Ever the populist, William Castle came up with a great democratic ploy to entertain the hoi polloi-the Punishment Poll. With Mr. Sardonicus, you get to vote on the final fate of the evil baron whose face is paralyzed in a “soul-shattering smile.” That's right, you can proudly display your card with thumbs up or thumbs down and mete out the penalty for a life's cruelty. And boy, does he deserve it. After he violated his father's grave to get a winning lottery ticket, Sardonicus's face gelled into a grotesque grimace. His desperate days are lived out at a fog-bound castle where his manservant Krull (an anagram of Igor) conducts heinous experiments, like applying leeches to the maid's face, to find a remedy for his twisted mister. Dr. Robert, famed massage therapist of the 1880s, is called to the blighted barony, where the baron's wife puts a smile on his face, though not for long. Definitely two thumbs up.