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IMDb > Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
Pit and the Pendulum
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Pit and the Pendulum (1961) More at IMDbPro »

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Pit and the Pendulum (1961) -- 16th century Spanish nobleman Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) slowly goes crazy because he thinks his wife was buried alive (a plot between his wife and her lover to get his money).  Now totally insane, he starts to murder.

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   3,102 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Roger Corman
Writers:
Richard Matheson (writer)
Edgar Allan Poe (story)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Pit and the Pendulum on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 August 1961 (USA) more
Genre:
Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
Until now no one has dared to film this ...... the most diabolical classic of all time! more
Plot:
Francis Barnard goes to Spain, when he hears his sister Elizabeth has died. Her husband Nicholas Medina... more | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Major Tim Burton exhibition at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art
 (From Fangoria. 12 June 2009, 5:44 PM, PDT)

David DeCoteau triple features in La and on-demand
 (From Fangoria. 21 April 2009, 9:40 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Nice Poe follow-up to "House of Usher"...Price is terrific... more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Vincent Price ... Nicholas / Sebastian Medina
John Kerr ... Francis
Barbara Steele ... Elizabeth
Luana Anders ... Catherine
Antony Carbone ... Doctor Leon
Patrick Westwood ... Maximillian
Lynette Bernay ... Maria
Larry Turner ... Nicholas as a child
Mary Menzies ... Isabella
Charles Victor ... Bartolome
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Pit and the Pendulum (USA)
more
Runtime:
80 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Pathécolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #19988) | USA:Unrated (video release) | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Norway:16 (1961) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:18 | UK:X (original rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The film never had an original prologue. It was added when the film was sold to TV and a further few minutes were required to pad out the running time. Only Luana Anders from the original cast was available so an extra scene of her in a madhouse was filmed and tacked on to the beginning. This scene does not really tie in with the rest of the film. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Elizabeth Medina starts to open her coffin you see her hand reach out and grab the side edge but in the next shot her hand is gone. more
Quotes:
Don Nicholas Medina: You will die in agony. Die! more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Son of Svengoolie: Pit and the Pendulum (1961) (#1.66)" (1980) more

FAQ

What does the final title card say?
What are the "fun facts" printed on the DVD package?
What have critics said?
more
3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful:-
Nice Poe follow-up to "House of Usher"...Price is terrific..., 10 August 2007
6/10
Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

Once again VINCENT PRICE is harboring a dark secret about a torture dungeon, a father who sadistically used it during the Inquisition, and a wife who has died mysteriously. JOHN KERR is a young man from England who comes to Spain to find out what happened to his sister.

When the story of the Spanish nobleman's boyhood is related to Kerr, you can understand why Price is about to go insane, haunted as he is by witnessing the death of his mother and uncle in the chamber. The plot thickens when it turns out that two of his loyal friends are at the heart of a cruel deception.

All the Gothic elements are here in all their clichéd glory: the hidden passageways, the steep stairways, the cobwebs and spiders, the handsome castle interiors and all of the interiors beautifully photographed. Les Baxter's music provides an appropriately chilling background score. Roger Corman's direction is a major asset and BARBARA STEELE does nicely as the adulterous wife.

Kerr is adequate as the young man inquiring into the death of his sister, but it's Price's show all the way. His mad scene at the end is extremely well handled, a bit over-the-top in many ways, but still effective. The pendulum scene is a nail biter.

Summing up: Top rate Gothic mystery makes good combination of Poe, Corman and Price once again.

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Making of 'Pit and the Pendulum' lasermagnetic
The Differance between Poe's horror story, and the movie RobStrand
One of the greatest final shots in a movie ever SlipGun
Great movie but... (spoilers) nicecity
Where Can I buy the DVD at? HBK05
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