Theatre of Blood (1973)

A Shakespearean actor takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition.

Director:

Douglas Hickox

Writers:

Anthony Greville-Bell (screenplay), Stanley Mann (idea),

Stars:

Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Price	...	Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart
Diana Rigg	...	Edwina Lionheart
Ian Hendry	...	Peregrine Devlin
Harry Andrews	...	Trevor Dickman
Coral Browne	...	Miss Chloe Moon
Robert Coote	...	Oliver Larding
Jack Hawkins	...	Solomon Psaltery
Michael Hordern	...	George William Maxwell
Arthur Lowe	...	Horace Sprout
Robert Morley	...	Meredith Merridew
Dennis Price	...	Hector Snipe
Milo O'Shea	...	Inspector Boot
Eric Sykes	...	Sergeant Dogge
Madeline Smith	...	Rosemary
Diana Dors	...	Maisie Psaltery

Storyline

Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price) stars as an actor overlooked for a critics' acting award, despite producing a season of Shakespeare plays. After confronting the Critics' Circle, an attempted suicidal dive into the Thames results in Lionheart being rescued by your typical paraffin/meths/turps swigging tramps. Lionheart then (presumed dead) exacts his grizzly, and quite amusing revenge on the critics who denied him his finest hour.

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Plot Keywords:

critic | actor | revenge | police | theater | 

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Taglines:

At your own risk

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Studios [us]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Much Ado About Murder

Filming Locations:

Kensal Green Cemetery, Harrow Road, Kensal Green, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Fuest was asked to direct.

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Goofs

When Peregrine Devlin arrives at the fencing school you see him attach a cable to the back of his fencing kit (which would signal a hit with a buzzer), yet when the other fencer reveals himself to be Edward Lionheart and they start fencing the cable is no longer attached to Devlin's back.

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Quotes

Miss Chloe Moon: Take me home, I think I'm going to be ill.
Meredith Merridew: Oh my God!
[looks at his dogs]
Meredith Merridew: I think Georgina's going to faint!

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Connections

Referenced in Se7en (1995)

User Reviews

Easily one of Price's best

Vincent Price plays Edward Lionheart, a Shakesprean actor that the critics hate (one calls him a "ham sandwich"). Enraged by their reviews of his works he commits suicide. But, unknown to everybody else, he survives and decides to kill off his critics one by one using methods described in Shakespeare's plays.

A lot of people have called this "The Abominable Dr. Phibes Part 3". They're not too off the mark--the plot lines are very similar. Still this is better than the Phibes films. It moves quickly, has a large cast of excellent British actors (unknown over here) and some of the deaths are much gorier (this has an R rating--Phibes was PG). If you look very closely at the plot there are huge loopholes and some unlikely situations but it still is a huge amount of fun. There's also a truly incredible saber fight between two men.

This must have been a dream role for Price--he gets to preform Shakespeare and wear a variety of disguises to become different characters. He's just great (as always). Diana Rigg pops up as his daughter--she's not given much to do but looks fantastic. The critics are all well-played by a very talented roster of British actors--I really do wonder how they got some of them to do this (it's pretty bloody). The most outlandish portrayal is by Robert Morley as a gay critic with (sigh) two poodles. It might be offensive if this were a serious movie. Also Price met Coral Browne here and married here in 1974--and stayed married till she passed away.

This, oddly, remains unknown even to Price fans. That's a shame--it's one of his best. Horror, humor and Shakespeare--what more do you need? A 10 all the way.