Mr. Sardonicus (1961) is a horror film produced and directed by William Castle. It tells the story of Sardonicus, a man whose face becomes frozen in a horrifying grin while robbing his fathers grave to obtain a winning lottery ticket. Castle cited the film in his memoir as one of his favorites to produce.\r
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The film is based on a short story called Sardonicus that was originally published in Playboy. Castle purchased the rights and hired its author, Ray Russell, to write the screenplay.\r
To achieve Sardonicuss terrible grin, actor Guy Rolfe was subjected to five separate facial appliance fittings. He could not physically stand to wear the piece for more than an hour at a time.
