BARBARA PAYTON IN HAMMER'S 'THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE'

Title: THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE (Spanish Translation: OF THE EVIL GENIUS) Year: 1953 Rating: ****

Before Hammer's Golden Age of Victorian Horror, from DRACULA to FRANKENSTEIN, primary director Terence Fisher got prepared for the latter, involving an ultimately mad-scientist creating the duplicate of lead actress Barbara Payton within a familiar kind of dark laboratory, filled with sizzling electrical wires when the right buttons are pressed...

The catch is that Payton's Lena has been in love with central inventor Bill's best friend Robin since childhood, beginning with a prelude of that era where she literally chooses one over the other, and, cut to the present where both grown men are absent of their companion (momentarily back in America), they invent a machine also reminiscent of what would be in THE FLY, placing an object on one enclosure as its copy's created miraculously inside the other, initially tested with a pocket watch and signed check...

Barbara Payton and James Hayter in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Of course the inevitable is a human, which occurs halfway through, providing THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE enough rudimentary exposition to make the eventual payoff seem more scientifically legitimate...

That's when, after a well-timed, tension-filled laboratory process, Payton's twin is born — and in a future TWILIGHT ZONE fashion there's an ironical catch for poor Bill, played by Stephen Murray, too old despite a good performance evoking sheer desperation and bitter loneliness...

Barbara Payton and James Hayter in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Turns out Payton's double is the same person sharing exact memories and feelings: hence she's also in love with Robin, who would later be Jonathan Harker from HORROR OF DRACULA John Van Eyssen, is also too old... and isn't suave or handsome enough for a gorgeous bombshell (more befitting the crooked film-noir gun-moll in Hammer's BAD BLONDE) to be so insanely smitten...

Meanwhile the story's narrated by affable father-figure James Hayter, filling so many gaps to where, had he not been around, the inventors, the girl and especially the audience would have to figure things out on their own: which would instill a more fleshed-out morality tale on taking risks for personal fulfillment, providing two clever twists in a unique Hammer entry combining science-fiction with melodrama — and touches of gothic horror as well. 

Barbara Payton and Stephen Murray (as Bill) in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

John Van Eyssen and James Hayter as Robin & Bill in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton and Stephen Murray in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton and Stephen Murray in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton and James Hayter in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton and Stephen Murray in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton and Stephen Murray in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Jennifer Dearman as young Lena in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Jennifer Dearman as young Lena in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Jennifer Dearman as young Lena in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton and James Hayter in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton and James Hayter in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

Barbara Payton and Stephen Murray in THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE