Diary of a Madman (1963)

Simon Cordier is a well-respected magistrate who visits a condemned prisoner, Louis Girot, just before the man's execution. Girot again pleads his innocence insisting that he has been taken... See full summary »

Director:

Reginald Le Borg

Writers:

Guy de Maupassant (stories), Robert E. Kent

Stars:

Vincent Price, Nancy Kovack, Chris Warfield

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Price	...	Magistrate Simon Cordier
Nancy Kovack	...	Odette Mallotte
Chris Warfield	...	Paul Duclasse
Elaine Devry	...	Jeanne D'Arville
Ian Wolfe	...	Pierre
Stephen Roberts	...	Police Captain Robert Rennedon
Lewis Martin	...	Father Raymonde
Mary Adams	...	Louise
Edward Colmans	...	Andre D'Arville
Nelson Olmsted	...	Dr. Borman
Harvey Stephens	...	Louis Girot
Dick Wilson	...	Martin
Wayne Collier	...	Arguing Cafe Couple
Gloria Clark	...	Arguing Cafe Couple
Don Brodie	...	Marcel the Postman

Storyline

Simon Cordier is a well-respected magistrate who visits a condemned prisoner, Louis Girot, just before the man's execution. Girot again pleads his innocence insisting that he has been taken over by a spirit that forced him to commit his crimes. Cordier doesn't believe him and the man suddenly dies. Cordier does however note a rapid change in his personality during their short interview. In the following days, Cordier must face a number of strange occurrences in his home. He begins to wonder if he is sleepwalking but is soon hearing voices and begins to wonder about his sanity. It's recommended to him that he take up sculpting, something he once had an interest in. He develops a relationship with Odette, a gold digger married to a struggling artist, but the evil, invisible spirit soon drives him to murder.

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Plot Keywords:

evil spirit | murder | model | magistrate | sculptor | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tagebuch eines Mörders

Filming Locations:

Goldwyn Studios, Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$350,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Robert E. Kent Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At the start of the movie the date in Magistrate Simon Cordier's diary states 1886 as the year. 18-19 minutes into the movie, when he returns the picture of his dead wife and son back to the trunk upstairs, the camera pans to the right after it's open and there is a Teddy Bear. Teddy Bears weren't around until shortly after the November 16, 1902 newspaper cartoon of "Teddy" Roosevelt's based on his bear hunting trip in Mississippi earlier in the month. ("Teddy" refused to kill a baby bear after its mother was killed). Steiff bears started at the Leipzig Toy Fair in March 1903.

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Quotes

[first title card]
Title Card: "... the vulture has eaten the pigeon; the wolf has eaten the lamb; the lion has devoured the sharp-tongued buffalo; man has killed the lion with an arrow, with spear, with gun-powder; but the *"Horla"* will make of man what man has made of the horse and of the ox; His chattel, His slave, and His food, but the mere power of His will. Woe to us!"... Guy de Maupassant

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Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Demons (1996)

User Reviews

The Horla was scary

This was a great movie with Vincent Price as SIMON! He is very much the madman who writes in the Diary and we are not talking about the Ozzy album either. There is a beast called The Horla that is invisible and talks to Mr. Price and somehow possesses him. It is a very scary scene when The Horla does this! Mr. Price's eyes turn green like The Hulk and he is convinced to kill folks! The lady who falls in love with him is very good looking. It's too bad that she didn't have more screen time though. Again, I was very impressed. But what I am curious about is how a JUDGE is able to make enough money to live in a house of that size AND have a house in Switzerland?