Tales from the Crypt (1972)

Director:

Freddie Francis

Writers:

Johnny Craig (comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror)
Al Feldstein (comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror)
(more)

Release Date:

9 March 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

DEATH LIVES in the Vault of Horror!

Plot:

Five people get lost in a crypt and meet up with a strange crypt keeper who tells them stories of how they died.

Plot Keywords:

Crypt | Crypt Keeper | Future | Talking To The Camera | Anthology

Cast

Joan Collins	...	Joanne Clayton (segment 1 "And All Through The House")
Peter Cushing	...	Arthur Edward Grimsdyke (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Roy Dotrice	...	Charles Gregory (segment 4 "Wish You Were Here")
Richard Greene	...	Ralph Jason (segment 4 "Wish You Were Here")
Ian Hendry	...	Carl Maitland (segment 2 "Reflection of Death")
Patrick Magee	...	George Carter (segment 5 "Blind Alleys")
Barbara Murray	...	Enid Jason (segment 4 "Wish You Where Here")
Nigel Patrick	...	Maj. William Rogers (segment 5 "Blind Alleys")
Robin Phillips	...	James Elliot (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Ralph Richardson	...	The Crypt Keeper
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Guide
David Markham	...	Father - Edward Elliot (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Robert Hutton	...	Neighbour - Mr.Baker (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Angela Grant	...	Susan Blake (segment 2 "Reflection of Death") (as Angie Grant)
Susan Denny	...	Wife - Mrs. Maitland (segment 2 "Reflection of Death")
Manning Wilson	...	Vicar (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Chloe Franks	...	Daughter, Carol Clayton (segment 1 "And All Through The House")
Kay Adrian	...	Mrs. Davies (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Carlos Baker	...	Mrs. Davies's Son (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Martin Boddey	...	Father - Richard Clayton (segment 1 "And All Through The House")
Dan Caulfield	...	Postman (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Melinda Clancy	...	Helen Carter (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Paul Clere	...	Maitland's Son (segment 2 "Reflection of Death")
Sharon Clere	...	Maitland's Daughter (segment 2 "Reflection of Death")
Clifford Earl	...	Police Sergeant (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Edward Evans	...	Constable Ramsey (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Frank Forsyth	...	Tramp (segment 2 "Reflection of Death")
Peter Frazer	...	Motorist (segment 2 "Reflection of Death")
Irene Gawre	...	Mrs. Phelps (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
George Herbert	...	Old Blind Man - Greenwood (segment 5 "Blind Alleys")
Harry Locke	...	Harry the Cook (segment 5 "Blind Alleys")
Oliver MacGreevy	...	Maniac in Santa Suit (segment 1 "And All Through The House")
Stafford Medhurst	...	Mrs. Phelps' Son (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Jayne Sofiano	...	Secretary (segment 4 "Wish You Were Here")
Peter Thomas	...	Pallbearer (segment 4 "Wish You Were Here")
Tony Wall	...	Attendant (segment 5 "Blind Alleys")
Hedger Wallace	...	Detective (segment 4 "Wish You Were Here")
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Barrard	...	Blind Man (segment 5 "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Carl Bernard	...	Blind Man (segment 5 "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Hugo De Vernier	...	Blind Man (segment 5 "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Chris Gannon	...	Blind Man (segment 5 "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Ernest C. Jennings	...	Blind Man (segment 5 "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Louis Mansi	...	2nd Blind Man (segment 5 "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Bartlett Mullins	...	First Blind Man (segment 5 "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Bert Palmer	...	Blind Man (segment 5 "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Robert Rietty	...	Radio Newcaster (segment 1 "And All Through the House") (voice) (uncredited)
Ann Sears	...	Helen Carter's Mother (segment 3 "Poetic Justice") (uncredited)

Directed by
Freddie Francis

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Johnny Craig		comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror
Al Feldstein		comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror
William M. Gaines		comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror (as Bill Gaines)
Milton Subotsky		screenplay

Produced by
Charles W. Fries	....	executive producer (as Charles Fries)
Max Rosenberg	....	producer (as Max J. Rosenberg)
Milton Subotsky	....	producer

Original Music by
Douglas Gamley

Cinematography by
Norman Warwick		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Teddy Darvas

Casting by
Ronnie Curtis

Art Direction by
Tony Curtis

Makeup Department
Roy Ashton	....	chief makeup artist
Joan Carpenter	....	chief hairdresser

Production Management
Teresa Bolland	....	production manager
Arthur Stolnitz	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Saunders	....	assistant director
Mike Higgins	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Terry Pearce	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Helen Thomas	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Norman Bolland	....	sound mixer
Pat Foster	....	sound editor
Nolan Roberts	....	dubbing mixer
Mike Tucker	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Gerald Larn	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Harris	....	camera operator
David Wynn-Jones	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bridget Sellers	....	wardrobe mistress

Music Department
Douglas Gamley	....	conductor
Nicolas Kynaston	....	musician: organ, Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D minor

Other crew
Penny Daniels	....	continuity
Paul Thompson	....	production executive
Michael Walsh	....	dog trainer: "Shane"

Production Companies

• Amicus Productions (as An Amicus Production)
• Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC) (presents)

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing UK (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Prism Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1996) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (1972) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (1979) (Canada) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1972) (Italy) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation  current copyright proprietor

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1972) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1972) | West Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Italy:VM14 | Australia:M | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (cinema version) (cut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG (Approved No. 23137) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Highgate Cemetery, Swain's Lane, Highgate, London, England, UK

Company:

Amicus Productions

Trivia:

Peter Duffell passed on the chance to direct this picture.

Goofs:

Plot holes: In the "Wish You Were Here" segment, Enid wishes her husband to back to life forever, but at the end it is revealed that he and the others have gone to a place where those who have died without repenting go.

Quotes:

The Crypt Keeper:Who's next?
[looks at camera]
The Crypt Keeper:Perhaps... you?

Movie Connections:

References Between Two Worlds (1944)

Soundtrack:

Toccata and Fugue in D minor

Just got the Dual Midnite Madness September 2007 DVD set. "Tales" looks great!

Finally. A clear, clean print of "Tales From The Crypt"!

Fox did a nice job with "Tales". The movie looks very clean and clear on my 62" Toshiba HD television.

"Vault Of Horror" on the other hand is a bit of a mess. Very orange looking and a bit noisy. It is decent, but why didn't Fox do a good job cleaning "Vault" like they did, "Tales" which is an OLDER film by only a year?

"Vault Of Horror", also is CENSORED. TOTALLY INEXCUSABLE on Fox's part. They put a big black cartoon over the shoulder of a vampire near Rogers (Daniel Massey's) head. It looks idiotic. What makes no sense is later on in another story, they show a man's pickled parts in jars (they also do a weird freeze frame of a hammer to his head, which looks like censorship again), and later they show hands being chopped off. So why the other random censorship?

Shame on Fox for that. The print of "Vault" is also kind of noisy and orange.

Still, this set is worth buying for the great, clean print of "Tales".