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

Burning witches, Barbara Steele, creepy castles, and ghosts - What more could you ask for?

A woman is burned for being a witch. Her daughter, Helen Karnstein (Barbara Steele) vows revenge, but is pushed off a cliff before she can carry it out. The younger sister, Elizabeth (Halina Zalewska), grows up and is forced to marry the man who framed her mother. Then one stormy night, Helen rises from the grave. Elizabeth's husband immediately falls for Helen and together they plot to get rid of Elizabeth. Will Helen really help kill her sister, or is it part of a plot to finally get revenge for her mother's death?

If you're a fan of either Italian B&W ghost stories or Barbara Steele, there's a lot here to enjoy. There's just something about B&W that seems to work for me in a ghost story. B&W makes Gothic lookwell, more Gothic. Color never works as well for me with this kind of movie. The eerie passageways of the castle, the witch burning scene, and the dead corpses in the burial chamber are especially creepy in The Long Hair of Death. But my favorite scene, filmed in all its B&W glory, has to be Helen's appearance in the chapel after having been brought back from the dead. To quote Martha Stewart, "It's a good thing."

Barbara Steele made a boatload of horror films that I enjoy. In fact, she's in my all time favorite - Black Sunday. I have no way of knowing if this is true, but she appears to be having more fun with her role in The Long Hair of Death than I've noticed in some of her other movies. Regardless, there's no denying how mesmerizing she is here. It's impossible not to focus on her in every scene in which she appears.

I suppose I should give the usual warning to those more accustomed to the pace of modern horror. The Long Hair of Death is slow going. Those who require a killing or an explosion every five minutes should probably just skip it.