The Long Hair of Death
| The Long Hair of Death | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster for I lunghi capelli della morte | |
| Directed by | Antonio Margheriti[1] |
| Produced by | Felice Testa Gay[1] |
| Written by |
|
| Story by | Ernesto Gastaldi[1] |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Carlo Rustichelli[1] |
| Cinematography | Riccardo Pallottini[1] |
| Edited by | Mario Serandrei[1] |
Production company |
Cinegai S.p.A.[1] |
| Distributed by | U.N.I.D.I.S. (Italy) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 100 minutes[1] |
| Country | Italy[1] |
| Box office | ₤321 million |
The Long Hair of Death (Italian: I lunghi capelli della morte) is a 1964 Italian horror film directed by Antonio Margheriti. It stars British actress Barbara Steele in the roles of Helen Rochefort and Mary, Italian actor George Ardisson as Kurt Humboldt, and Polish actress Halina Zalewska as Adele Karnstein and her daughter Lisabeth. It is set in a 15th-century feudal castle, and the nearby village.
Plot summary
In the late 15th century, Adele Karnstein is burned at the stake, accused of being a witch who has murdered Count Franz Humboldt. Lisabeth, the woman's youngest daughter, lives in the Humboldt castle and when she grows up Lisabeth is forced to marry the deceased man's nephew, Kurt Humboldt, who is the real murderer. The drama unfolds in an atmosphere of cruelty, superstition, sexuality and the scourge of the plague, with the sudden appearance of a mysterious woman called Mary.
Production
Most of the production was shot at Massimo Castle in Arsoli.[2]
Cast
- Barbara Steele as Helen Rochefort / Mary
- George Ardisson as Kurt Humboldt
- Halina Zalewska as Adele Karnstein / Lisabeth Karnstein
- Giuliano Raffaelli as Count Humboldt
- Laura Nucci as Grumalda
- Umberto Raho as Von Klage
- Nello Pazzafini as the Servant
Release
Produced by Felice Testa Gay's company Cinegai S.p.A., I lunghi capelli della morte was released in Italy on December 30, 1964 through the distributor U.N.I.D.I.S.[1] It grossed a total of 321 million Italian lira on its theatrical release.[1]
The film was released on DVD in the United States by East West Entertainment, as a double feature with Terror-Creatures from the Grave, and through the Midnight Choir label as a double feature with An Angel for Satan.[1]
Reception
In a contemporary review, the Monthly Film Bulletin found the film was "erratically scripted, unusually clumsily dubbed, and sagging badly in the middle"[3] it still had "enough good sequences to lift it well out of the rut" and was "a pleasingly atmospheric Gothic tale".[3] The review compared the Margheriti to Mario Bava, stating that he "hasn't quite the same gift as Bava for this sort of thing" but still "acquits himself creditably".[3] The review also praised the acting of Halin Zalewska and Barbara Steele finding the latter to be "her usual extraordinary self".[3]
In retrospective reviews, the film was called a "superior monochrome gothic".[4] Roberto Curti, author of Italian Gothic Horror Films felt the film was not as strong as Margheriti's Danza macabara (Castle of Blood).[2] Margheriti himself stated that he did not like the film, because he felt the script and story were of poor quality.[2]
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Curti, Roberto (2015). Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969. McFarland. ISBN 1476619891.
- Hughes, Howard (2011). Cinema Italiano - The Complete Guide From Classics To Cult. London - New York: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84885-608-0.
- Paolo Mereghetti (2010). Il Mereghetti. Rome: B.C. Dalai Editore. ISBN 8860736269.