Dir: Roger Corman
A labour of love for Roger Corman (who turns 97 next month) who ruefully admitted that it was one of only two films he’d made that had ever lost money; but after years of coining it in he could afford just for once to make a film that he really cared about.
Even today liberal use of a certain word can still shock; while bringing it in took plenty of courage, since the crew constantly had to move on when the locals turned ugly when they discovered the man they were cheering wasn’t the hero but the villain (if you look closely you’ll see the conclusion takes place on three different locations).
Modern viewers will be surprised to see William Shatner as the satanic snake oil salesman Adam Cramer, to which his declamatory style is well suited. Leo Gordon is cast spectacularly against type in a sympathetic role, while to further keep costs down writer Charles Beaumont (author of the original novel) makes his sole film appearance as an actor.@RichardChatten