House of the Long Shadows (1983)

An American writer goes to a remote Welsh manor on a twenty thousand dollar bet: can he write a classic novel like "Wuthering Heights" in twenty-four hours? Upon his arrival, however, the ... See full summary »

Director:

Pete Walker

Writers:

Michael Armstrong (screenplay), Earl Derr Biggers (novel)

Stars:

Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Vincent Price	...	Lionel Grisbane
Christopher Lee	...	Corrigan
Peter Cushing	...	Sebastian Grisbane
Desi Arnaz Jr.	...	Kenneth Magee (as Desi Arnaz)
John Carradine	...	Lord Elijah Grisbane
Sheila Keith	...	Victoria Grisbane
Julie Peasgood	...	Mary Norton
Richard Todd	...	Sam Allyson
Louise English	...	Diana Caulder
Richard Hunter	...	Andrew Caulder
Norman Rossington	...	Station Master

Storyline

An American writer goes to a remote Welsh manor on a twenty thousand dollar bet: can he write a classic novel like "Wuthering Heights" in twenty-four hours? Upon his arrival, however, the writer discovers that the manor, thought empty, actually has several, rather odd, inhabitants.

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Plot Keywords:

secret identity | father son relationship | family patriarch | melting face | water switched with acid | 

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Taglines:

Room for every nightmare... A nightmare in every room.

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

House of the Long Shadows

Filming Locations:

Rotherfield Park, East Tisted, Alton, Hampshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

London-Cannon Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the cast and crew loved working with Peter Cushing.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Victoria Grisbane: We're the caretakers here, sir, it's our right to be here. And you, sir?
Kenneth Magee: I have, I've got permission to be here from Sir Richard Thornton...
[Victoria and Elijah don't respond]
Kenneth Magee: He owns the place? He fixed it so I could come down here to right, for a bet, $20,000, that's a lot of money...
[they still don't respond]
Kenneth Magee: I've only got 24 hours, Jesus!
Victoria Grisbane: Please!
Kenneth Magee: Excuse me?
Victoria Grisbane: I will upon this occasion, but please, the Good Lord did not die on the cross to have His name taken in vain.
Kenneth Magee: I'm truly sorry, ma'am, ...

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Connections

References North by Northwest (1959)

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Soundtracks

Pace, pace mio Dio!
(uncredited)
From "La Forza del Destino" by Giuseppe Verdi
Murdered by Sheila Keith

User Reviews

Yes, it's a must-see for fans. And yes, there is a video.

Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, and John Carradine together in one film: does anyone need to say more? If you're a fan of any one of these four film legends, you're in for a treat.

Many people comment that "House of the Long Shadows" is not on video. It is. I found my copy on eBay, but it is commercially prepared. The box resembles the poster at the top of the IMDB page, and says:

AN MGM/UA HOME VIDEO PRESENTATION VHS VIDEOCASSETTE

The box isn't a plastic job with a slip-in cover; it's an actual printed box. (Sorry -- wouldn't give it up for anything, but watch the second hand shops and auction places and you're sure to see one, too.)