13 Frightened Girls (1963)
The penultimate film in the Mill Creek William Castle Horror Classics set (I'm saving The Old Dark House until October). 13 Frightened Girls could never be classed as a horror film, it's barely a thriller, in fact this is actually a light hearted espionage tale about a diplomats daughter who attends a special school for diplomats girls and becomes involved in a Cold War spy ring against the Chinese.
Director William Castle often uses gimmicks in his film but i can't recognize any here, unless it's an attempt to lure the viewer into thinking it's some sort of a slasher film with the 13 Frightened Girls being 13 victims as suggested by the lurid poster. If that's the case then Castle definitely pulled a fast one on me.
Kathy Dunn who plays lead school girl Candy is a breath of fresh air throughout with her bubbly, enthusiastic performance (She reminds me of someone that i can't put a name to) and is ably backed up by Murray Hamilton and Hugh Marlowe with star to be, Alexandra Bastedo as one of the other frightened girls.
As with much of Castle's more (in)famous out put the film is camp and garish in colour with dialogue often so stilted but charming in equal standards as is the dubious xenophobic outlook the film sports. With another actress 13 Frightened Girls could have been a proper mess but it isn't and it's one i think i recommend. Certainly better then 13 Ghosts and Homicidal but not up with the best of Castle ie - Mr Sardonicus and The House on Haunted Hill.
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