Review - Don't Look in the Basement

When a film has a name of Don't Look in the Basement . . .

. . . usually there is a pretty good reason not to look in the basement. Not so in this little campy B thriller - also known as The Forgotten (1973).

Nurse Charlotte Beale (Rosie Holotik) begins her first day at Stephens Sanitarium on a slightly sour note. She immediately meets the second in command Dr. Geraldine S. Masters (Anne MacAdams) and learns that tragically, Dr. Stephens (Michael Harvey) has been killed by one of his very own patients. Patients he let live out their psychotic fantasies in hopes that it would eventually lead to a break and the patients would basically heal themselves. It seems he was right that his brand of therapy would lead to a break, just not the type he was hoping for.

As you can see from the beginning of the film, Stephens Sanitarium is not your typical looney bin. Complete with a man who obsesses about being a judge (Gene Ross), a woman who is pushed over the brink of sanity by her desperate search for love and affection (Betty Chandler), a woman who believes a plastic baby doll is her real child (Camilla Carr), a man who is quite large but has the intellect of a child (William Bill McGhee), a withdrawn woman (Harryette Warren), a man who thinks he’s still a Sergeant (Hugh Feagin), a crazy red-headed loon like man who likes to play jokes (Jessie Kirby), and a harmless and lonely old woman (Rhea MacAdams) - there are more psychosis here than meet the eye.

In a terrible twist of fate, we learn that Dr. Masters is not all that she seems. After Dr. Stephens was killed she took over, but she is no more sane than the rest of the lot in the sanitarium. All the while, poor Charlotte has no clue what is going on and must be clued in by the others that all is not well in this particular part of the woods.

Very cheesy 70's horror flick which just happens to be my favorite kind. I really enjoyed Don’t Look in the Basement, though I am not quite sure why you weren’t supposed to look in the basement - there was nothing scary down there. In reality, Charlotte’s salvation could have been to look in the basement from the very beginning . . . maybe that’s why they think you shouldn’t?

Directed by
S.F. Brownrigg

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Thomas Pope uncredited
Tim Pope

Cast (in credits order)complete, awaiting verification
Bill McGhee .... Sam (as William Bill McGhee)
Jessie Lee Fulton .... Jane St. Claire
Robert Dracup .... Ray Daniels
Harryette Warren .... Jennifer D.
Michael Harvey .... Dr. Stephens
Jessie Kirby .... Danny
Hugh Feagin .... Sergeant Jaffee
Betty Chandler .... Allyson King
Camilla Carr .... Harriet
Gene Ross .... Judge Oliver W. Cameron
Annabelle Weenick .... Dr. Geraldine S. Masters (as Anne MacAdams)
Rosie Holotik .... Nurse Charlotte Beale
Rhea MacAdams .... Mrs. Callingham