Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

In the sixteenth century, Francis Barnard travels to Spain to clarify the strange circumstances of his sister's death after she had married the son of a cruel Spanish Inquisitor.

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Richard Matheson (screenplay), Edgar Allan Poe (story "The Pit and the Pendulum")

Stars:

Vincent Price, Barbara Steele, John Kerr

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Vincent Price	...	Nicholas Medina / Sebastian Medina
John Kerr	...	Francis Barnard
Barbara Steele	...	Elizabeth Barnard Medina
Luana Anders	...	Catherine Medina
Antony Carbone	...	Doctor Charles Leon
Patrick Westwood	...	Maximillian
Lynette Bernay	...	Maria (as Lynne Bernay)
Larry Turner	...	Nicholas as a Child
Mary Menzies	...	Isabella
Charles Victor	...	Bartolome

Storyline

Francis Barnard goes to Spain, when he hears his sister Elizabeth has died. Her husband Nicholas Medina, the son of the brutest torturer of the Spanish Inquisition, tells him she has died of a blood disease, but Francis finds this hard to believe. After some investigating he finds out that it was extreme fear that was fatal to his sister and that she may have been buried alive! Strange things then start to happen in the Medina castle.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | torture | gothic horror | spanish inquisition | buried alive | 

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Taglines:

Edgar Allan Poe's diabolic classic

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Passed by the British Board of Film Censors on 13 September 1961 with an "X" certificate. Premiered in the West End at the London Pavilion on 24 November 1961 and ran four weeks. The general release commenced on 14 January 1962.

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Goofs

When Nicholas is talking to Francis about his wife in front of her portrait, discontinuity is obvious from the shots before and this one when he starts talking about her singing.

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Quotes

Don Nicholas Medina: Do you know where you are, Bartolome? I'll tell you where you are. You are about to enter Hell, Bartolome, HELL!... The netherworld.The infernal region, The Abode of the Damned... The place of torment. Pandemonium. Abbadon. Tophet. Gehenna. Naraka. THE PIT!... And the pendulum.

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Alternate Versions

2 shots of a corpse's face in a coffin were cut by the BBFC from the original UK cinema version. All later versions were uncut.

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Connections

Featured in A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss: Home Counties Horror (2010)

User Reviews

The Pit and the Pendulum (7/10)

Three legendary figures, one in writing, and one in film-making, and one in acting are responsible for bringing The Pit and the Pendulum to life. It's Edgar Allen Poe's story about a brother struggling to come to terms about how his sister's untimely death happened. He goes to the mansion of Nicholas Medina, played by the magnificent Vincent Price, to look for answers. The Pit and the Pendulum for a 60's movie is attention getting by how powerful and mystique the actors and actresses characters are, and the brilliant story and script that intertwines very nicely. Roger Corman direction was astounding as well, making me realize why he's so acclaimed by his film-making peers. The Pit and the Pendulum is a nice little horror flick that I watched with no expectations and had no regrets spending the time and money to watch it.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Studios [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 August 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Edgar Allan Poe's Pit and the Pendulum

Filming Locations:

Palos Verdes, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alta Vista Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1