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

Theatre of Blood (1973) Director: Desmond Hickox Vincent Price plays Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart, a matinèe favourite Shakespearean actor of the old school, finding difficulty coping with new theatre roles, who wreaks revenge on on the theatre critics who give their annual Guild's "Best Actor" award to a new, and upcoming actor rather than him. Incensed by their choice, he does this in the most ingenious and disturbing ways by imitating death scenes taken from his final repertoire of his beloved, bard's tales. Vincent Price is well supported by Diana Rigg, as his dutiful daughter Edwina, and a bevy of the cream of British character actors, including; Ian Hendry, Michael Hordern, Dennis Price, Robert Morley and Arthur Lowe.

---

Plot Keywords:

critic | actor | revenge | police | theater critic | 

---

Taglines:

It's curtains for his critics!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Horror

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Theatre 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

Over six gallons of fake blood were used to produce the eight ghastly murders.

---

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.

---

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.

---

Alternate Versions

Despite the films spoofy nature the original UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC and some of the close-up shots from the murders of Merridew and Miss Moon were slightly trimmed. All later video and DVD releases were fully uncut.

---

Connections

Referenced in Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)

User Reviews

The film which sends poodles into a total funk!

"Reasonbran 234" (Nov 6 2001) takes out the award here for the most literate, apt and concise review of Theater of Blood. This WAS Vincent Price's finest screen moment and I recall clearly at the time, one particular UK critic who suggested "This brilliant film will probably require a generation before it can ever be held in the esteem to which it is entitled!"

Way too literate for mainstream horror fans' taste - it was so much more. Few had the theatrical flourish of Vincent Price and he was just so perfectly cast as the acting-legend-in-his-own-mind disfavored by a cross section of critics that may otherwise have steered his career on to the rocks. Taking "tragedy" to a new level, he REALLY silencies his critics once and for all, taking them out one by one in escalatingly appropriate Shakespearean circumstances.

Black black dialog with the Bard's turn of a phrase pervades the entire film. Yeah its gory - so's Macbeth! It is also one of the greatest horror comedies ever devised, with A-List acting credits.

Quite simply, NOT to be missed!