Theater of Blood (1973)

A Shakespearean actor takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition.

Director:

Douglas Hickox

Writers:

Anthony Greville-Bell (screenplay), Stanley Mann (idea)

Stars:

Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Price	...	Edward Lionheart
Diana Rigg	...	Edwina Lionheart
Ian Hendry	...	Peregrine Devlin
Harry Andrews	...	Trevor Dickman
Coral Browne	...	Chloe Moon
Robert Coote	...	Oliver Larding
Jack Hawkins	...	Solomon Psaltery
Michael Hordern	...	George Maxwell
Arthur Lowe	...	Horace Sprout
Robert Morley	...	Meredith Merridew
Dennis Price	...	Hector Snipe
Milo O'Shea	...	Inspector Boot
Eric Sykes	...	Sergeant Dogge
Madeline Smith	...	Rosemary
Diana Dors	...	Maisie Psaltery

Storyline

Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price) stars as an actor overlooked for a critics' acting award, despite producing a season of Shakespeare plays. After confronting the Critics' Circle, an attempted suicidal dive into the Thames results in Lionheart being rescued by your typical paraffin/meths/turps swigging tramps. Lionheart then (presumed dead) exacts his grizzly, and quite amusing revenge on the critics who denied him his finest hour.

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Plot Keywords:

critic | actor | revenge | police | theater critic | 

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Taglines:

He gave his critics a bloody and violent taste of their own medicine!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Theater of Blood

Filming Locations:

Oakley Court, Windsor Road, Oakley Green, Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Harbour Productions Limited,Cineman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (title sequence) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vincent Price fell in love with and married actress Coral Browne following production,which lasted from July 10-August 17, 1972. The film was released after Vincent Price's March 18, 1973 appearance as the subject of "This is Your Life", his last public appearance with second wife Mary, who knew nothing yet about his affair with Coral, set up by Diana Rigg, who noticed the chemistry between the two.

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Goofs

When Peregrine Devlin arrives at the fencing school you see him attach a cable to the back of his fencing kit (which would signal a hit with a buzzer), yet when the other fencer reveals himself to be Edward Lionheart and they start fencing the cable is no longer attached to Devlin's back.

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Quotes

[first lines]
George Maxwell: That damn editor's cut the best part of my review!
Mrs. Maxwell: So I noticed, dear. You ought to have a chat with him.
George Maxwell: My most provocative comment, too, where I said the leading lady attacked her role with both hands and strangled it to death.

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Connections

Featured in 31 Horror Movies in 31 Days: Price Told Tales (2018)

User Reviews

Who Is Killing The Great Critics Of London?

One of Vincent Price's best films is a black comedy that stars a whole slew of talented British players about a classical ham actor who is taking revenge on the critics who have panned his performances for years. It's really the kind of role any player would sell his soul to have, one where he can lose all restraints and feed on a winter's supply of scenery.

Price is the only American in the cast in this film set in London, but with his classical training and magnificent speaking voice it's not anything even a critic might find fault with.

One thing I do love are the names of the characters, you would think that Charles Dickens might have collaborated with Edgar Allan Poe had this been done a century earlier.

Price has saved each bad review he's gotten and dispatches the critics with a method from the play. Some of the Bard's work used are Julius Caesar, Troilus and Cressida, Titus Andronicus, and King Lear and others.

Diana Rigg plays Price's daughter and such worthy people as Jack Hawkins, Dennis Price, and Robert Morley are some of the critics. Morley's performance and method of shuffling off this mortal coil are the best in the film.

For those who like seeing the light side of Vincent Price, do not miss Theater of Blood.