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:

Betrayal cuts both ways!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Studios [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 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)

Gross USA:

$2,000,000

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was shot in fifteen days.

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Goofs

When Nicholas pretends to be dead, Elizabeth talks to him and moves his head towards her. In the next shot she moves his head again to same position.

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Quotes

Catherine: Maximilian, we must break into the torture chamber! Quickly!

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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

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

User Reviews

Once upon a time in Spain...

One of the many horror flicks that entertained America's moviegoers in the early '60s, "Pit and the Pendulum" has all that anyone could ask for. In the story, young Francis Barnard (John Kerr) goes to an evil-looking castle on the Spanish coast to investigate the death of his sister Elizabeth (Barbara Steele). Her husband Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price), the son of an inquisitor, has been driven insane by her death. But some questions remain: did she really die? And what's really the deal with Nicholas? Of course, the movie's real star ends up being the pendulum. Razor-sharp and menacing as can be, it is one mean mother. Overall, what's particularly neat about this movie is the fact that for a long time, it seems like there's nothing to see...and then they catch you. Everyone likes a Vincent Price movie, but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who might easily die of fright. It's that good!