IMDb > The Confessional (1976)

The Confessional (1976) More at IMDbPro »House of Mortal Sin (original title)

Overview

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Up 29% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Pete Walker
Writers:
David McGillivray
Pete Walker
Contact:
View company contact information for The Confessional on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
March 1977 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Horror See more »
Tagline:
Tortured by desires his vows forbid...master of a house of mortal sin!
Plot:
A troubled young girl goes to confession at the local church. Unfortunately, the sexually frustrated priest she confesses to becomes obsessed with her... See more » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
1 nomination See more »
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Greatest Slasher Films (1970 – 1990)
 (From SoundOnSight. 28 October 2012, 8:00 PM, PDT)
100 + Greatest Horror Movies (Pt. 2): 124-101
 (From SoundOnSight. 4 October 2012, 10:20 PM, PDT)
Fight for Horror Supremacy Week 4
 (From SoundOnSight. 26 October 2011, 11:39 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Good, compact melodrama See more (15 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order)
Anthony Sharp ... Father Xavier Meldrum
Susan Penhaligon ... Jenny Welch

Stephanie Beacham ... Vanessa Welch
Norman Eshley ... Father Bernard Cutler
Sheila Keith ... Miss Brabazon
Hilda Barry ... Mrs. Meldrum
Stewart Bevan ... Terry Wyatt (as Stuart Bevan)
Julia McCarthy ... Mrs. Davey
Jon Yule ... Robert
Bill Kerr ... Mr. Davey
Victor Winding ... Dr. Gaudio
Jack Allen ... GP
Kim Butcher ... Valerie Davey
Ivor Salter ... Gravedigger

Andrew Sachs ... Man in Church
Jane Hayward ... Nurse
Mervyn Johns ... Father Duggan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Melinda Clancy ... Girl at Presbytery (uncredited)
David Corti ... Altar Boy (uncredited)
Anthony Hennessey ... Policeman (uncredited)
Austin King ... Boy at Presbytery (uncredited)
Nicholas Power ... Altar Boy (uncredited)
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Directed by
Pete Walker 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
David McGillivray 
Pete Walker 

Produced by
Pete Walker .... producer
 
Original Music by
Stanley Myers 
 
Cinematography by
Peter Jessop 
 
Film Editing by
John Black 
 
Art Direction by
Chris Burke 
 
Makeup Department
George Partleton .... makeup supervisor
Pearl Rashbass .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Robert Fennell .... production manager
Matt McCarthy .... post-production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Hamilton .... second assistant director
Brian Lawrence .... first assistant director
 
Sound Department
Tony Anscombe .... dubbing mixer
Chris Munro .... boom operator
Peter O'Connor .... sound recordist
Alan Brett .... sound editor (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Colin Bucksey .... follow focus
Ted Davis .... gaffer
Tony Imi .... additional photography
John Metcalfe .... camera operator
Peter Sinclair .... camera operator
John Simmons .... camera assistant (uncredited)
Ray Snooks .... second electrician (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Stanley Myers .... conductor
 
Other crew
Leigh Taylor .... production secretary
 

Distributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
"House of Mortal Sin" - UK (original title)
"The Confessional: House of Mortal Sin" - USA (DVD title)
See more »
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
104 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Australia:R | USA:R | UK:X (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:15
Filming Locations:
The Green, Richmond, Surrey, England, UK

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Originally Peter Cushing was offered to play Father Xavier Meldrum and at the time there were some rumours that Cushing hated the script. In 1983, when Cushing acted in Walker's final film, The House of Long Shadows, Walker learned that Cushing actually liked the script, but had other film commitments.See more »
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Stephanie Beacham can be seen to blink after her character (Vanessa Welch) has been strangled to death.See more »
Quotes:
Miss Brabazon:[to Meldrum's infirm mother] He's gone out again, I'm afraid... you're all alone again... with me.See more »

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
2 out of 3 people found the following review useful.
Good, compact melodrama, 12 September 2003
Author: galensaysyes

Tense, horrible, and funny at the same time, made without frills, for both practical and aesthetic reasons, this is my favorite of Pete Walker's trilogy because it is the strongest-centered, in the characters of the priest and his main victim (the actors have a lot to do with this). It's a study in how to generate suspense with a minimum of resources. Rather than a would-be giallo, I'd identify it as an updating of 19th-century melodrama. The director plainly worked best on minuscule budgets, using them to maximum effect, but he couldn't entirely disguise their restrictions (e.g., where is everybody? don't these people ever go anywhere?).

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