Peopletoys (1974)

Director:

Sean MacGregor
(more)

Writers:

Sandra Lee Blowitz
John Durren
(more)

Release Date:

June 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

What Wendy just saw them do will make you sick to your stomach...if it doesn't make you faint first!

Plot:

Five extremely disturbed, sociopathic children escape from their psychiatric transport and are taken...

Plot Keywords:

Escaped Mental Patient | Winter | Escape | Lodge | Beard

Cast

Sorrell Booke	...	Harvey Beckman
Gene Evans	...	Papa Doc
Taylor Lacher	...	Rick
Joan McCall	...	Julie
Shelley Morrison	...	Ruth
Carolyn Stellar	...	Lovely (as Carolyn Steller)
John Durren	...	Ralph
Leif Garrett	...	David
Gail Smale	...	Sister Hannah
Dawn Lyn	...	Moe
Tierre Turner	...	Brian
Tia Thompson	...	Susan
Henry Beckman	...	Dr. Brown

Directed by
Sean MacGregor
David Sheldon		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sandra Lee Blowitz
John Durren
Dylan Jones		story

Produced by
Michael Blowitz	....	producer
Albert Cole	....	associate producer
Dylan Jones	....	producer
Jordan M. Wank	....	executive producer

Original Music by
William Loose

Cinematography by
Paul Hipp
Michael Shea		(as Mike Shea)

Film Editing by
Byron 'Buzz' Brandt

Art Direction by
Jac McAnelly

Production Management
Sandra Lee Blowitz	....	executive in charge of production
Beryl Gelfond	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Walter Dominguez	....	second assistant director
Hap Weyman	....	assistant director

Art Department
Dennis Nodine	....	property master
Richard N. McGuire	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jeff Jarvis	....	boom operator
Larry Merrill	....	sound effects
Clark Will	....	sound

Stunts
Paul Nuckles	....	stunt coordinator (as Paul Knuckles)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Cohan	....	still photographer
Mike Evans	....	best boy
Bob McVay	....	gaffer
Mike Paladin	....	still photographer
Mike Petrich	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Judy Durren	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
George C. Villaseñor	....	assistant editor (as George Villasenor)

Music Department
William Loose	....	conductor

Other crew
Patricia L. Brotz	....	unit publicist
Leeland F. Cook	....	technical advisor
Robert C. Fowler	....	production assistant
Hannah Hempstead	....	script supervisor
Toby Wank	....	production associate

Production Companies

• Barrister Productions Inc.

Distributors

• Cinemation Industries (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinemation Industries (1974) (USA) (theatrical) (retitled re-release)
• Prima Film (1975) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Seymour Borde & Associates (1976) (USA) (theatrical) (retitled re-release)
• Saguenay Films (1977) (Canada) (theatrical) (retitled re-release)
• Media Home Entertainment (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (1982) (Belgium) (video) (Betamax)
• Media Home Entertainment (1982) (Netherlands) (video) (Betamax)
• Red Alert Films (2006-2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Code Red DVD (2006-2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Artus films (2011) (France) (DVD)
• Synergy Entertainment (2007) (worldwide) (DVD) (DVD-R)
• Video Treasures (19??) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Devil Times Five" - USA (copyright title), USA (reissue title)
"The Horrible House on the Hill" - USA (reissue title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | USA:R | West Germany:Not Rated | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company:

Barrister Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Unknown actress Gail Smale ("Sister Hannah") was alleged to be original director Sean MacGregor's under-aged girlfriend at the time of production, and her character's Nun's Habit costume with rose colored glasses was partly an attempt to conceal her natural albinism. "Peopletoys" remains her only known screen credit.

Quotes:

David:[screaming] My face! Look what you did to my beautiful face!

Movie Connections:

Featured in 42nd Street Forever, Volume 3: Exploitation Explosion (2008) (V)

Grim and quirky

This is one of them seventies horror films your grandfather would tell you about while settling you down to sleep when you were a toddler. Five crazy kids escape from a mental institution and play the scared kid card at the house of Papa Doc, who is currently playing host to all sorts of unlikeable adults, so, basically, you can tell where this is heading. What got me about the Devil Times Five is the way that the first hour passes almost lightheartedly, before heading for Grimsville. When the kids start wasting the cast, a kind of darkness settles on the film and never let's up. I don't know if it's just the playful way the kids massacre people (hence the title: Peopletoys), but I was left with a bizarre bad taste in my mouth after watching this. I guess that's the whole point though. You don't really get that from watching modern splatterfests. This is seventies horror in a nutshell, this film.

Plus, for UK viewers, check the name of one of the producers of this film (the IMDb won't let me use his second name here). I bet he's glad he didn't go to school in Glasgow!