THE OVAL PORTRAIT is a little-seen low budget Mexican gothic inspired by one of Edgar Allan Poe's many short stories. It's the usual kind of misadventure set in a rambling old house, where a young woman finds herself possessed by the spirit of a dead woman. Hints of necrophilia and the like darken the plotting somewhere, but mostly this is a slow-moving and mildly atmospheric ghost story with a few shrieking histrionics added to the mix. The cast give undistinguished performances but there's a certain atmosphere of regret here along with darker moments at the climax.

This gothic horror film deals with the saga of southern belle Maray Ayres, before and after her death. She starts off as a ghost, and through flashbacks, the audience learns about the mysterious Rebecca, no relation to Daphne DuMaurier's unseen antagonist, but certainly as powerful a spirit. The actual film follows the arrival of Rebecca's cousin (Wanda Hendrix),and Rebecca's alleged attempt to take over Hendrix's soul. Barry Coe plays a recovering soldier who falls under Rebecca's spell, giving her a motive for wanting to find a body to inhabit. Like Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca, there's a loyal housekeeper, in this case the not as severe Giselle McKenzie, more of a mother figure (and quite lovely) than a forbidding presence.

Certainly, Rebecca is not presented as an evil woman, but encourigable and independent like her late mother whom her father calls a tramp during a confrontation. Like other gothic mysteries and horror films, this features a portrait of a major character, seen of course over the opening credits. The lengthy flashbacks minimizes the screen time of veteran actress Hendrix (supposed to be much younger),but the flashbacks are more interesting.

The actor playing the nasty father is certainly unforgettable, but unidentifiable because of the credits. Ayres is quite alluring as the ghostly Rebecca, and Coe ("Peyton Place") is quite verile. This is a type of film that was popular in the 1940's and 50's but send camp and melodramatic in most of the other variations, particularly because of over the top acting and dizzying photography. all of the elements come perfectly together here, making you very interested in how everything plays out. Elements of the 1970's story and detail techniques really work at making this truly fresh and alive.

It seems some of Poe's classics should not be made into film. In this tale a family gets together for the reading of a will at a house that appears to be haunted by the ghost of Rebecca, whose oval portrait appears on the wall. The haunting effects are poor, as in turning a camera on/off poor, something that dates from the 1920's. We do find out about Rebecca which consumes much of the film.