The House That Dripped Blood
| The House That Dripped Blood | |
|---|---|
 Original theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Duffell |
| Produced by |
Milton Subotsky Max Rosenberg |
| Written by |
Robert Bloch Russ Jones |
| Starring |
Christopher Lee Peter Cushing Nyree Dawn Porter Denholm Elliott Jon Pertwee |
| Music by | Michael Dress |
| Cinematography | Ray Parslow |
| Edited by | Peter Tanner |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Cinerama Releasing Corporation |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $500,000 |
The House That Dripped Blood is a 1971 British horror anthology film directed by Peter Duffell and distributed by Amicus Productions. It stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Nyree Dawn Porter, Denholm Elliott, and Jon Pertwee. The film is a collection of four short stories, all originally written and subsequently scripted by Robert Bloch, linked by the protagonist of each story's association with the eponymous building. The film carries the tagline "TERROR waits for you in every room in The House That Dripped Blood."
Plot
Shortly after renting an old country house, film star Paul Henderson mysteriously disappears and Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) from Scotland Yard is called to investigate. Inquiring at the local police station, Holloway is told some of the house's history. He then contacts the estate agent (John Bryans) renting the house, who elaborates further by telling Holloway about its previous tenants.
Segments
"Method For Murder"
A hack writer of horror stories (Denholm Elliott) moves into the house with his wife (Joanna Dunham) and is haunted by visions of Dominic (Tom Adams), the murderous, psychopathic central character of his latest novel.
"Waxworks"
Two friends (Peter Cushing and Joss Ackland) become fixated with a macabre waxwork museum that appears to contain a model of a lady they both knew.
"Sweets to the Sweet"
A private teacher (Nyree Dawn Porter) is perturbed by the cold and severe way a widower (Christopher Lee) treats his young daughter (Chloe Franks), even forbidding her to have a doll.
"The Cloak"
Temperamental horror film actor Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) moves into the house while starring in a vampire film being shot nearby. He buys a black cloak from a peculiar shopkeeper (Geoffrey Bayldon) to use as his film character's costume. The cloak seems to instill in its wearer strange powers, something Paul's co-star (Ingrid Pitt) quickly discovers.
Cast (by segment)
"Framework"
- John Bennett as Detective Inspector Holloway
- John Bryans as A.J. Stoker
- John Malcolm as Sergeant Martin
"Method For Murder"
- Denholm Elliott as Charles Hillyer
- Joanna Dunham as Alice Hillyer
- Tom Adams as Richard/Dominic
- Robert Lang as Dr. Andrews
"Waxworks"
- Peter Cushing as Philip Grayson
- Joss Ackland as Neville Rogers
- Wolfe Morris as Waxworks Proprietor
"Sweets to the Sweet"
- Christopher Lee as John Reid
- Nyree Dawn Porter as Ann Norton
- Chloe Franks as Jane Reid
- Hugh Manning as Mark
"The Cloak"
- Jon Pertwee as Paul Henderson
- Ingrid Pitt as Carla Lynde
- Geoffrey Bayldon as Theo von Hartmann
- Jonathan Lynn as Mr. Petrich
Production
Vincent Price was first offered the part of Paul Henderson. He liked the script but was unable to accept because American International Pictures held an exclusive contract with him for horror films.
Originally, director Peter Duffell wanted to have the title Death and the Maiden. Producer Milton Subotsky decided on the more dramatic The House That Dripped Blood. Not one drop of blood appears in the actual film.
When Peter Duffell was engaged the participation of actors Lee, Cushing and Pitt had already been decided by the producers. All other actors were cast by Duffell.
Critical reception
Allmovie's review of the film was positive, calling it "a solid example of the Amicus horror anthology."[1] Halliwell's Film Guide described the film as "neatly made and generally pleasing despite a low level of originality in the writing."[2]
Box Office
The film was a minor success in the UK but did very well in the US.[3]
Home media
| Format | Audio | Subtitles | Region | Aspect Ratio | Studio | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DVD-Video, NTSC | English: Stereo |
English, Spanish |
Region 1 | 1.85:1 | Lions Gate Home Entertainment | 28 October 2003 |
| DVD-Video, PAL | English: Dolby Stereo, 5.1 Dolby Surround, DTS 5.1 Surround |
none | Region 2 | 1.85:1 | Anchor Bay Entertainment | 27 October 2003 |
References
- ↑ Donald Guarisco. "The House That Dripped Blood (1971)". Allmovie. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- ↑ Halliwell's Film Guide, 13th edition - ISBN 0-00-638868-X.
- ↑ Ed. Allan Bryce, Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood, Stray Cat Publishing, 2000 p 62-70
External links
- The House That Dripped Blood at the Internet Movie Database
- The House That Dripped Blood at Rotten Tomatoes
- The House That Dripped Blood at AllMovie
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