EDITOR’S NOTE: Curse of the Doll People was on Chiller Theater on Saturday. August 17, 1968 at 1:00 a.m.

Known in Mexico as Munecos Infernales, this movie was directed by Benito Alazraki, who was also behind Santo contra Los Zombies and Espiritismo, both of which were made the same year as this film.

Four men have stolen an idol from a voodoo priest. I don’t have to tell you what a bad idea that is in any country. Soon, evil dolls begin killing their family members years before we even heard of Puppet Master. It’s actually based on the book Burn Witch Burn! by A. Merritt, which has nothing to do with the movie of the same name. That British-American film was initially titled Night of the Eagle and was based on the Fritz Leiber novel “Conjure Wife.”

Speaking of that movie, it had a Paul Frees-narrated prologue in which he read a protective spell for the audience, who were also given further occult defenses via a special pack of salt and the words to an ancient incantation.

This movie has no such assurances.

K. Gordon Murray, who brought The Brainiac and Santa Claus up north, as well as the writer of Shanty Tramp, also brought this movie to America, but not before adding some new scenes.

Ramon Gay, who starred in all of the Aztec Mummy films, is featured. He was one of the brightest lights in Mexican cinema when a dispute over the affections of the actress Evangelina Elizondo ended with her estranged husband shooting Gay dead.