Madhouse (1974)

A horror movie star returns to his famous role after years in a mental institution. But the character seems to be committing murders independent of his will.

Director:

Jim Clark

Writers:

Angus Hall (novel), Ken Levison (screenplay),

Stars:

Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Robert Quarry

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Price	...	Paul Toombes
Peter Cushing	...	Herbert Flay
Robert Quarry	...	Oliver Quayle
Adrienne Corri	...	Faye Carstairs Flay
Natasha Pyne	...	Julia Wilson
Michael Parkinson	...	T.V. Interviewer
Linda Hayden	...	Elizabeth Peters
Barry Dennen	...	Gerry Blount
Ellis Dayle	...	Alfred Peters (as Ellis Dale)
Catherine Willmer	...	Louise Peters
John Garrie	...	Inspector Harper
Ian Thompson	...	Bradshaw
Jenny Lee Wright	...	Carol Clayton
Julie Crosthwaite	...	Ellen Mason (as Julie Crosthwait)
Peter Halliday	...	Psychiatrist

Storyline

Horror movie actor Paul Toombes, famous for playing "Dr. Death," suffers a nervous breakdown before going to England to do a TV series. Cast and crew members start dying the way characters did in Toombes' old movies.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | nervous breakdown | fiancée | movie star | actor | 

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Taglines:

If Stark Terror Were Ecstasy... living here would be sheer bliss!

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

March 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deathday

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP), Amicus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title has very little to do with the film. There is a brief scene in a mental institution; and we learn in some expository dialogue that the main character spent time there. Otherwise, the "madhouse" of the title is irrelevant.

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Goofs

The hand-held device that controls the mechanical bed has a red button on top and a green button on bottom. But later, when the killer is pressing the controls, the stop and start buttons are in opposite positions.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Villager in Movie: Dr. Death, where are you? Let's smoke him out!

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Crazy Credits

"With special participation by Boris Karloff (and) Basil Rathbone." At time of film''s release in 1974, both actors had been been dead five and seven years respectively, and their "special participation" was limited to appearance in clips from old films in which they'd appeared with Vincent Price.

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Connections

Features The Raven (1963)

User Reviews

Good cheesy fun

After a mental breakdown following the murder of his bride to be, famed horror actor Paul Toombes (Vincent Price) is persuaded to return to the Dr Death role that made him famous. He is persuaded by a writer friend of his Herbert Flay (Peter Cushing) who is also the scriptwriter of all the Dr Death movies. Soon Toombes finds his mind is again being tested as the series of mysterious deaths that plagued him before, returns. The police soon suspect Toombes of the crimes, but who is the mysterious masked and caped killer that is disrupting filming? Lots of campy and cheesy fun with some horror greats, there's actually some nice visuals too that I hadn't remembered from previous viewings. Not price's best but still good fun.