The City of the Dead (1960)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

John Llewellyn Moxey

Writers:

George Baxt (screenplay)
Milton Subotsky (story)

Release Date:

12 September 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

300 years old! Human blood keeps them alive forever!

Plot:

A young coed (Nan Barlow) uses her winter vacation to research a paper on witchcraft in New England...

Plot Keywords:

Sacrifice | Inn | Witch | New England | Coven

Cast

Dennis Lotis	...	Richard Barlow
Christopher Lee	...	Prof. Alan Driscoll
Patricia Jessel	...	Elizabeth Selwyn / Mrs. Newless
Tom Naylor	...	Bill Maitland
Betta St. John	...	Patricia Russell
Venetia Stevenson	...	Nan Barlow (as Venetia Stephenson)
Valentine Dyall	...	Jethrow Keane
Ann Beach	...	Lottie
Norman Macowan	...	Reverend Russell
Fred Johnson	...	The Elder
James Dyrenforth	...	Garage attendant (as Jimmy Dyrenforth)
Maxine Holden	...	Sue
William Abney	...	Policeman

Also Known As:

City of the Dead (USA) (working title)
Horror Hotel (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence.

Runtime:

Norway:75 min | USA:76 min | USA:78 min (uncut version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1990) | UK:15 | Finland:(Banned) (1961) | Norway:16 (1971) | Australia:M | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) | USA:Not Rated (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Nettlefold Studios, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Vulcan

Trivia:

Released in the U.S. on a double bill with the West German film Die Nackte und der Satan (1959) in June 1963.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The character played by Tom Naylor is called "Bill Maitland" in the dialogue but shown as "Tom Maitland" in the end credits.

Quotes:

Elizabeth Selwyn: I am Elizabeth Selwyn.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Creature Features: Horror Hotel (#1.40)" (1971)

camp but effective horror fluff

The City of the Dead is an enjoyable romp through witchcraft and Satanism. Whilst ripe with clichés, they enhance the movie goers pleasure rather then deride from the film itself. You'll thrill at the fantastic sets, marvel as fog threatens to blanket the entire screen, smirk as sinister characters retreat sneak on screen the retreat from whence they came! the movie achieves any effective balance between camp and genuine horror. You'll probably never be chilled to the bone but will be impressed with the films earnest and effective atmosphere. Patricia Jessel steels the show in her dual role of Elizabeth Selwyn/Mrs. Newlis and simply marvelous as the melovant matriarch how is divinely OTT. Christopher Lee is suave and sinister as always though appears in a minor but vital role. All in all a worthwhile cinema going experience.