William Castle’s film may have looked lame but it is clear he used mannequins in the death scene for a purpose, to keep people from being traumatized. They likely learned a great deal form the film The Brain that Wouldn’t Die in which a woman lost her head [referencing Jane Gray and Marie Antoinette], and was kept alive by artificial means.
…Kay put cold crème on her face, then dusting powder. She wrapped herself in a green robe,
put on a shower cap and rode a bike around the courtyard, then took off the robe,
just before streakers hit the courtyard…
