up in one. It has a great atmosphere about it and is really quite enjoyable. It's a fairly short movie of 58 minutes and keeps your attention throughout. I gave it a 6 out of 10 rating. Well worth seeing, keeping in mind that it is a older movie from 1946.