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One of the creepiest and more original concepts for a Hammer horror movie is also one of the studio’s most disappointing efforts. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee reunite for The Gorgon, but their characters aren’t very interesting and the two have precious little screen time together. Cushing plays an unlikeable head doctor at a mental asylum who poo-poohs everyone’s concerns over the growing number of people getting turned to stone. Lee plays a visiting professor who discovers three Medusa-like sisters are the culprits, but only two of them have been spotted in a nearby mansion. The third is hiding in plain sight among the townfolk.

Since there’s only one other female role in the film, the mystery of the third sister’s identity couldn’t be any weaker. Watching the film tip-toe around a painfully obvious secret becomes excruciatingly tedious. A lot could be forgiven if the film delivered some visceral thrills, but the snake-haired sisters get only a few scant seconds of the spotlight. The Gorgon also suffers from a small number of cramped sets, making the film look far more budget-conscious than the studio’s usual fare. If you look for a silver lining, Barbara Shelley gives a good performance as the third sister who’s completely unaware of her murderous proclivities during full moons. There are also a few scenes of delicious gothic ambience featuring painted backdrops and a spooky James Bernard score driven by ethereal voices.

Directed by Terence Fisher. Co-starring Richard Pasco, with Michael Goodliffe, Patrick Troughton, and Joseph O’Conor (The Dark Crystal).