Strangler of the Swamp

This is more then a routine mystery/suspense film when taken in the entire context of horror movie history. Ok, it's not a classic and it's not a film many people will remember but it is a neat little chiller from a much maligned and ridiculed film company. In the 1930's and 1940's Universal Pictures was Hollywood's "Horror Factory". Columbia Pictures, RKO Pictures and even MGM released fright flicks fairly regularly during those two decades. Then there was PRC or Producers Releasing Corporation. The "Ed Wood" of Horror movie studios in the 1940's. This was the black sheep of the family, the dirt poor Uncle no one really cared about. The studio regularly released cheap, quick and fairly awful Horror flicks to try and cash in on Hollywood's Horror boom. For their efforts, the studio was ridiculed and laughed at and would resort to releasing films the "bigger" studios made but were ashamed to release. 1946's "The Brute Man" with Rondo Hatton was a prime example. It was made by Universal who upon seeing the final results of the film and realizing they were exploiting Hatton' real life disease wanted no part of the film and sold it to PRC who of course quickly released it in theaters to much backlash. Anyway, to make a long story short "Strangle Of The Swamp" is regarded as the studios finest work and maybe it's only quality release. The film is moody, atmospheric, well made though it was hampered by PRC's usual small budget. Charles Middleton plays a murdered ferryman who comes back for revenge. Entirely studio bound as most PRC films were, it still gives off a big budget look and feel. Generally speaking and enjoyable and breezy movie that was PRC's best. So taking the history of horror films and PRc studios in context, this was no routine movie. Especially to PRC.