Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Arnold Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 9, 2023

1973’s “Arnold” has a plot that’s so bizarre, it really makes one wonder how it managed to make it all the way to the screen. Here’s a tale about a wedding, only it involves a corpse, and one with a specific plan of revenge on the people who’ve wronged him over his formerly fruitful life. Screenwriter Jameson Brewer and John Fenton Murray go a little crazy with their ideas for the picture, creating a kooky mystery featuring a collection of colorful characters and strange behaviors. “Arnold” has a plan for oddness, especially when it comes to the dispatching of players in the dead man’s game, and there’s a seasoned cast ready to sell the stuffing out of it all, putting in a laudable effort to make this bit of insanity play like a strange Agatha Christie tale, or perhaps a particularly saucy episode of “Scooby-Doo.”

Death has come for Arnold Dwellyn (Norman Stuart), but that’s not going to stop him from attending his wedding day. After spending years with his widow, Jocelyn (Shani Wallis), Arnold has moved on to Karen (Stella Stevens), a young bombshell agreeing to be wed to the dead man, receiving a promise of comfort in the exchange as the pair settle into life at his manor. Gathering for a reading of Arnold’s will, a group anxiously awaits news of their inheritances, including his younger brother, Robert (Roddy McDowell), sister Hester (Elsa Lanchester), lawyer Douglas (Patric Knowles), legal associate Evan (Farley Granger), and loyal assistant Dybbi (Jamie Farr), while constable Henry (Bernard Fox) maintains watch over all. What the gang receives is a message on a cassette, with Arnold detailing the distribution of his estate, making sure Karen remains with his body, while Robert is singled out as a problem, receiving nothing but news that a hidden vault of treasures exists somewhere on the estate. Believing the worst is over, the mourners elect to ignore Arnold’s wishes, only to encounter more cassettes and bigger threats from the dead man, who’s not done with the group.

“Arnold” identifies its level of spookiness right away, with a raven and a black cat making an appearance at the start of the film, reinforcing the intended tone of the picture. The movie isn’t exactly a horror show, more interested in weirdness, with director Georg Fenady breaking such an ominous genre warning sign with a swinging title tune performed by Wallis, cutting through the atmosphere with a song that more accurately sells the feature’s mood. It’s something weird and something wacky, and not everyone introduced in the first act is going to make it to the end credits.

The wedding scenario is nutty, with everyone kinda, sorta just going along with a plan that involves Karen marrying a quite dead Arnold, with his coffin propped up at the ceremony while the priest is understandably stressed out by the unholy union. Of course, nobody is really happy about this, least of all Jocelyn, who’s stuck being both a widow and a starter wife, giving her best years to her husband, who ruled over all with his successful chemical company, and now has the power to enter a marital relationship as an expired man, with his body turned into a posable figure to keep Karen company. The reading of the will offers screen time to the ensemble, with the characters coming together to collect their financial reward, only to listen to a cassette that’s capable of being played by Arnold’s coffin, which has two slots to help with taped declarations. It’s quite a casket.

Turns out, nobody is happy with Arnold’s will, with such a denial of financial glory revealing true feelings about the deceased, but more importantly, relationships are exposed in full, beginning with an affair between Robert and Karen. The couple has gone along with the wedding situation, looking to acquire Arnold’s estate, but the dead man has other plans, with a series of cassette deliveries helping to inform people of his intentions. “Arnold” eventually gets to death, with one character killed by acidic cold cream, while another is murdered by his own suit, but “Arnold” isn’t an explicitly violent effort. It’s much tamer, keeping thing bloodless as the production works to conjure a mood of mystery with events around the manner. There’s Dybbi, a one-handed helper who has full access to the dwelling. There’s a system of paintings that permit unknown characters to peep through eyeholes. And there’s Hester, who also lives with Arnold, perhaps too scattered to really understand what’s going on.

There’s some time away from manor happenings in “Arnold,” which occasionally follows Henry and his rounds, which typically brings him to the local inn, where old men drink beers and openly ogle owner Flo (Wanda Bailey), who’s well aware of her physical appeal. Such lustiness is also explored with Karen, as the production keeps Stevens in constant costume changes (presumably to help explain the passage of time, which isn’t clarified) or no costumes at all, playing up Karen’s sex appeal to most men. Again, “Arnold” restrains itself, looking to add just a touch of friskiness to keep viewers interested, never following through on sexual activity.

Arnold Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1) presentation is a 4K of the 35mm interpositive. Colors are lively, with manor interiors providing deep reds. Hues are bright on costuming, especially on Stella Stevens, who's dressed up in a number of vivid outfits. Men's formal attire registers with strong grays and browns. Skin tones are natural. Detail is softer but does fine, exploring skin particulars on the cast, while manor rooms and decoration are open for inspection as the actions heads around the property. Delineation is secure, preserving frame information and dark outfits. Grain is nicely resolved. Source is in good condition.

Arnold Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a straightforward understanding of "Arnold," leading with defined dialogue exchanges, which track accents and emotionality. Scoring cues support with decent instrumentation and balance, while the title track comes in with more authority. Sound effects register as intended.

Arnold Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Mike White.

• "The Gothic Horror Comedy in Hollywood" (21:02, HD) is a video essay from Samm Deighan.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Arnold Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Twists and turns are found along the way, with "Arnold" following the dead man's plans to exact revenge on those who've betrayed him, using an elaborate system of taped messages and death traps to complete his mission. It's not an especially vigorous genre exercise, leaning more towards camp than suspense, but the concept is too wild to pass up. There's also the cast, who bring personality and professional timing to the endeavor, enjoying the madness of the writing with suitably exaggerated performances. I can't imagine "Arnold" is a professional highlight for anyone, but they make it work, committing to the gothic atmosphere of the picture and its vision for vengeance. It's a fine addition to Halloween viewing challenges, with this offering trading hardcore frights for a lighter ride of corrupt people making terrible decisions, while a deceased man organizes their punishment from beyond the grave. It's not scary, but it's certainly different.