Spirits of the Dead (1968) Histoires extraordinaires (original title)

Directors:

Federico Fellini
Louis Malle
(more)

Writers:

Edgar Allan Poe (story) (segment "Metzengerstein")
Roger Vadim (adaptation) (segment "Metzengerstein") ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 July 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

the ultimate orgy of evil

Plot:

Three directors each adapt a Poe short story to the screen: "Toby Dammit" features a disheveled drugged...

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Castle | Rescue | Desire | Army

Cast

Brigitte Bardot	...	Giuseppina (segment "William Wilson")
Alain Delon	...	William Wilson and his double (segment "William Wilson")
Jane Fonda	...	Contessa Frederique de Metzengerstein (segment "Metzengerstein")
Terence Stamp	...	Toby Dammit (segment "Toby Dammit")
James Robertson Justice	...	Countess' Advisor (segment "Metzengerstein")
Salvo Randone	...	Priest (segment "Toby Dammit")
Françoise Prévost	...	Friend of Countess (segment "Metzengerstein") (as Francoise Prevost)
Peter Fonda	...	Baron Wilhelm Berlifitzing (segment "Metzengerstein")
Marlène Alexandre	...	(segment "Metzengerstein")
David Bresson
Katia Christine	...	Young girl on the dissection table (segment "William Wilson") (as Katia Christina)
Peter Dane
Georges Douking	...	Le licier (segment "Metzengerstein")
Philippe Lemaire	...	Philippe (segment "Metzengerstein")
Carla Marlier	...	Claude (segment "Metzengerstein")
Serge Marquand	...	Hugues (segment "Metzengerstein")
Umberto D'Orsi	...	Hans (segment "William Wilson")
Renzo Palmer	...	Priest (segment "William Wilson")
Monica Pardo
Marco Stefanelli	...	Wilson as a child (segment "William Wilson")
Anne Tonietti	...	TV Commentator (segment "Toby Dammit")
Daniele Vargas	...	University professor (segment "William Wilson")
Marina Yaru	...	Child / The Devil (segment "Toby Dammit")
Marie-Ange Aniès	...	A courtesan (segment "Metzengerstein")
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fabrizio Angeli	...	One of the Manetti brothers - director (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Franco Arcalli	...	(uncredited)
Ettore Arena	...	A Rabbi at the Airport (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Dennis Berry	...	A Courtier (segment Metzengerstein") (uncredited)
Jackie Blanchot	...	A Courtier (segment Metzengerstein") (uncredited)
Federico Boido	...	Party Guest (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Brigitte	...	Tall Girl with the Old Actor (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Ernesto Colli	...	One of the Manetti brothers - director (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Paul Cooper	...	2nd Interviewer (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Dakar	...	Black Man at Airport (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Audoin de Bardot	...	Page (segment "Metzengerstein") (uncredited)
Anny Duperey	...	A Courtesan (segment "Metzengerstein") (uncredited)
Andrea Esterhazy	...	Officer in the Gaming Table (segment "William Wilson") (uncredited)
Andrea Fantasia	...	Party Producer (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Paolo Giusti	...	William Wilson and his double (segment "William Wilson") (uncredited)
John Karlsen	...	Schoolmaster in Yard (segment "William Wilson") (uncredited)
Gabriel Lagay	...	(uncredited)
Irina Maleeva	...	Gypsy Fortne Teller (Segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Marco Messeri	...	One Beatle (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Antonia Pietrosi	...	Actress (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Mimmo Poli	...	Taxi Driver / Party Guest (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Polidor	...	Old Actor (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Vincent Price	...	Narrator (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Alfredo Rizzo	...	Angry Man in Car (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Maurice Ronet	...	Récitant (voice) (uncredited)
Giovanni Tarallo	...	Photographer at the Airport (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Marisa Traversi	...	Marilù Traversi (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Andréas Voutsinas	...	A Courtier (segment "Metzengerstein") (uncredited)
Milena Vukotic	...	TV interviewer (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Aleardo Ward	...	1st Interviewer (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Clement Biddle Wood	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Federico Fellini		(segment "Toby Dammit")
Louis Malle		(segment "William Wilson")
Roger Vadim		(segment "Metzengerstein")

Writing credits
Edgar Allan Poe		(story "Metzengerstein") (segment "Metzengerstein") (as Edgar Allan Poë)
Roger Vadim		(adaptation) (segment "Metzengerstein") &
Pascal Cousin		(adaptation) (segment "Metzengerstein")
Edgar Allan Poe		(story "William Wilson") (segment "William Wilson") (as Edgar Allan Poë)
Louis Malle		(adaptation) (segment "William Wilson") &
Clement Biddle Wood		(adaptation) (segment "William Wilson")
Daniel Boulanger		(dialogue) (segment "William Wilson" and "Metzengerstein")
Edgar Allan Poe		(story "Ne pariez jamais votre tête avec le Diable {Never Bet the Devil Your Head}") (segment "Toby Dammit") (as Edgar A. Poë)
Federico Fellini		(adaptation) (segment "Toby Dammit") &
Bernardino Zapponi		(adaptation) (segment "Toby Dammit")

Produced by
Raymond Eger	....	producer
Alberto Grimaldi	....	producer (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)

Original Music by
Diego Masson		(segment "William Wilson")
Jean Prodromidès		(segment "Metzengerstein") (as Jean Prodromides)
Nino Rota		(segment "Toby Dammit")

Cinematography by
Tonino Delli Colli		(director of photography) (segment "William Wilson")
Claude Renoir		(director of photography) (segment "Metzengerstein")
Giuseppe Rotunno		(segment "Toby Dammit")

Film Editing by
Franco Arcalli		(segment "William Wilson")
Suzanne Baron		(segment "William Wilson")
Ruggero Mastroianni		(segment "Toby Dammit") (as Ruggiero Mastroianni)
Hélène Plemiannikov		(segment "Metzengerstein") (as Helene Plemiannikov)

Production Design by
Jean André		(segment "Metzengerstein") (as Jean Andre)
Piero Tosi		(supervising production designer) (segment "Toby Dammit")
Ghislain Uhry		(segment "William Wilson")

Art Direction by
Fabrizio Clerici		(segment "Toby Dammit")
Carlo Leva		(segment "William Wilson")

Production Management
André Cultet	....	production manager (segment "Metzengerstein") (as Andre Cultet)
Ludmilla Goulian	....	production manager (segment "Metzengerstein")
Thomas Sagone	....	production manager (segment "William Wilson" and "Toby Dammit") (as Tomaso Sagone)
Enzo Provenzale	....	general manager (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vana Caruso	....	assistant director (segment "William Wilson")
Michel Clément	....	assistant director (segment "Metzengerstein") (as Michel Clement)
Jean-Michel Lacor	....	assistant director (segment "Metzengerstein")
Eschilo Tarquini	....	assistant director (segment "Toby Dammit")
Serge Vallin	....	assistant director (segment "Metzengerstein")
Francesco Aluigi	....	assistant director (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)
Liliane Betti	....	assistant director (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)

Art Department
Jean Forestier	....	assistant art director (segment "Metzengerstein")

Visual Effects by
Joseph Nathanson	....	optical effects (segment "Toby Dammit") (as Joseph Natanson)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sergio Bergamini	....	camera operator (segment "William Wilson")
Philippe Brun	....	camera operator (segment "Metzengerstein")
Alain Douarinou	....	camera operator (segment "Metzengerstein")
Wladimir Ivanov	....	camera operator (segment "Metzengerstein")
Giuseppe Maccari	....	camera operator (segment "Toby Dammit")
Bernard Noisette	....	camera operator (segment "Metzengerstein")
Piero Servo	....	first assistant camera (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jacques Fonteray	....	costume designer: segment "Metzengerstein"
Piero Tosi	....	costume designer: segment "Toby Dammit"
Ghislain Uhry	....	costume designer: segment "William Wilson"
Carlo Leva	....	costume designer: segment "William Wilson" (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Catherine Gabrielidis	....	assistant editor (segment "Metzengerstein")
Piera Gabutti	....	assistant editor (segment "William Wilson")
Claire Giniewski	....	assistant editor (segment "Metzengerstein") (as Claire Gimiewski)
Vanda Olasio	....	assistant editor (segment "Toby Dammit")
Enzo Ocone	....	post-production (uncredited)

Other crew
Suzanne Durrenberger	....	script girl (segment "Metzengerstein")
Norma Giacchero	....	script girl (segment "Toby Dammit")
Shaila Rubin	....	script girl (segment "William Wilson") (as Sheila Rubin)
Oreste Lionello	....	voice dubbing: Federico Boido (segment "Toby Dammit") (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Les Films Marceau
• Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA)
• Cocinor

Distributors

• Cocinor (1968) (France) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1969) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Cinemagia (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Image Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Carita  Jane Fonda's wigs (segment "Metzengerstein")
• Eureka Edizioni Musicali  music publishing
• International Recordings  auditorium
• Paris Studios Cinéma  auditorium
• Societe Optiphone  magnetic recording

Also Known As:

"Histoires extraordinaires" - France (original title)

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French | Italian | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Electric)

Certification:

Argentina:16 | UK:18 (1990) (cut) | UK:X (1973) (cut) | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) (1999) | Finland:K-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bergamo, Lombardia, Italy

Company:

Les Films Marceau

Trivia:

Peter O'Toole was originally cast as Toby Dammit. After he pulled out, Federico Fellini contacted a London casting agency and asked them to send the most decadent actors they had to Rome to see him. They sent Terence Stamp and James Fox, and Fellini chose Stamp.

Goofs:

Continuity: After William Wilson has jumped from the church tower and is lying dead in the plaza, he blinks as the camera moves closer.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Cinemacabre TV Trailers (1993) (V)

Soundtrack:

Ruby

Cut out the first two segments and you've got a great Fellini film.

'Spirits of the Dead' (1968), a French-Italian production narrated by Vincent Price, features three Edgar Allan Poe stories adapted for the screen and directed by three of Europe's most fascinating filmmakers of the period (choke!).

Vadim's segment (‘Metzengerstein'), starring Jane and Peter Fonda, is a real stinker. Has Vadim ever made a truly good film? Not really, so at least he's being consistent here by turning Poe's tale into a dull, silly mess. Striving hard for art's sake, he misses the mark each time. Q: Who wants to see Jane Fonda falling in love with Peter Fonda? A: Not me.

Malle's segment (‘William Wilson') is solid but not worth repeated screenings. Of note: Brigitte Bardot gets naked, verbally abused and whipped. No comment as to the merits of these actions or her presence; nevertheless, the tale's ending doesn't quite work.

Fellini's 'Toby Dammit' is classic, freakshow Fellini. Terence Stamp stars as a wasted British film star (looking like an effeminate junkie) and gives an awesomely convincing performance. Ultimately, his character gets a bit out of hand and, uh, loses his head. Good stuff that. It's probably fortunate that Fellini's is the longest and last segment; it is easily the film's strength and highlight. Unlike the first two tales, ‘Toby Dammit' was also released theatrically on its own, yet it is not available separately on dvd.

The ‘Spirits of the Dead' dvd first hit the market as an Image release. This is not the version to purchase. Image used a less-than-satisfactory source print, and the transfer looks crummy. Also, the menu is poorly designed and doesn't work quite the way one wants it to. Later, Home Vision released a higher quality version with four additional minutes of footage, using much finer source material. --- david ross smith