This was a decent little time-passer--not great by any stretch, but better than I would have expected from a grade-Z movie production. It was amazing how Bela Lugosi went from stardom at Universal in Dracula in 1931 to doing this film for California Tiffany Studios--I can't imagine why he did this. In fact, throughout his career, Lugosi bounced back and forth from top-level studios such as Universal and MGM to "poverty row" studios like Tiffany and Monogram. While the decision to do this film probably didn't seriously hurt his career all by itself, the role certainly did nothing to enhance his marketability.
Despite the title, the film is NOT about a person who murders by kissing nor is it a horror flick of any type. Instead, it's a murder mystery and the phrase "Death Kiss" refers to the title of the movie where an actual murder occurs on the set. Apart from Lugosi, the film is packed full of no-name actors and some do well, while others are obviously in their element in a low-budget production.
Strengths of the film are decent writing and an innovative idea that allows the audience to see the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making a film. Negatives are the acting, limited and pretty dull part written for Lugosi and the fact that this is, at heart, just another murder mystery.
Despite the title, the film is NOT about a person who murders by kissing nor is it a horror flick of any type. Instead, it's a murder mystery and the phrase "Death Kiss" refers to the title of the movie where an actual murder occurs on the set. Apart from Lugosi, the film is packed full of no-name actors and some do well, while others are obviously in their element in a low-budget production.
Strengths of the film are decent writing and an innovative idea that allows the audience to see the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making a film. Negatives are the acting, limited and pretty dull part written for Lugosi and the fact that this is, at heart, just another murder mystery.