Berserk! (1967) French Moyenne Poster

Herman Cohen was nothing if not loyal to those around him. Jim O'Connolly had been promoted from production manager on Horrors of the Black Museum and The Headless Ghost (both 1959) to associate producer on Konga (1961), writer of the original story on A Study in Terror (1965) and director for Berserk! He also went on to make the Harryhausen dinosaur western The Valley of Gwangi (1969) and the brilliant early slasher Tower of Evil (1972).

Berserk! has Joan Crawford presiding over a different circus of horrors, where a series of fatal 'accidents' during the acts make box office receipts soar. The inventiveness of the murders is where the films scores best, as the rather muddled dénouement and unveiling of the killer isn’t actually possible, given what’s come before. Still, Crawford’s legs are still pretty shapely for a 63 year old, although the soft focus on her close-ups is glaringly obvious. But the whole cast give spirited performances, and Berserk! became the most successful film Cohen ever produced.

Artist: Mascii

Aka: Circus of Blood

Condition: VERY FINE