Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Strange Confession Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 11, 2021

Note: This film is available as part of Inner Sanctum Mysteries: The Complete Film Series.

There may be two schools of thought with regard to those who make horror films, with one group opting for graphic, on screen representations of whatever traumas characters experience, and with another group thinking that it’s best not to show every jot and tittle of various nefarious behaviors, in the belief that the audience’s imagination can make things even scarier than any overt offerings can. In that regard, it’s interesting to think about some of the old radio shows that frequently featured mystery, thriller or horror elements, since it probably goes without saying that a broadcast without a video element necessarily requires the active participation of a listener’s imagination in order to make everything “click”. There were any number of “spooky” radio programs back in the day, including such well remembered efforts as Suspense (which kind of amazingly managed to last until 1962), though Inner Sanctum owed its genesis to another medium that requires an active imagination — namely, reading. Simon and Schuster launched an imprint called Inner Sanctum in 1930 which did traffic in mystery and thriller novels, but which kind of humorously also offered other genres, including romance.

In 1941, the radio edition premiered in January and became a staple of the American broadcast landscape, with a licensing deal with Simon and Schuster that required regular advertising of whatever the latest Inner Sanctum book was. A little bit over two years later, Universal did another licensing deal with Simon and Schuster to use the Inner Sanctum title, though as the commentary on Calling Dr. Death gets into, Universal was kind of aggressively circumscribed by both the publishing house and the radio version in that the film company could not use the radio sound effect of a creaking door (which memorably opened and closed each episode), and was also prohibited from actually adapting any of the Simon and Schuster books (which may seem like a kind of odd requirement). Universal ended up making six titles under their Inner Sanctum imprint, with all of them offering Lon Chaney, Jr. a chance to do something other than grow hair (The Wolf Man), get wrapped in ragged bandages (The Mummy's Tomb) or attempt to maraud around in Boris Karloff's oversized boots (The Ghost of Frankenstein). With regard to the two "schools" of horror mentioned above, for reasons probably related as much to the production era as to any deliberate stylistic choice, things can be somewhat discursive in terms of on screen horror.

Strange Confession may be the most compellingly "relevant" of the six Inner Sanctum films in this set, since its plot revolves at least in part with getting a vaccine to market quickly. The film has one of the more riveting opening sequences in the franchise, as chemist Jeff Carter (Lon Chaney, Jr.) confesses to his friend Brandon (Wilton Graff) that he has the disembodied head of Jeff's boss Roger Graham (J. Carroll Naish) right there in his briefcase, and that he is responsible for the beheading. The rest of the film offers a flashback as to what led to this disturbing situation.

There are so many current day refractions that audience members may unavoidably see in this film that Strange Confession has a visceral impact that it frankly may not have had at its time of release. It turns out that Graham is so eager to get a flu vaccine out to paying customers that he offers a defective version, which leads to tragedy. Graham is also an unrepentant villain in any number of other ways, which ultimately plays into Jeff's marriage with Mary (Brenda Joyce) and, even more disturbingly, their little son. The film has an unusual emotional grip as a result, even though it's typically over the top as all of the Inner Sanctum films tend to be at times. This one is interesting in that it "begins at the end", so to speak, and so there's no real mystery about how things will conclude, but the whole pharmaceutical intrigue aspect is really fascinating, especially for those of us who have survived a global pandemic.

Strange Confession Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Strange Confession is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.36:1. This is another largely winning looking presentation in the Inner Sanctum set. There are some occasional signs of age related wear and tear, including a bit of damage in the credits, and later blemishes like scratches, white flecks and other blemishes, but on the whole detail levels remain strong and once again contrast is consistent and at times rather striking due to some of the lighting choices. Fine detail on things like costumes is typically very precise looking. Grain resolves naturally throughout.

Strange Confession Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Strange Confession features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track. Once again, as with all of the films in this set, dialogue comes through without any real problems, and scoring also sounds full bodied. Occasional sound effects can come off as slightly artificial at times. This is another presentation where there's some very slight background hiss that becomes more apparent in quieter moments. Optional English subtitles are available.

Strange Confession Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Eureka! has packaged this set on two discs, with both film specific and more generalist supplements on each disc. Here is a list of all the contents, including supplements, on both discs.

Disc One

• Films

  Calling Dr. Death

  Audio Commentary by C. Courtney Joyner and Regina Le Borg can be accessed under Calling Dr. Death on the Main Menu.

  
  

  Trailer (HD; 1:07) can be accessed under Calling Dr. Death on the Main Menu.

Weird Woman

Audio Commentary by Justin Humphreys and Del Howison can be accessed under Weird Woman on the Main Menu.




Trailer (HD; 1:22) can be accessed under Weird Woman on the Main Menu.

Dead Man's Eyes

Trailer (HD; 1:05) can be accessed under Dead Man's Eyes on the Main Menu.

• Kim Newman on the Inner Sanctum Mysteries (HD; 26:56) is another enjoyable interview with the typically affable and informative Newman.


• This is The Inner Sanctum (HD; 31:47) is another interesting overview of the series, which time spent on each film.


• Radio Episodes

  The Amazing Death of Mrs. Putnam (25:15)

  
  

  The Black Seagull (28:46)

  
  

  The Skull That Walked (29:42)

Disc Two

• Films

  The Frozen Ghost

  Trailer (HD; 1:11) can be accessed under The Frozen Ghost on the Main Menu.

Strange Confession

Audio Commentary by Peter Atkins and C. Courtney Joyner can be accessed under Strange Confession on the Main Menu.

Pillow of Death

• The Creaking Door: Inside the Inner Sanctum (HD; 17:37) focuses on the radio broadcast.


• Martin Kosleck Interview (HD; 11:00) begins with Kosleck insisting there are no small parts, or at least none that he ever took.


• Radio Episodes

  Skeleton Bay (29:44)

  
  

  The Man Who Couldn't Die (29:22)

  
  

  Death of a Doll (25:08)

Strange Confession Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's an undeniable sadness to Strange Confession, a film which ups Chaney's "victim" status to near Job like levels. But it's the film's almost prescient focus on the marketing of pharmaceuticals that may make this unexpectedly relevant for some viewers. Technical merits are solid, and Strange Confession comes Recommended.