Strangler of the Swamp (1946)
“A phantom of the marshes demands its due!”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
After ferryman Douglas is executed for a murder he did not commit, his spectral form returns to the swamp to claim the lives of those responsible and their kin. When brave young Maria takes over the ferry and falls for a man marked by the curse, she must offer herself to break the cycle of vengeance. A remarkably moody, almost poetic horror film from bargain studio PRC.
Cast
About the Director
Frank Wisbar — German émigré Frank Wisbar remade his own 1936 film Fährmann Maria, drenching tiny PRC sound stages in dry-ice fog to conjure a dreamlike, fairy-tale swamp. The result is far more atmospheric and cinematic than its budget should allow.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
Public domain in the United States by copyright non-renewal. A US production written and directed for Producers Releasing Corporation; the copyright was not renewed in its 28th year, and the film has circulated as public domain for decades.
Behind the Scenes
Released in January 1946, the film features a young Blake Edwards, decades before he created The Pink Panther and directed Breakfast at Tiffany's, in an early acting role. Lead Rosemary La Planche was a former Miss America.
Did You Know?
- A young Blake Edwards, future director of the Pink Panther films, appears as the romantic lead.
- It is an English-language remake of director Frank Wisbar's own 1936 German film Fährmann Maria.
- Star Rosemary La Planche was crowned Miss America 1941 before turning to acting.
Reception & Legacy
Critics consistently rank it among PRC's best horror films; Leonard Maltin praised its moody, fog-laden atmosphere, and it has a modest cult reputation for being more lyrical and cinematic than its Poverty Row origins suggest.
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