The Legacy (1978)

Director:

Richard Marquand

Writers:

Jimmy Sangster (screenplay)
Patrick Tilley (writer)

Release Date:

14 September 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

It is a birthright of living death...

Plot:

A millionaire and a million-dollar prostitute, a star-maker and a nation-killer, a woman whose lusts are as cold as graveyard snow...

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Mansion | Power | Cat | Dying

Cast

Katharine Ross	...	Margaret Walsh
Sam Elliott	...	Pete Danner
Roger Daltrey	...	Clive Jackson
John Standing	...	Jason Mountolive
Ian Hogg	...	Harry
Margaret Tyzack	...	Nurse Adams
Charles Gray	...	Karl Liebnecht
Lee Montague	...	Jacques Grandier
Hildegarde Neil	...	Barbara Kirstenburg (as Hildegard Neil)
Marianne Broome	...	Maria Gabrieli
William Abney	...	Butler
Patsy Smart	...	Cook
Mathias Kilroy	...	Stable Lad
Reg Harding	...	Gardener

Also Known As:

The Legacy of Maggie Walsh

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1980) | Australia:R | Norway:16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Loseley House, Guildford, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

David Foster Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: In an establishing shot, one of the rear tires of Mountolive's limo clips one of the spherical concrete bollards, which starts rapidly rolling along the drive revealing that it is fake.

Quotes:

Margaret Walsh: [as they approach Ravenhurst, the Mountolive family's dazzling residence] ... So what do you suppose this Mr. Mountolive does for a living?
Pete Danner: [with a shrug] Whatever it is, he's doing it right.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Terror in the Aisles (1984)

Soundtrack:

ANOTHER SIDE OF ME

Cool story, silly execution. Shows how important a good soundtrack is

I finally saw THE LEGACY on DVD, after looking for it for ages. Though I'm a fan of horror and know most of every horror film made out there, for some reason, this one always eluded me. Well, the final result is a mixed bag. The horror elements are not really creepy or memorable. In fact, some of the killings are quite silly (for instance, the guy who is burned alive...). There's almost no creepy feel to it, due mainly to the super slick look of the film, which, by today standards, looks more like a high budget TV movie than anything else. Because there's so little violence or gore, and because there's almost no nudity or sex (except for Sam Elliot's famous nude scene), I wonder why THE LEGACY was even rated R. Without Elliot's nude scene, this would be rated PG-13 today. So, even though I was expecting a horror film, I was unimpressed by the final result.

With that said, I have to say that the story is actually great and is ripe for a proper all out Gothic remake. This story is filled with so much potential for amazing horror moments and elements that the lackluster finish product makes it look even worse than it actually because it is so uninspired. The film can be summarized in a few words: yuppies taking over (a very 1970s concept if there ever was one).

Finally, the music for THE LEGACY is point blank awful. It is, by far, the worst soundtrack I've ever heard for a horror film/thriller. No Goblin soundtrack here or expansive Jerry Goldsmith score. Instead, we have the crappiest "music" that doesn't even try to create tension or any mood aside from treacly upbeatness. It's shows how important an effective soundtrack is in creating that unique feel for horror story. And it's yet another reason why this story should be remade, so the cool story can reach its full potential for mind-blowing horror.