The House That Dripped Blood (1971)

Director:

Peter Duffell

Writer:

Robert Bloch (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

22 February 1971 (UK)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Vampires! Voodoo! Vixens! Victims!

Plot:

A Scotland Yard investigator looks into four mysterious cases involving an unoccupied house: 1) A writer encounters a strangler of his own creation...

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Witchcraft | Vampire | Waxfigure | Detective Inspector

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	John Reid (segment 3 "Sweets to the Sweet")
Peter Cushing	...	Philip Grayson (segment 2 "Waxworks")
Nyree Dawn Porter	...	Ann Norton (segment 3 "Sweets to the Sweet")
Denholm Elliott	...	Charles Hillyer (segment 1 "Method for Murder")
Jon Pertwee	...	Paul Henderson (segment 4 "The Cloak")
Joanna Dunham	...	Alice Hillyer (segment 1 "Method for Murder")
Joss Ackland	...	Neville Rogers (segment 2 "Waxworks")
John Bennett	...	Detective Inspector Holloway
Chloe Franks	...	Jane Reid (segment 3 "Sweets to the Sweet")
Tom Adams	...	Dominick / Richard (segment 1 "Method for Murder")
Ingrid Pitt	...	Carla Lind (segment 4 "The Cloak")
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Theo Von Hartmann (segment 4 "The Clock")
John Bryans	...	A.J. Stoker
Hugh Manning	...	Mark (segment 3 "Sweets to the Sweet")
Robert Lang	...	Psychiatrist - Andrews (segment 1 "Method for Murder")
Richard Coe	...	Mr. Talmadge (segment 4 "The Cloak")
Wolfe Morris	...	Waxworks Proprietor (segment 2 "Waxworks")
Jonathan Lynn	...	Mr. Petrich (segment 4 "The Cloak")
John Malcolm	...	Police Sergeant Martin
Winifred Sabine	...	Rita (segment 4 "The Cloak")
Carleton Hobbs	...	Dr. Bailey (segment 3 "Sweets to the Sweet")
Bernard Hopkins	...	Assistant Director (segment 4 "The Cloak")
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Evans	...	Hunchback (segment 4 "The Cloak") (uncredited)
Joanna Lumley	...	Film Crew Girl (segment 4 "The Cloak") (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Duffell

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Bloch		written by
Russ Jones		segment "Waxworks" (uncredited)

Produced by
Paul Ellisworth	....	executive producer
Max Rosenberg	....	producer (as Max J. Rosenberg)
Milton Subotsky	....	producer
Gordon Wescourt	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Michael Dress

Cinematography by
Ray Parslow		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Tanner

Casting by
Ronnie Curtis		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Tony Curtis

Makeup Department
Harry Frampton	....	makeup artist
Joyce James	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Teresa Bolland	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Beale	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Fred Carter	....	set dresser
Thomas Goswell	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Peter Wood	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael P. Redbourn	....	dubbing editor (as Michael Redbourn)
Ken Ritchie	....	sound mixer
Nolan Roberts	....	dubbing mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Gerry Anstiss	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laurel Staffell	....	wardrobe (as Laurel Staffel)

Music Department
Michael Dress	....	conductor

Other crew
Phyllis Townshend	....	continuity (as Phyllis Townsend)

Production Companies

• Amicus Productions (as An Amicus Production)

Distributors

• Cinerama Releasing UK (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Étoile Distribution (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Videoville (1981) (Canada) (VHS)
• Prism Entertainment Corporation (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Koch Media (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Severin Films (2010) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• G.S.E.  titles

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for scary images (re-rating) (2002)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Germany:16 | Iceland:16 | Canada:AA (Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (re-rating) (2003) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (2003) | Norway:16 | UK:12 (video rating) (2003) | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG (re-rating) (2002) | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Community Hall, Weybridge, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Amicus Productions

Trivia:

The Haunted Screen, Lotte Eisner's 1974 tome on German Expressionist horror films, pops up prominently as a prop twice during the film, in both the first story (Method for Murder) and the last (The Cloak).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the inspector walks down into the cellar he's holding the candles to his right, yet we can see his shadow on his right as well.

Quotes:

Paul Henderson:I'm Paul Henderson.
Theo von Hartmann:Who?
Paul Henderson:The great film actor.
Theo von Hartmann:I'm sorry. But I have not heard of such person.

Movie Connections:

References "The Flying Nun" (1967)

"Safe As Houses"

"The House That Dripped Blood" (1971) is one of seven horror anthology pictures released by Hammer rival Amicus over an eight-year period. It had been preceded by "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" and "Torture Garden," and would soon be followed by "Asylum," "Tales From the Crypt," "Vault of Horror" and "From Beyond the Grave." Here, a Scotland Yard investigator searches for a missing film star, and listens to four stories concerning the quaint old country house that he had been leasing. In "Method for Murder," the most atmospheric of the bunch, a writer (Denholm Elliott) moves into the house with his hottie wife (Joanna Dunham) and begins to see the fictional strangler character in his latest novel. A double twist ending caps off this very chilling tale. Next, in "Waxworks," the typically dapper Peter Cushing plays a retired stockbroker who moves into the abode and becomes enthralled by a female wax figure in the local town's horror museum. A surreal dream sequence and the film's most grisly windup are the hallmarks of this section. In "Sweets to the Sweet," Christopher Lee (Mr. Tall, Dark and Gruesome, who sadly shares no screen time in this film with Cushing) is the house's next occupant; a widower who lives in mortal fear of his pretty young daughter (the remarkable child actress Chloe Franks)...and, as it turns out, for good reason! Finally, in "The Cloak," we learn of the fate of that missing film star (Jon Pertwee), who buys an actual vampire cloak to assist himself in a new production and soon changes into a...guess what? This segment is easily the most humorous of the bunch, and contains the film's single funniest line, when Pertwee compares Bela Lugosi to "this new fellow." The inspired casting of luscious Ingrid Pitt, close on the heels of her classic turn in "The Vampire Lovers," adds to this section immensely. In all, terrific fun, with a playful script by Robert "Psycho" Bloch, more-than-capable direction from Peter Duffell, and a discordant and unusual score by Michael Dress. This film left me happily grinning from ear to ear, and is nicely presented on this Lions Gate DVD. More than highly recommended!