Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974)

A cop chases two hippies suspected of a series of Manson family-like murders; unbeknownst to him, the real culprits are the living dead, brought to life with a hunger for human flesh by ultrasonic radiation being used for pest control.

Director:

Jorge Grau

Writers:

Sandro Continenza, Marcello Coscia

Stars:

Cristina Galbó, Ray Lovelock, Arthur Kennedy

4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cristina Galbó	...	Edna Simmonds (as Christine Galbo)
Ray Lovelock	...	George Meaning
Arthur Kennedy	...	The Inspector
Aldo Massasso	...	Detective Sgt. Kinsey
Giorgio Trestini	...	PC Craig
Roberto Posse	...	Benson
José Lifante	...	Martin West (as Jose Ruiz Lifante)
Jeannine Mestre	...	Katie West
Gengher Gatti	...	Keith
Fernando Hilbeck	...	Guthrie Wilson
Vera Drudi	...	Mary
Vicente Vega	...	Dr. Duffield
Francisco Sanz	...	Perkins
Paul Benson	...	Wood
Anita Colby	...	Nurse

Storyline

In the peaceful n lush green country side gruesome murders r committed by the dead who have been brought to life by ultra-sonic radiation. Two travelers from the city who meet accidentally r harassed n implicated by the cops for the murders.

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Plot Keywords:

radiation | rural setting | riding a motorcycle | 1970s | zombie violence | 

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Taglines:

One of the best zombie films ever made.

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The trained owl that sits perched in Southgate's "Old Owl Hotel" is a species known as a Barred Owl.

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Goofs

During the zombie attack scene on the hospital stairway, a zombie has part of his chest sliced off by an ax. In the next shot, that part of his chest is undamaged.

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Quotes

George: The dead don't walk around, except in very bad paperback novels!

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Alternate Versions

In the UK, there were 2 pre-VRA videos of this film. The first was by VIP under the title 'The Living Dead' and is uncut. The second was by LVC under the title 'Don't Open The Window' and is the same as the US R rated version

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Connections

Referenced in El Rato Muerto: Top 20 películas de Zombies según un Zombie (2019)

User Reviews

Great Zombie Movie

In Manchester, the owner of an antique shop George (Ray Lovelock) rides his motorcycle to Lake District in the countryside with a couple of antique pieces to a house where his friends are working. When he stops at a gas station, the driver of a Mini Copper Edna (Cristina Galbó) reverses her car and hits his motorcycle. George orders Edna to take him to Lake District to compensate the damage but she asks him to go first to Windermere since she needs to visit her problematic sister. Then she would lend the car to him. George drives Edna to her sister's cottage but they get lost in a dead end road. George leaves Edna in the car and walks to a nearby farm to ask for directions. He meets three men from the Department of Agriculture using an experimental machine to kill insects through ultra-sonic radiation in the range of one mile. Meanwhile Edna is attacked by a strange man and she runs toward George but the man disappears.

In Windermere, Edna's sister Katie (Jeannine Mestre) has an argument with her husband Martin (Jóse Lifante) and he leaves the house to take photos of a waterfall. Katie is addicted in heroin and prepares a shot while Martin is outside. However she is attacked by the same man that attacked her sister and she runs to the field where Martin is. The man hunts her down and kills Martin, and Katie flees and meets Edna and George that are arriving in their car. They call the police and the arrogant and bigoted Inspector (Arthur Kennedy) believes that Katie killed her husband. George and Edna try to find evidence that Katie is innocent and Edna discovers that the attacker is a man that has drowned in the river. George finds an absurd and heads with Edna to the cemetery to see the corpse of the man, and the inspector sends a police officer to follow them. Soon they discover that they are under siege in the cemetery by living dead. Will they succeed to escape from the group of zombies?

"Let Sleeping Corpses Lie" is a great zombie movie directed by Jorge Grau. This is the first movie from this director that I have seen and the beginning of the story shows his concern with the environment, showing the pollution everywhere in the area of London. Ray Lovelock and Cristina Galbó show great chemistry and have good performances and Arthur Kennedy is irritating in the role of a ruthless inspector. This movie was released with several alternate titles, and I bought a used collector's tin from Anchor Bay Entertainment and unfortunately is missing a couple of pages of the booklet. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Não se Deve Profanar o Sono dos Mortos" ("It Shall not Desecrate the Sleep of the Dead")

Note: On 13 September 2015, I saw this film again.

Details

Country:

Spain Italy

Language:

English Italian Spanish

Release Date:

1 June 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue

Filming Locations:

Barnes Hospital, Cheadle, Cheshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Star Films S.A., Flaminia Produzioni Cinematografiche

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min 85 min (R-rated) 93 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1