Dementia 13 (1963)

A scheming widow hatches a daring plan to get her hands on her late husband's inheritance, unbeknownst to her that she is targeted by an axe-wielding murderer who lurks within the family's estate.

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola (as Francis Coppola)

Writers:

Francis Ford Coppola (as Francis Coppola), Jack Hill (second unit written by)

Stars:

William Campbell, Luana Anders, Bart Patton

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Campbell	...	Richard Haloran
Luana Anders	...	Louise Haloran
Bart Patton	...	Billy Haloran
Mary Mitchel	...	Kane
Patrick Magee	...	Justin Caleb
Eithne Dunne	...	Lady Haloran (as Ethne Dunn)
Peter Read	...	John Haloran
Karl Schanzer	...	Simon
Ron Perry	...	Arthur
Derry O'Donavan	...	Lillian
Barbara Dowling	...	Kathleen Haloran

Storyline

Whilst out on a rowboat with his wife Louise, John Haloran has a heart attack and dies. She casts his body overboard and hides his death telling the family he left on an urgent business trip. Louise's main concern is that she can only hope to inherit part of his family fortune if he's still alive. The Halorans are a strange family. They are still grieving over the death of the youngest daughter, Kathleen, who drowned in a pond when she was a young child. The family hold an annual ceremony of remembrance, on the anniversary of her death. But this year someone is wielding an ax...intent on murder.

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Plot Keywords:

son | screaming underwater | ceremony | heart attack | castle | 

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Taglines:

The Most Terrifying Screen Experience Of Your Life! A Brand New Concept in Motion Picture Shock! A Thrilling New Creation of Terror Thru Sight and Sound, Filmed Entirely in the Shock-Packed Process of Dementia 13!

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

1964 (UK)

Also Known As:

Dementia

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Roger Corman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color (colorized)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was originally going to be titled simply "Dementia." The "13" was added because it was discovered that the title "Dementia" had already been used earlier for a 1955 film, Dementia (1955).

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Goofs

In some shots Ron Perry as Arthur has two good arms, but in other shots his left arm is in a cast.

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Quotes

Justin Caleb: You know, the one thing in the world that really chills my bones to the marrow is when a pretty girl in a wedding dress looks at me and finds me repulsive.

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Alternate Versions

Some prints of the film contain a prologue in which a psychiatrist would give the audience a test to see if they were stable enough to withstand viewing this film. This prologue has been removed from the television versions, reducing the running time from 81 minutes to 74 minutes. Many video releases of this film list the 81 minute version on the box, but actually contain the 74 minute version.

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Connections

Featured in Halloween Monster Bash (1991)

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Soundtracks

Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Thomas Moore
Music: traditional Irish air

User Reviews

Five potential good paths, but none taken

There are many plot points throughout this film that would make great horror or suspense movies in themselves. The gold-digging wife who plans to change the will of her mother-in-law. The guilt a family feels about the death of their daughter. A haunted Irish castle. An axe murderer loose at a family gathering where a will is being discussed. The trusted family doctor who is, in fact, a puppetmaster, making the family hold onto a tragic past. Unfortunately, none of these intriguing plot points are milked to their fullest advantage. Literally, Coppola has five movies in one...but none of them are finished. When John dies and Louise covers up the death, that's the last we hear about it. This could have been used later. Etc. etc. Instead, we get a mish mash of plot points with bad acting and bad dialogue that are important but never revisited and used to weave a cohesive plot.