Tormented (1960)
“Some sins refuse to stay buried.”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
Bert I. Gordon's moody supernatural thriller traps pianist Tom Stewart between guilt and a literal ghost after he refuses to save his falling ex. Cheap optical effects mix with genuine seaside atmosphere on a California island. A campy, Freudian slice of late-1950s horror.
Cast
About the Director
Bert I. Gordon — Bert I. Gordon, king of low-budget effects, leaned on floating heads and disembodied limbs to stage the ghost's torment of his guilty hero. He shot at Malibu locations to give the picture an atmospheric coastal setting.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
Tormented is in the US public domain — an Allied Artists release whose copyright lapsed; the Internet Archive copy carries a public-domain mark and it has been verified as a US-PD full feature.
Behind the Scenes
Produced and directed by Bert I. Gordon for Allied Artists, the film was later famously lampooned on Mystery Science Theater 3000. It is a straight-horror departure from Gordon's usual giant-monster fare.
Did You Know?
- Joe Turkel, the blackmailing boatman, later played Lloyd the bartender in The Shining.
- The film was mocked on Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode 414.
- Director Bert I. Gordon cast his own daughter, Susan Gordon, as the little girl.
Reception & Legacy
Reviews range from affectionate camp appreciation to dismissal of its cheap effects and wooden lead. It survives as a beloved "so bad it's good" drive-in ghost story.
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