The Dunwich Horror (1970)

Wilbur Whateley pops over to the Arkham Miskatonic University to borrow the legendary Necronomicon and Sandra Dee. But little does anyone know, Whateley isn't quite human...

Director:

Daniel Haller

Writers:

Curtis Hanson, Henry Rosenbaum,

Stars:

Sandra Dee, Dean Stockwell, Ed Begley

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sandra Dee	...	Nancy Wagner
Dean Stockwell	...	Wilbur Whateley
Ed Begley	...	Dr. Henry Armitage
Lloyd Bochner	...	Dr. Cory
Sam Jaffe	...	Old Whateley
Joanne Moore Jordan	...	Lavinia Whateley (as Joanna Moore Jordan)
Donna Baccala	...	Elizabeth Hamilton
Talia Shire	...	Nurse Cora (as Talia Coppola)
Michael Fox	...	Dr. Raskin (as Mike Fox)
Jason Wingreen	...	Sheriff Harrison
Barboura Morris	...	Mrs. Cole
Beach Dickerson	...	Mr. Cole
Michael Haynes	...	Guard
Toby Russ	...	Librarian
Jack Pierce	...	Reeger

Storyline

H.P. Lovecraft meets Hollywood: Wilbur Whateley wants to help the Old Ones break through by consulting the Necronomicon, and Armitage must stop him. Attractive females are added to fill out the plot.

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Plot Keywords:

necronomicon | book | drugs | warlock | rite | 

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Taglines:

H.P. Lovecraft's Classic Tale Of Terror And The Supernatural!

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Studios [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 January 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dunwich Horror

Filming Locations:

Mendocino, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Two sound-stages were used for Sandra Dee's nude scene to prevent "peeping toms." One sound-stage was used to shoot the scene and the other was used to house the cast not needed in the shot.

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Goofs

Every person in the movie pronounces the town's name as "Dun-witch"; in fact, it is pronounced "Dun-itch", with a silent 'W' as in "Greenwich village".

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Connections

Referenced in Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008)

User Reviews

Decent adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's short story.

Sandra Dee (the original GIDGET to you beach bunny fans) is Nancy Wagner, a virginal blonde student at Miskatonic University who meets Wilbur (Dean Stockwell), the grandson of a warlock who was lynched years earlier.

Wilbur shows interest in the Necronomicon and in Nancy, because he needs both to open a gateway for demons called "The Old Ones" to enter our world. He invites her back to his secluded home in Dunwich, where he keeps her drugged, plots to sacrifice her on a seaside altar and fights with his senile, ranting grandfather (Sam Jaffe). A strange-looking, barely-seen, multi-headed flying monster that sees things in negative (and looks kind of like GHIDRAH!), is kept locked in the attic, but escapes for the silly finale.

It's amusing to see the once-wholesome Sandra Dee saying sex is "great" and simulating orgasm while being groped on an altar, but she should also get credit for delivering a decent performance. Ditto Ed Begley in his last role as a heroic professor. Stockwell is so soft-spoken and weird it's hard to gouge just how good (or bad) his performance really is.

Compared to most recent H.P. Lovecraft adaptations, this isn't half bad and it all looks very cool and colorful. Roger Corman was the executive producer. Director Haller also made DIE, MONSTER, DIE, which was based on Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space."