Santo vs. Dr. Death (1973) review

SANTO VS. DR. DEATH 1973 aka SANTO CONTRA EL DR. MUERTE aka THE MASKED MAN STRIKES AGAIN

Santo (himself), Carlos Romero Marchent (Paul), Helga Line (Sarah), Jorge Rigaud (Dr. Robert Mann), Antonio Pica (Peter), Mirta Miller (Susan), Maribel Hidalgo (Esther)

Directed by Rafael Romero Marchent

The Short Version: The most Euro-centric of all Santo movies, this Mexican-Spanish co-pro has a mostly European cast--many of which will be recognizable to fans of Euro-westerns and Paul Naschy horror pictures. Aside from its pronounced Spanish flavor, the approach taken in this Santo spy outing is more adult than most--reinforced by a professional sheen (likely from more money pumped into it) not normally seen in the Mexican Lucha productions with their frequently playful comic book preference. One thing DR. DEATH does share with the South of the Border offerings is a wacky plotline, this one involving mad scientists, artwork forgeries, assassination attempts, a booby-trap filled castle, an acid vat of death, impressive stunts, and of course, wrestling matches. If that weren't enough, Santo considered this his best movie.

The diabolical Dr. Death devises an elaborate plot to steal the world's famous paintings to amass the greatest collection of art the world has ever seen. This plan is accomplished by breaking into art galleries and defacing the canvas with a special acid created from tumors grown inside the bodies of captive women injected with the Doctor's poisonous formula. Having murdered and taken the place of the original art restorer hired to reconstitute the paintings, Dr. Mann, alias Dr. Death, keeps the original works, substituting them with the flawless forgeries created with the help of his equally evil nephew and sexy assistant Sarah. Meanwhile, secret agent Santo, already scheduled to wrestle in Spain, works with Interpol agents in Madrid to investigate after Velazquez's 'Los borrachos' painting has been damaged prior to its shipment to Mexico from the Museum of Prado. Fearing Santo will discover his plot, Dr. Mann sends assassins to eliminate him. In the interim, a female Interpol agent, Susan, infiltrates the castle to get information back to Santo and his assigned partner, Paul. Susan's identity is eventually discovered and Santo must penetrate Dr. Death's booby-trap infused castle to rescue her and the other abducted women.

Santo is back in secret agent mode after the team-up with Blue Demon in SANTO AND BLUE DEMON AGAINST DR. FRANKENSTEIN (released the month prior to DR. DEATH's Mexico release in November of 1974). Among its many distinguishable qualities is that it was the fourth of as many Santo pictures dubbed into English (the others being SANTO CONTRA LOS ZOMBIES ['62], SANTO CONTRA LAS MUJERES VAMPIRO ['62], SANTO EN EL MUSEO CERA ['63]). DOCTOR DEATH was also the third of as many co-productions with Spanish companies, the other two being the Colombian lensed spy capers SANTO FACES DEATH (1969) and MYSTERY OF THE BLACK PEARL (1971). 

In the vein of the hugely entertaining OPERATION 67 (1967) and its even more polished sequel, TREASURE OF MONTEZUMA (1968), SANTO VS. DOCTOR DEATH is arguably the most serious of the Santo spy era; and, according to the Silver Masked Man himself, his best picture.

Markedly different from any of the Mexican entries, this one resembles a Euro-cult film in nearly every way. If ever there was a Santo movie to convert European film fans to the wonders of Mexican superhero cinema, it's this one. Granted, any first-timer will find it difficult to take seriously a masked secret agent who wrestles professionally in between missions. The influence of Mexico's patron wrestling Saint cannot be denied. Both Italy and Spain had done their own versions such as the very entertaining SUPERARGO AGAINST DIABOLICUS (1966) and its lesser sequel. 

Lacking the manic, "falls count anywhere" style of the more famous, flamboyant Lucha entries, DR. DEATH bypasses those films overly kid-friendly nature, injecting the genres paradigm with a dose of Euro-sleaze.

Many times the Mexican entries recalled the classical style of fisticuffs found in the cliffhangers of the 30s and 40s-- and with possibly less resources to work with than the serials did. In SANTO VS. DR. DEATH, the action, as well as the entire film, has an identifiable, adult feel. The handling of the action by director Rafael Romero Marchent is arguably the best seen in the entire Santo canon, accompanied by an unmistakable level of professionalism. If only someone had reigned in the script before shooting began.

Director (and co-writer) Marchent is partly to blame for the muddled (even by Lucha standards) screenplay that, if it were an amusing adventure, would feel at home in one of the Masked Man's more chaotic outings. The filmmakers manage to hold it together despite pushing the boundaries of credibility with the convoluted, if gruesome means behind creating the lethal, acid-like substance over a mere painting scam. Unlike dozens of other Santo adventures, the tone is dour and humorless; and unlike some of the others that take an earnest approach to the material, SANTO VS. DR. DEATH easily beats them all with higher than normal production values.

A familiar name to fans of Euroaters via a string of average western films, Marchent's sole Santo adventure is noticeably more enjoyable than many of his cowboy pictures--GARRINGO (1969) and SARTANA KILLS THEM ALL (1971) being two of the better examples. A shame Marchent didn't direct another Lucha film, or two. Or three.

The closest approximation of DR. DEATH's quality to the Mexican financed Santo's would be the Cardona's back-to-back adventures shot in 1966, OPERATION 67 (1967) and its sequel THE TREASURE OF MONTEZUMA (1968). The differences between them are that the two Cardona movies have a more playful atmosphere versus the dark tone of Marchent's take on the material. Additionally, DR. DEATH feels less like James Bond than the two above-mentioned films that popularized Santo as a combination wrestler and super spy. They are similar in that they both feature Santo teamed up with another agent (here played by the director's brother, Carlos Romero Marchent); yet the playboy attitudes of Santo and his partner of the earlier pictures (there played by Mexican hunk master, Jorge Rivero) is missing in favor of keeping it strictly business.

Aside from the bizarre script, Marchent does manage to capture some exciting, often intense action scenes with the aid of Godofredo Pacheco's camerawork--a photographer who has contributed to a few cult items of interest. Pacheco seems to have had an eye for the Gothic, especially evident during the scenes in Dr. Mann's castle. It serves the film very well in the design of this unique entry in the Santo series.

Pacheco, a Spanish DP, lent his talents to a variety of genres including westerns (Giuseppe Rosati's THOSE DIRTY DOGS [1973], the Bronson oater, CHINO [1973]), war movies (Leon Klimovsky's SEVEN INTO HELL[1968]), horror (Jess Franco's THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF and THE SADISTIC BARON VON KLAUS [both 1962], the Paul Naschy monsterfest ASSIGNMENT TERROR [1970]), and an Italian-Spanish Santo knock-off (SUPERARGO AND THE FACELESS GIANTS [1968]). Pacheco's photographic duties in the Santo arena was among his final credits, passing away at 55 years old in 1974.

While it looks more like a Spanish movie in nearly every department, the Mexican roots are given room to grow in the form of three wrestling matches--one of which is integrated into the plot; said match being one of the handful of assassination attempts on The Holy. Instead of the usual sniper hiding out in the arena, it's Santo's in-ring opponent, who, in this mask vs. mask match, is intent on taking more from Santo than his iconic disguise.

When he's not wrestling, Santo, and often his partner (played by the director's brother, Carlos Marchent), are regularly ambushed by Dr. Mann's killers in fairly well choreographed, hard-hitting, 70s style fights. Lacking the light-hearted nature of the Mexican entries, Santo blesses his fans with things never seen before or after in these rougher edged sequences. The best of these occur during the concluding showdown in and around the castle.... 

After a literally explosive entry into Dr. Death's dungeon of doom, Santo dispatches many of the villains (one goes sliding down into the Doctor's flesh-melting acid pit), eventually giving chase to the remaining antagonista through the labyrinthine, trap-filled caves below the castle. Santo navigates various perils set for him including arrows, machine guns, and a wall of fire. The Silver Masked Hero is slowed down long enough to allow the villain time to escape via motorboat. But wait! High atop a precipice, Santo watches with nowhere to go but down; so Our Man Saint swan dives in a magnificent plunge that looks to be a 75 to 100ft drop. Santo swims over to another boat and the chase is back on; but it doesn't end there! After Santo's boat is filled full of lead it appears the bad guy is getting away.... that is till Paul shows up in a helicopter, giving Santo a lift with a rope ladder--leading to the best, likely most dangerous stunt ever seen in a Santo movie.

It's not all a boy's playground in SANTO VS. DR. DEATH, either. The script adds a female spy in the shape of Sarah, played by the lovely Argentinian actress, Mirta Miller. She gets a very prominent, spicy role akin to the part played by Lorena Valezquez in SUICIDE MISSION (1971) and Irma Serrano in THE ROYAL EAGLE (1971). Spain further shows its colors by offering more stunning cheesecake alongside another beauty, Maribel Hidalgo. European film fans will know Miller from a handful of movies like DR. JEKYLL AND THE WOLFMAN (1972), COUNT DRACULA'S GREAT LOVE (1972), BATTLE OF THE AMAZONS (1973), VENGEANCE OF THE ZOMBIES (1973), and EYEBALL (1975) directed by Umberto Lenzi.

You'll spot a wardrobe malfunction from Mirta Miller at just under the 70 minute mark. There appears to be a continuity error during this sequence, too. When Dr. Mann is called away while painting both Susan and Esther, they're wearing these flimsy nightgowns that barely conceals the milky white flesh underneath. In other shots, it appears there's some additional clothing covering them. Nudity was generally unheard of in Mexican movies, although some prints of OPERATION 67 got away a nude dance during the opening credits; and nudity in Spanish cinema wasn't allowed till the post-Franco period after 1975. Anyway, as Susan and Esther investigate the bowels of Dr. Mann's laboratory, they don't realize they're being watched. Upon discovering they've stumbled into a trap, the two ladies try to escape. It's here that one of Mirta Miller's breasts comes flying out of her barely-there gown in a 70s version of a nip slip.

Outside of Mirta Miller's appearance, European genre fans will be delighted to see Helga Line among the cast as one of the main villains. Unfortunately, her character is woefully underwritten, but her appearance in a Santo movie is nothing short of refreshing. The German born beauty is best known from such meatier roles as Paul Naschy's satanic lover in HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1973) and his devout follower in THE VENGEANCE OF THE MUMMY (1973); the leader of a village of vampires in THE VAMPIRE'S NIGHT ORGY (1974); and the sea-dwelling, reptilian terror of THE LORELEY'S GRASP (1974). She co-starred in other horror films, and genre work in sword and sandal, action-spy pictures, and westerns.

Another aspect of this production that deserves mention is the music. The lack of repetitive, misplaced jazz helps a lot in keeping the viewer focused on what's going on. Gregorio Garcia Segura's cues, especially his catchy main theme, are a welcome change of pace. The earlier B/W Santo pictures had diverse scores in them, but as the series progressed into the 70s, an overabundance of organ and jazz began permeating many of the entries. Those scores (if you can call them that) seemed like they were just laid over the film just so there would be a soundtrack. Occasionally you'd hear a decent track, but for the most part, it was something you'd hear in an elevator. Segura puts some life into his compositions.

Missing almost all the local flavor of the Mexican series entries, SANTO VS. DR. DEATH is one of the most unusual pictures to feature Enmascarado De Plata. A lively caper with a bit of exploitation, the only real problem is a confused script wherein the villains means are more insidious than the ends they achieve. Still, even with its few faults, it's a shame there weren't more in this vein to balance the more famous comic book movies in The Saint's oeuvre. Rafael Marchent's stand-out effort is a genre heavyweight that could go two out of three falls with the best Santo cinema has to offer.

This review is representative of the IM Records DVD. Spanish language only.

An Interview With Special Effects Make-up Artist, Matthew Mungle

Over the course of his near 40 years in the field of special effects make-up and prosthetics, the Oscar winning Matthew Mungle (Matthew W. Mungle) has run the gamut in the creation of creatures and characters spanning all genres in cinema. One of the busiest, and most in-demand FX artists working today, his incredible body of work stretches from early 80s slashers, to Hollywood blockbusters and popular television shows. To see the sheer depth of his resume, one wonders when he finds time to sleep! Currently working on the TV series SALEM (2014-present), Mr. Mungle was kind enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to answer some questions, mostly related to his early career.

Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine, April 1973

VENOMS5: I've read you were fascinated with the Universal Horrors as a kid. Was there a particular film from that period that got you interested in makeup?

MATTHEW MUNGLE: All the classic Universal Horror films were my favorite. FRANKENSTEIN (1931) was the one that inspired me the most.

Famous Monsters July, 1973

V5: And you were a Famous Monsters fan as well.

MM: Definitely. I couldn't wait each month or so for the new issue. I also entered the Make-up contest they had in the early 70s and won a second prize for the make-up I had created.

V5: I've also read that you used to experiment with make-up on friends and family members. Did they ever try to dissuade you from pursuing a career in this field?

MM: My mom and dad thought it was a passing phase, a hobby if you will, but they soon realized after I was in college that it was my passion.

Blasco at the Joe Blasco Make-up Center.

V5: Who was the greatest influence on you, William Tuttle, John Chambers, Dick Smith, or someone else?

MM: Joe Blasco was my greatest influence when I started attending his school in 1978 but before I met him it was Dick Smith and John Chambers for their amazing body of work and dedication to the craft.

V5: What was the experience like during your time at Joe Blasco's Makeup Center?

MM: Amazing... I was like a sponge, absorbing everything I could about the Art of the Make-up Profession. Not only Prosthetics, but Beauty and Character work as well. I learned from the best--Joe, who instilled in me that to be a true "MAKE-UP ARTIST", you mst know all aspects of makeup. That's what I live by today and what has made me so successful. After graduating from his school in May of 1978, I made my living doing beauty makeup which introduced me to a whole world I didn't even consider when I started in my profession as a Make-up Artist.

V5: Was JUST BEFORE DAWN (1981) your first professional job?

MM: No, it was actually ROAR in the summer of 1978.

V5: How did you get involved on that one, and did you witness any of the craziness on set with the lions?

MM: Joe Blasco recommended me. It was quite crazy working around all those big cats. A huge male lion got away from his trainer, ran right up to me, sat down in front of me and placed his paw on my leg. I gently picked it up, placed it on the ground and turned away from the cat as his trainer was immediately on top of him. Scary...

JUST BEFORE DAWN (1981).

V5: How did the JUST BEFORE DAWN job come about?

MM: I had interviewed for JBD thanks to Joe Blasco's recommendation and was awarded the job. It was very cool working on a slasher film. I actually worked on THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1981), or PRANKS before that.

V5: Were you satisfied with your work on JUST BEFORE DAWN, or were there things you wanted to do, but were unable due to time and money?

MM: I don't think as an artist I am ever totally satisfied with my work. I always think, "I could do it better next time". That's what keeps me interested in the art of make-up and always striving to be better and changing the way I create things on make-up jobs.

V5: Who came up with the idea for the snapping demonic breasts in MAUSOLEUM?

MM: I actually don't know. I was hired to create some makeup effects for additional pick up shots after the film had been completed.

V5: Was it a pleasant experience?

MM: It wasn't really a pleasant experience. It just gave me a chance to perfect bladder work and my prosthetic techniques. In fact, I don't think I got paid all the money they owed me.

V5: How did you melt Paul Wilson's face off in THE DEVONSVILLE TERROR (1983)?

MM: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) had just come out and the producer/director wanted a similar effect. I researched as much as I could and made the first head out of wax, tested it and decided that wasn't the way to go. It was too watery looking as it melted. I eventually made it out of gelatin with about 4 layers of color (flesh, yellow-fat, pink and red). We under cranked the speed of the camera which made the final film/melting so much faster.

THE POWER (1984).

V5: You did three films with Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow (DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, THE POWER, THE KINDRED). How did you three meet?

MM: I was referred to them by the Joe Blasco Makeup Center. They were still film students at UCLA at the time and were shooting a promo film as a student project to get funding to fund a full length feature. I went in to create make-up effects for the short directly out of my kit with no pre-made appliances. They liked my work and that lead to a great working relationship with the two very talented filmmakers.

V5: THE POWER (1984) has some impressive effects in it. Do you recall the FX budget on this one?

MM: I think the make-up budget was about $5,000. That included my salary on set. Those were the days. You did what you could with what you were given. Creating, and being as creative as you possibly could. It was a great experience and a training ground to my future in this industry.

Mungle at left operating an FX sequence in THE KINDRED (1987)

V5: Of those three films with Carpenter and Obrow, THE KINDRED (1987) is the most ambitious, and you had more money to play with. Is there a particular special effect of yours you're fond of?

MM: All of them. I had such a great time with that film. It was "fly by the seat of your pants". Creating a Fish Lady and a goo-covered bladder creature. Some of the best times I've ever had in this profession were on that movie.

V5: Did you find yourself having to improvise a lot on low budget pictures?

MM: Oh yes, everyday... Thinking up more inexpensive ways of creating great make-up effects. It has served me extremely well in my professional career.

Mungle at work on the set of DEEP BLUE SEA (1999).

V5: Did you ever find yourself getting frustrated on film sets, or did the challenge make it all worthwhile?

MM: The challenge was the best. It forced me to come up with different ways to create an effect, while working with camera effects to help make my work look great. The pressure was heavier because CGI effects were very expensive and time consuming back then so you had to get the effect right.

V5: What was your experience working with werewolves on SILVER BULLET (1985)?

MM: Carlo Rambaldi created the main werewolf on the film. He was VERY complimentary about my work with Mike McCracken on that film. I was fortunate to work with the very talented McCracken on that picture creating the Make-up Prosthetic Effects.

V5: I've read you worked on THE ICE PIRATES (1984) and HOWARD THE DUCK (1986), neither of which are listed among your IMDb credits. What did you do on these two?

MM: On ICE PIRATES I was hired by Maurice Stein and created all the Prosthetic Make-up Effects in the lab for the film. That's where I met Mike McCracken and his son. I worked in Tom Burman's Studio creating Prosthetics for HOWARD THE DUCK. I didn't go on set for either film.

V5: PHANTOM OF THE MALL: ERIC'S REVENGE (1989). You came up with the look of the Phantom, I believe?

MM: Yes, I was in charge of all the make-up effects on that film. It was another "fly by the seat of your pants" efforts, trying new and different ways of creating prosthetic make-ups.

V5: You worked with William Friedkin on THE GUARDIAN (1990). I've read he liked to do things in one take if possible.Was this a tense shoot and what was your opinion of your work on it?

MM: Very intense but I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He saw I was dedicated to my profession and we got along GREAT.

V5: Your career seems to have taken off in a big way in 1990. You worked on productions with some big names like Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone to name a few. Do any of these particularly stand out?

MM: WOW, yes, that was a great time. EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990). Ve Neil hired me on that one and we got to apply Johnny Depp's prosthetic make-up each day he worked. It was such a fun project and I loved working on it.
 

V5: You won an Oscar for DRACULA (1992) along with Greg Cannom and Michele Burke. What was that moment like for you?

MM: Absolutely incredible. I didn't get into this business to go there, but it was EXCELLENT to be awarded with the golden boy!!!

V5: What did you do on this production, and how was it working on Coppola's version of Stoker's novel?

MM: It was great. Greg hired me on to apply the Makeup Prosthetics and Effects. He would come in each day and we would apply Gary Oldman's prosthetics. Greg would leave immediately after the application was finished and I would watch and upkeep the prosthetics on set all day. This is the hardest part of this business, if it doesn't look good all day that's a problem. Sometimes Greg wouldn't show up to help with the application and I'd have to apply the prosthetics all by myself which was great. It was an incredible experience for Stuart Artingstall, Gary's hairstylist and I. Working on a remake of a film that was one of my all-time favorite films was another memorable time in my life.

Mungle & Drew Barrymore on set of CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE; photo W.M. Creations, Inc.

V5: Having done seemingly every sort of FX trickery in your field, do you have a favorite effect you like out of them all?

MM: Old Age and Character Prosthetic Make-ups because they are so challenging to make look believable. It's extremely gratifying to create a beautiful aging makeup, or even a believable character makeup on an actor.

V5: You have done much more than horror over the years. Do you still have the same passion for those films like you did as a child growing up?

MM: Definitely. They still stir that primal creative urge inside me. I still love to think up other ways of creating FX to scare the audience.

V5: Thirty years later after doing THE DEVONSVILLE TERROR (1983) you're working with witches again on the TV series SALEM (2014-present). What is the special effects makeup industry like today in comparison to the 1980s?

MM: Better. I'm on set with Lee Grimes on SALEM making prosthetics, etc, in our Make-up trailer. We're creating new make-ups and prosthetics with silicone's we never had available before and having a great time doing it.

Mungle applying make-up to Glenn Close on ALBERT NOBBS (2011), one of three films that brought him Oscar nominations--the others being SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) and GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI (1996).

V5: Aside from your Oscar, what work have you been most proud of?

MM: The projects I've created on my own for films such as SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993), THE GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI (1996), BEDAZZLED (2000), BLAST FROM THE PAST (1999), and ALBERT NOBBS (2011).

V5: If you could go back and do anything different on a picture, what would it be?

MM: I have absolutely no regrets. I am very happy where I've come from and where I've landed. It's been a tremendous ride.

Matthew W. Mungle (middle) and crew on the SALEM set.

V5: Last question. What advice would you give to an aspiring artist wishing to get into the business?

MM: You must be dedicated to your craft. Enjoy it, every minute of it, because before you know it, it will be gone. Concentrate on the details but keep your eye on the bigger picture at the same time. When you're working with an actor they don't want to hear your problems or what happened to you last night, they want to see you know what you're doing and that you know your craft.

CAC would like to thank Matthew Mungle for committing his time for this interview.