Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Pit and the Pendulum

  • 19611961
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
15K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
10,302
2,420
Vincent Price, John Kerr, and Barbara Steele in The 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.
Play trailer2:30
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaHorrorMystery
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.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.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.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
15K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
10,302
2,420
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Roger Corman
    • Writers
      • Richard Matheson(screenplay)
      • Edgar Allan Poe(story "The Pit and the Pendulum")
    • Stars
      • Vincent Price
      • Barbara Steele
      • John Kerr
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Roger Corman
    • Writers
      • Richard Matheson(screenplay)
      • Edgar Allan Poe(story "The Pit and the Pendulum")
    • Stars
      • Vincent Price
      • Barbara Steele
      • John Kerr
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 131User reviews
    • 115Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore

    Videos1

    Blu-ray Trailer
    Trailer 2:30
    Blu-ray Trailer

    Photos115

    Vincent Price and Antony Carbone in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Vincent Price in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Barbara Steele in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    John Kerr in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Vincent Price and John Kerr in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Vincent Price and Barbara Steele in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Vincent Price in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Vincent Price, Luana Anders, and John Kerr in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Vincent Price in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Luana Anders and John Kerr in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Vincent Price and John Kerr in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Vincent Price in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Vincent Price
    Vincent Price
    • Nicholas Medina…
    Barbara Steele
    Barbara Steele
    • Elizabeth Barnard Medina
    John Kerr
    John Kerr
    • Francis Barnard
    Luana Anders
    Luana Anders
    • Catherine Medina
    Antony Carbone
    Antony Carbone
    • Doctor Charles Leon
    Patrick Westwood
    Patrick Westwood
    • Maximillian
    Lynette Bernay
    • Maria
    • (as Lynne Bernay)
    Larry Turner
    • Nicholas as a Child
    Mary Menzies
    • Isabella
    Charles Victor
    • Bartolome
    Randee Lynne Jensen
    Randee Lynne Jensen
    • Extra
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Roger Corman
    • Writers
      • Richard Matheson(screenplay)
      • Edgar Allan Poe(story "The Pit and the Pendulum")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Raven
    6.5
    The Raven
    Tales of Terror
    6.8
    Tales of Terror
    The Tomb of Ligeia
    6.4
    The Tomb of Ligeia
    The Abominable Dr. Phibes
    7.1
    The Abominable Dr. Phibes
    The Pit and the Pendulum
    5.9
    The Pit and the Pendulum
    The Comedy of Terrors
    6.6
    The Comedy of Terrors
    House on Haunted Hill
    6.8
    House on Haunted Hill
    House of Wax
    7.0
    House of Wax
    Theater of Blood
    7.1
    Theater of Blood
    The Last Man on Earth
    6.7
    The Last Man on Earth
    Tower of London
    6.3
    Tower of London
    Twice-Told Tales
    6.6
    Twice-Told Tales

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      To increase the pendulum's sense of deadly menace, director Roger Corman took out every other frame during the editing stage making the blade appear to move twice as fast.
    • Goofs
      The story takes place in 1545, as indicated by the date on Elizabeth's tomb, however in the background in one scene a grandfather, or longcase, clock can be seen. The longcase clock was not developed until 1670.
    • 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.

    • 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.
    • Connections
      Edited into Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965)

    User reviews131

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    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.
    helpful•7
    0
    • skybrick736
    • Apr 30, 2015

    FAQ9

    • What is 'Pit and the Pendulum' about?
    • Is "Pit and the Pendulum" based on a book?
    • What is an "iron maiden"?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 23, 1961 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Edgar Allan Poe's Pit and the Pendulum
    • Filming locations
      • Palos Verdes, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Alta Vista Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $200,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Vincent Price, John Kerr, and Barbara Steele in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Double Take: Celebrity Twins
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.