Shanks (1974)

33% of users liked it
(197 ratings)

Shanks is not so much a movie as an hallucinatory experience. World-renowned mime Marcel Marceau plays a dual role as a mute puppeteer and an eccentric inventor. The inventor dies, passing along his secrets for reviving corpses to the puppeteer. With the help of an enigmatic little girl, Marceau… More Shanks is not so much a movie as an hallucinatory experience. World-renowned mime Marcel Marceau plays a dual role as a mute puppeteer and an eccentric inventor. The inventor dies, passing along his secrets for reviving corpses to the puppeteer. With the help of an enigmatic little girl, Marceau activates several dead bodies and goes on a robbery spree. Costarring with Marceau are fellow mime artists Tsilla Chelton and Phillipe Clay. Shanks had cult potential, but was released with a surprisingly lackluster ad campaign--all the more surprising in that the film was directed by that master huckster William Castle (whose last film this was). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Directed By: William Castle
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror

In Theaters: Oct 9, 1974 Wide
On DVD: May 27, 2013

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A grim fairy-tale.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Eric B

"Shanks" is not marvelous, but if you wanted to make a film to exploit the talents of Marcel Marceau, there would be few ways to do it better. Marceau portrays Malcolm Shanks, an innocent puppeteer who is beloved by the town's children but saddled with an abusive… More
"Shanks" is not marvelous, but if you wanted to make a film to exploit the talents of Marcel Marceau, there would be few ways to do it better. Marceau portrays Malcolm Shanks, an innocent puppeteer who is beloved by the town's children but saddled with an abusive sister and her nasty, drunk husband. Keen to seize his wages, they find him a job with an old, rich scientist (also played by Marceau, in ridiculously heavy makeup) who is conducting reanimation experiments on the dead. Sure, it happens! When the scientist dies himself, Marceau takes over the operation, finding that his marionette skills are well-adapted to mastering the handheld invention which directs a dead creature's movements. At least three mimes portray animated corpses, and most of the fun is watching these artisans at work in such an unusual, macabre setting. No one utters much dialogue except the sister and husband -- Marceau's character stays silent but *does* croak a few lines in the guise of the old scientist -- and the wordless action is accented by occasional title cards in the style of a silent film. Eventually, a hoodlum motorcycle gang complicates the plot, which unfortunately is a rather clichÃ (C)d touch. "Shanks" is just a novelty, but it's entertaining. It is also William Castle's final work as a director.

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Cast

Marcel Marceau
as Malcolm Shanks/Old Walker
Philippe Clay
as Mr. Barton
Tsila Chelton
as Mrs. Barton
Larry Bishop
as Motorcycle Gang Member
Don Calfa
as Motorcycle Gang
Cindy Eilbacher
as Celia
Helena Kallianiotes
as Biker's Old Lady
Biff Manard
as Goliath
Boyd 'Red' Morgan
as Policeman
Read Morgan
as Cop
William Castle
as Grocer
Phil Adams
as Motorcycle Gang Member
Mondo
as Genghis Khan
Lara Wing
as Little Girl
Tsilla Chelton

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Shanks (1974)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Eric B

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