I Bury the Living (1958)

"Science has learned that man possesses powers which go beyond the boundaries of the natural. "This is the story of one confronted by such strange forces within himself." - Opening Title Card from "I Bury the Living"

To say Richard Boone "buries the living" in this film is like saying that I commit infanticide every time that I masturbate; It's only half true. Sure, he's the apparent "I" in the title, but he doesn't bury anyone, not really. And certainly not anyone whose still living. The lurid title is an obvious attempt to cash in on the thriving "B" movie marketplace which ran wild in the late 50's.

Here we have a case of a hack writer and a fairly adept director teaming up to co-produce a movie. One only has to see the film to understand why no one in their right mind would put money into Louis Garfinkle's script. It's a second rate "Twilight Zone" episode penned by an Ed Wood wanna-bee. Garfinkle boxes himself into a corner half way through the piece and then has to give us the obvious for an answer. But in true Serling-esque style, he writes a pseudo-mysterious plot twist at the end that's designed to make us think twice. we don't bother. We can see it's all hokum and hooey - silly, nonsensical stuff that owes as more to Wood than it does to Serling. Garfinkle's scientific non-explanations are nothing more than mystical tomfoolery. Director Albert Band, meanwhile, almost turns this silly goop into a good film.

Band takes a while to get going but eventually he starts moving the ball. Mid-way through the film, he almost makes the story seem interesting. He rightly diverges from any romantic angles the film's "gotta have a love interest" (personified stiffly by Peggy Maurer) sensibilities might wish to impose and concentrates on the inner turmoil of the main character, played by Richard Boone (TV's "Have Gun Will Travel"). When Band is allowed to explore the thoughts and confusion inside Boone's mind, the film begins to pique our curiosity. Unfortunately, Band seems to get going just when Garfinkle runs out of steam. Still, during the climax, Band whips out some fine "running through the graveyard" footage and jumbles it up with some pretty interesting special effects (provided by the Westheimer Company) to keep us interested. This is actually engrossing - at least, for a moment. Then Garfinkle tries to explain stuff to us again, and this cinematic souffle falls.

Alas, Garfinkle's nonsense finally catches up with Band and he is as trapped by the plot as the writer is. Forced to give us a silly explanation, his film collapses like the main prop, a map, does in the final scene here.

Band must have had little choice in casting because only Boone really performs in the film. Sans moustache, Boone's face expresses much of his inner confusion. We believe him when he seeks out a dramatic end to his mental suffering. We think him capable of committing the most unpleasant deed, suicide. It would have been a much more admirable end to the film - one Boone probably wished for when he read the final draft of the ending here. Boone, instead, admirably acts his best to the final scene. It helps. Herbert Anderson (the dad on TV's "Dennis the Menace" a bit later) does admirably well as Boone's confidant in the picture too. He actually delivers his silly dialogue earnestly. We are even compelled to believe that his character doesn't know the correct term for "deja vu." Truth be told, the nail in the coffin here is Theodore Bikel as the Scottish "hired hand" character. Bikel's fake accent is so thick that it becomes impossible to understand a single word that he utters during the film. This is especially sad since his character handles all the exposition in the film. (Maybe Band knew he better cover up as much of Garfinkle's tripe as he could and a fake accent seemed like the perfect tool?) Ultimately, we never know what the hell is going on, even after Bikel tries to deliver Garfinkle's convoluted meanderings. It's like trying to talk to someone in China on a phone made of two tin cans and a piece of string. Even if you can discern the words, it seems like they're in another language.

Fans of 50's "B" movies will find plenty to love and loathe here. The story is silly but fun, even if it does have more holes than Swiss cheese. The acting is just barely good enough with Boone somehow managing to propel the story all on his own. And the music is overly dramatic and pumped up way too loud during the phony dramatic moments. And, most importantly, there are some cool special effects here. No blood or gore, no thrills or gasps either. Just cool looking super-imposed images and interesting uses of miniatures. There is even cool lighting effects that are probably just luck. Notice the white push-pins that are important props here. When Boone stands beside them as they are stuck in the wall map, they have an eerie glow. That being said of course, it's important to remember that it should be the black ones that are catching our eye.

Note: Music by Gerald Fried. Director of Photography is Frederick Gately. Visual Design by E. Vorkapich.

Review written in 1995

Report Card

Script: D-

Acting: C-

Cinematography\Lighting: A-

Special Effects\Make Up: A-

Music: D

Final Grade: D+