The City of the Dead (1960)

A young college student arrives in a sleepy Massachusetts town to research witchcraft; during her stay at an eerie inn, she discovers a startling secret about the town and its inhabitants.

Director:

John Llewellyn Moxey (as John Moxey)

Writers:

George Baxt (screenplay), Milton Subotsky (story)

Stars:

Patricia Jessel, Dennis Lotis, Christopher Lee

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dennis Lotis	...	Richard Barlow
Christopher Lee	...	Alan Driscoll
Patricia Jessel	...	Elizabeth Selwyn / Mrs. Newless
Tom Naylor	...	Bill Maitland
Betta St. John	...	Patricia Russell
Venetia Stevenson	...	Nan Barlow
Valentine Dyall	...	Jethrow Keane
Ann Beach	...	Lottie
Norman MacOwan	...	Reverend Russell (as Norman Macowan)
Fred Johnson	...	The Elder
James Dyrenforth	...	Garage Attendant (as Jimmy Dyrenforth)
Maxine Holden	...	Sue
William Abney	...	Policeman

Storyline

A young coed (Nan Barlow) uses her winter vacation to research a paper on witchcraft in New England. Her professor recommends that she spend time in a small village named Whitewood. He originally came from the village , he also recommends she stay at the "Raven's Inn," run by a Mrs. Newlis. When she arrives at Whitewood, she notices macabre happenings, Soon, things begin to happen in earnest, and she finds herself "marked" for sacrifice by the undead coven of witches. It seems that the innkeeper is actually the undead spirit of Elizabeth Selwyn, and the "guests" at the inn are the other witches who have come to celebrate the sacrifice on Candalmas Eve. As one of them said when Nan walked away, "HE will be PLEASED."

---

Plot Keywords:

sacrifice | witch | new england | inn | coven | 

---

Taglines:

300 years old! Human blood keeps them alive forever!

---

Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

City of the Dead

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£45,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vulcan Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sections from the witch-burning scene at the beginning of the movie were used in the mockumentary Curse of the Blair Witch (1999).

---

Goofs

Venetia Stevenson's surname is spelled "Stephenson" in the opening credits.

---

Quotes

Richard Barlow: When I look into a microscope, Driscoll, I see bacteria swimming, fighting, existing, that's real. These witches that were persecuted and burned in the 17th century were real too, but they weren't witches. They were pitiful human beings, victims of hysteria.
Prof. Alan Driscoll: There are many imminent scholars who have documented proof of the actual practice of witchcraft.
Richard Barlow: Yeah but how effective was this practice? Did any of these imminent scholars ever meet a practicing witch? Did *you* ever meet a witch, ...
[...]

---

Alternate Versions

The original U.S print (titled "Horror Hotel") is around 2 minutes shorter than the "City Of The Dead" version, and is missing most of the cursing made by Elizabeth Selwyn to the villagers during the opening burning and some of the conversation between Driscoll and Barlow as they discuss belief in the supernatural.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Zombie Horror Picture Show (2014)

User Reviews

Chris Lee is a Menacing Presence

1960 was a year in which three horror films on a similar subject matter known as The Haunted Palace, Horror Hotel, and The Mask of Satan were released. The locales are worthy of Lovecraft. The opening scene is inspired by the pre credits sequence of Mario Bava's debut, The Mask of Satan(1960). Horror Hotel(1960) has an Italian flavor with its atmosphere and mystery. Whitewood like Dunwich is a cursed and unsavory little town. An underrated horror flick of the 1960s. Patricia Jessel gives a commanding and menacing performance as Elizabeth Selwyn.

Christopher Lee gives an excellent turn as the mysterious Professor Alan Driscoll. One of his best roles in a non hammer horror film besides Horror Express(1972), The Whip & the Body(1964), and The Wicker Man(1974). Comes after his famous roles for Hammer studios in Curse of Frankenstein(1957), Horror of Dracula(1958), and The Mummy(1959). About a young student who goes off into an old New England town to investigate the phenomen of witchcraft. After she disappears her brother looks for her with sinister results. There are tads of Dennis Wheatley in Horror Hotel(1960). John Moxey films the horror with finesse.

Professor Alan Driscoll in a way i alike the character of Mocata. The scene where the boyfriend of the missing girl crashes into a tree after seeing the image of Selwyn burning and laughing is something out of The Devil Rides Out. Christopher Lee does a good job in hiding his rich British voice. May be the influence for Lucio Fulci's Paura Nella Citta Dei Morti Viventi/City of the Living Dead(1980) and Dario Argento's Inferno(1980). For example Inferno(1980) uses a couple of this film's plot device. An intriquing line in Horror Hotel comes from Christopher Lee in the early first half when he says, "The basis of fairy tales is reality, basis of reality is fairy tales". Seems to implie that legends and myths are based on something true.