Possibly director Ulmer's worst movie. I simply can't understand the bizarre raves for this terrible picture. People go on about it as if it were made by Hitchcock! The plot is obvious, there is no suspense, it's fast=paced yet still manages to be tedious, Everyone knows what's going on practically from the first so there are no surprises. Inspired by Hamlet? Give me a break! As for the acting, Lydon is okay and Warren William is wasted.

Strange Illusion is directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and written by Fritz Rotter and Adele Comandini. It stars Jimmy Lydon, Warren William, Sally Eilers, Regis Toomey, George Reed and Jayne Hazard. Music is by Leo Erdody and cinematography by Phillip Tannura.Adolescent Paul Cartwright (Lydon) is startled by a dream he has about his father's death. In the dream he comes to believe the death was not an accident, but murder, and there seems to be a shadowy figure moving in on his mother and sister. When the mysterious Brett Curtis (William) arrives in his mother's life, Paul begins to suspect his dream may be coming true...It's a tricky one to recommend, for it's one of Ulmer's most divisive noir movies amongst his fans. It's hard to argue with some of the complaints put forward because undoubtedly the acting is poor, the villains weak (and revealed way too early), the score obtrusive and it's a good 15 minutes too long. Yet Ulmer could quite often make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and here he manages to rise above the flaws to craft a most intriguing picture. A film in fact of many psychological pangs.The framing device for the story is essentially that of a evil step- father, and since we know early on that Brett Curtis is indeed evil, it becomes a simple case of if young Paul can find the proof before harm comes to his mother and sister. He willingly checks into a mental health sanatorium as part of his investigation, while the clock ticks down elsewhere as the sinister Curtis homes in on his prey. There's a dastardly accomplice with Curtis and a good old family doctor aiding Paul from the sidelines. That's pretty much it for plotting.However, analysis shows plenty to keep the film from sinking without trace. There's obviously the Freudian factor concerning dreams, the interpretation of such, but there's also oedipal overtones pulsing throughout. The relationship between Paul and his mother never feels natural, evident in the way he holds her or talks to her. Ulmer cannily keeps it bubbling under the surface, but it is there. Then there is Brett Curtis, a monstrous creation, a serial killer and sexual predator of young ladies, the latter of which is deftly handled by Ulmer as we pick up on his sordid ways only via aftermath clues and conversations.It's also a moody picture visually, as you would expect from Ulmer. The budget of course is small, thus the production design is accordingly tight, but the director gets much atmosphere from such sparsity. It's filmed in shadowy black and white and this perfectly marries up with the psychological discord of Paul Cartwright, while dastardly conversations unfold in darkened rooms. One particular shot of Paul in the sanatorium standing in front of a huge barred window, the shadows stretched around him, is very striking and it makes you wish there was more shots like that, but Ulmer doesn't short change us for moody atmospherics.From the hazy dream beginning to the denouement that plays out in a rickety old cabin, there is much to enjoy and pay attention to. Oh it's a mixed bag for sure, but the good far outweighs the bad in my humble opinion. 7/10

This minor film noir has competent direction, good cinematography, solid production values, and an imaginative story line that makes it rise above the typical crime drama of that era.Jimmy Lyndon is excellent as a gawky college student haunted by a bizarre precognitive dream of his family and dead father, who was a judge murdered under mysterious circumstances.Sally Eilers delivers a nuanced performance as his mother, who has fallen under the spell of a suave conniving gigolo, perfectly played by Warren William with his rich, deep, mellifluous voice and sophisticated mannerisms.The plot twists and turns when Lyndon is sent to a mental hospital to be treated for neurosis and hallucinations under the care of a villainous psychiatrist (Charles Arnt). During his confinement, Lyndon uncovers evidence that William is a serial killer in cahoots with the psychiatrist and is preparing to strike again...Although the entire cast delivers good performances, Lyndon and William are outstanding and well worth the price of admission.

The plot of "Strange Illusion" can be summed up by main character Paul Cartwright (Jimmy Lydon) in conversation with his friend Dr. Vincent (Regis Toomey) - "This may sound kinda crazy Doc but, that dream is beginning to happen". The story finds college student Paul, who's overly protective of his mother Virginia (Sally Eilers), conflicted over her romance with Brett Curtis (Warren William). Curtis' manner is just a little too smooth, hiding the fact that his mission is to exact revenge on Paul and his family. It was Paul's deceased father, a former judge, who sent Curtis to jail years ago, but under his real name of Claude Barrington.Curtis becomes suspicious that Paul is on to him, and together with psychiatrist friend Professor Muhlbach (Charles Arnt), they intend to take him out of the picture one way or another. Paul uncharacteristically agrees to be a 'guest' at Muhlbach's Restview Sanitarium, where his own detective skills are put to the test. With cool self assurance and with the help of Doc Vincent, the pair begin to unravel the mystery behind the death of Paul's father and the sinister alliance between Muhlbach and Curtis/Barrington.Lydon's portrayal of young Cartwright is decidedly angst driven, though he manages to slip out of character every once in a while when conversing with friends. He caught me off guard with that phone call to would be girlfriend Lydia (Mary McLeod) - "Hello vixen, what's mixin'?"; and he really went into Henry Aldrich mode when he learned his sister might be in danger with Curtis.It was after the film doing some research that I learned of an interesting fact about Lydon. In the movie, his sister Dorothy (Jayne Hazard) is talking with Curtis about moonlight and poetry, and they share a thought about Omar Khayyam. Dorothy remarks that most people her age wouldn't know who the Persian poet was, surmising that to them he could just as well be a Turkish wrestler. That remark seemed to come out of left field, but it turns out that Lydon's grandfather was professional wrestling champion Jim Londos! When the opening credits of this film rolled declaring itself a PRC release, my guard immediately went up for poor production values and a disjointed story, however I was pleasantly surprised by the intelligent presentation of Paul's dilemma and it's resolution. It might have been more fitting if Paul's dream sequence to end the movie had him talking with his dead father. Other than that, I only found one other story element to be annoying. Why, one asks, would a grown woman allow her own kids to call her 'The Princess'?