Love Me Deadly (1973)

Director:

Jacques Lacerte

Writers:

Roger Wall (story) &
Robert Cleere (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

January 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The Most Shocking Occult Ordeal Ever Permitted on the Screen!

Plot:

A coven of devil-worshipping necrophiliacs moves to Los Angeles and sets up their base of operations out of a funeral home. |

Plot Keywords:

Funeral | Music Score Features Piano | Secret | Male Prostitute | Murder

Cast

Mary Charlotte Wilcox	...	Lindsay Finch (as Mary Wilcox)
Lyle Waggoner	...	Alex Martin
Christopher Stone	...	Wade Farrow
Timothy Scott	...	Fred McSweeney
Michael Pardue	...	Lindsay's Father
Dassa Cates	...	House Keeper
Terri Anne Duvalis	...	Lindsay as a Child
Louis Joeffred	...	McSweeney's Colleague
Bruce Adams	...	McSweeney's Colleague
Barbara Fisher	...	Prostitute
Edith Sills	...	Alex's Mother
Irving Rosen	...	Dinner Guest
H.B. Halicki	...	Race Driver (as Toby Halicki)
I. William Quinn	...	Billy-Jo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Jacobs	...	Love Slave
Barbra Rae	...	Prostitute
David Aaron	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Buck Edwards	...	Bald Cult Member (uncredited)
Jacques Lacerte	...	Bearded Corpse (uncredited)
Bob Westmoreland	...	Second Corpse Kissed by Lindsay (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Lacerte

Writing credits
Roger Wall		(story idea) &
Robert Cleere		(story idea)
Jacques Lacerte		(written by)
Buck Edwards		uncredited

Produced by
Buck Edwards	....	producer
Charles W. Geiger	....	associate producer
H.B. Halicki	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Phil Moody

Cinematography by
David Aaron		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Leo H. Shreve		(as Leo Shreve)

Makeup Department
Albert A. Fleming	....	makeup artist
J. Shealy	....	hair stylist
Bob Westmoreland	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Buck Edwards	....	production manager (as Mervyn L. Edwards)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Doniger	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John Speak	....	sound mixer (as John V. Speak)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Chapin	....	still photographer
Don Gulick	....	camera assistant (as Donald Gulick)

Other crew
Roger Hocking	....	production assistant
Howard Hohler	....	script supervisor
Sheri Kaiser	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• United Talent Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• Cinema National (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Video Gems (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Red Alert Films (2006-2007) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Code Red DVD (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Shriek Show (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia Pictures of Canada (Canada)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  color and opticals (as CFI)
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  sound (as Glen Glenn Sound)

Also Known As:

"Secrets of the Death Room" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated (DVD rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Melrose, California, USA

Company:

United Talent Productions Ltd.

Trivia:

Many of the guests at the party were played by crew members. Buck Edwards, who plays the cult member with a shaved head, is briefly visible as a guest in the background.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nekromantik (1987)

Soundtrack:

Love Me Deadly

Interesting Film, If Nothing Else

I have a theory that this film got Lyle Waggoner dismissed from The Carol Burnett Show (he left the series the following season, by mutual agreement).

Regardless, by today's standards, it's not that shocking. The copy of the film I have seems to have been carefully edited, and not as violent or graphic as I recall it being in the theater production.

By 1973 standards, it was quite a shocker...very graphic and gory, complete with a gay subtext. As I recall, it was loosely based around a real-life Los Angeles "cult" of funeral home "lovers of dead" psychos. The story is fiction, but, who knows what goes on behind the closed doors at funeral homes? The acting isn't too bad, and it's fun watching Lyle play against type. The star is quite pretty, too, and she plays her role well. Her hunky boyfriend does a good job of...well, being prepared for cold sex (and so does poor Lyle).

In the right frame of mind, this comes across well. In fact, I'd love to see the original, uncut version one day, on widescreen DVD, but I ain't holdin' my breath. This is lurid stuff, and it ain't likely to see the DVD "light of day".

If you do see this "sicky", just don't take it too seriously, and it might be fun to watch.