The Long Hair of Death (1965)

In a 15th-century feudal village, a woman is accused of witchcraft and put to death. Her beautiful older daughter knows the real reason for the execution lies in the lord's sexual desire ... See full summary »

Director:

Antonio Margheriti (as Anthony Dawson)

Writers:

Ernesto Gastaldi (story) (as Julian Berry), Tonino Valerii (screenplay) (as Robert Bohr)

Stars:

Barbara Steele, George Ardisson, Halina Zalewska

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Steele	...	Helen Karnstein / Mary Karnstein
George Ardisson	...	Baron Kurt Humboldt
Halina Zalewska	...	Lisabeth Karnstein
Umberto Raho	...	Von Klage, prete (as Robert Rains)
Laura Nucci	...	Grumalda (as Laureen Nuyen)
Giuliano Raffaelli	...	Count Humboldt (as Jean Rafferty)
Nello Pazzafini	...	Monk, servante (as John Carey)
Jeffrey Darcey	...	Embougr, messaggero

Storyline

In a 15th-century feudal village, a woman is accused of witchcraft and put to death. Her beautiful older daughter knows the real reason for the execution lies in the lord's sexual desire for her mother. After confronting the lord on the matter, she, too, is killed. A much younger daughter is spared and taken in by her mother's killers. Once she is of age, as a horrible, deadly plague sweeps the land, she marries the lord's worthless son. Then, during a brutal thunderstorm, the older daughter mysteriously reappears and begins to avenge her mother's death.

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Plot Keywords:

giallo | witchcraft | execution | costume horror | supernatural horror | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

30 April 1965 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Long Hair of Death

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinegai S.p.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Why Horror? (2014)

User Reviews

Like father, like son

"I lunghi capelli della morte" by Antonio Margheriti is a classic b/w Gothic movie. Take a flickering candle, go down into the crypt, past the spider webs - and you wouldn't be surprised if Bela Lugosi was lurking in the shadow. Actually it's Barbara Steele which you can't complain about, either. Giorgio Ardisson plays Kurt, the son of a Count, who commits a murder, blames it on a witch, the witch is burnt and leaves a terrible curse behind - maybe the story is not something new, but it matters most in this movie to show how a man is slowly trapped in a revenge plan - so slowly that for most of the running time, he doesn't even realize the torment already began. That not much is happening, as sometimes reviewers do say, is done on purpose: Kurt would like to move, but he is becoming aware more and more of his helplessness, his inability to hide. "I lunghi capelli della morte" is a movie with intensity, atmosphere and beauty in its black and white imagery, and while I just wanted to check out the first chapter for the disc quality when the DVD arrived in the mail, I ended up watching it till the end - it was mesmerizing and really that good. Fans of the genre, don't miss it!