Boris Karloff
Baron Victor Frederick "Eric" Von Leppe, a corrupt aristocratic man who murdered the baron and his wife and poses as the baron of an abandoned castle.
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Audience rating
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Synopsis
A lost French soldier encounters a young woman who resembles a baron's long-dead wife. His search for her identity leads toward the household's concealed history. Attraction and curiosity draw him into a mystery in which the past appears capable of returning.
Cast
Jack Nicholson
André Duvalier, a soldier of Napoleon's army who finds himself lost after fleeing his men during battle.
Sandra Knight
Helene / Baroness Ilsa Von Leppe, the shapeshifting demon of the witch who poses as the baron's deceased wife.
Dick Miller
Stefan, the original Baron's trustful servant who now serves the impostor.
DirectorsRoger Corman
Reception and legacy
The film reached audiences on a double bill with Dementia 13. Contemporary criticism praised aspects of its photography and settings while finding its narrative slow, a distinction between visual atmosphere and dramatic momentum.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Boris Karloff — . The original uploader was Wikiwatcher1 at English Wikipedia . · Public domain
- Jack Nicholson — Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sandra Knight — Film screenshot (American International Pictures) · Public domain
- Dick Miller — Rob DiCaterino · CC BY 2.0
