The Cabinet of Caligari (1962)

Director:

Roger Kay

Writer:

Robert Bloch (writer)

Release Date:

5 October 1962 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

No one permitted out or in during the last thirteen nerve-shattering minutes!

Plot:

Jane's car breaks down and she makes her way to a nearby estate, owned by a mysterious man named Caligari...

Plot Keywords:

Horror Movie Remake | Remake | Surrealism | Character Name In Title | Surprise Ending

Cast

Glynis Johns	...	Jane Lindstrom
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Caligari / Paul
Richard Davalos	...	Mark Lindstrom
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Dr. Frank David
Constance Ford	...	Christine
J. Pat O'Malley	...	Martin
Vicki Trickett	...	Jeanie the Maid
Estelle Winwood	...	Ruth
Doreen Lang	...	Vivian
Charles E. Fredericks	...	Bob
Phyllis Teagardin	...	Little Girl

Directed by
Roger Kay

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Bloch		writer

Produced by
Roger Kay	....	producer

Original Music by
Gerald Fried

Cinematography by
John L. Russell

Film Editing by
Archie Marshek

Production Design by
Serge Krizman

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harold E. Knox	....	assistant director
Lee Lukather	....	assistant director

Production Companies

• Associated Producers (API)
• Seven Arts Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1962) (USA) (theatrical)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #20179) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Associated Producers (API)

Goofs:

Continuity: As Jane sits at the dinner table having a private discussion with Paul, the bowl of lobster bisque she refuses to eat disappears between shots.

Quotes:

Caligari: How old were you when you first let a man make love to you? Next, who was he? Next, how did you feel at the time? Next, how did you feel afterwards? What did you feel? What did you think? Were you pleased, frightened, ecstatic, disgusted? What did he say? What words did you speak? That's what I want to know. Now. Tell me. Now. Now. All of it, now. Tell me. YES!

Movie Connections:

Remake of Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (1920)

A favorite moment

There's one little moment that stood out for me when I watched this movie years ago on the USA network:

Glynis Johns spends most of the movie in some sort of conflict with Dan O'Herlihy playing Dr. Caligari...it's the sort of psych-out contest seen in every episode of The Prisoner and other war-of-wills dramas. Up to this point Ms. Johns is rather prim and after a while this can become irritating to viewers who are used to seeing female protagonists stand up for themselves more vigorously. After a frustrating argument with Dr. C, she runs upstairs, throws herself on the bed and (instead of sobbing or sulking, as her uptight character has behaved so far) lets out a huge WAAAAAA-HAAAAAAH! My girlfriend and I both collapsed with laughter ...but after that moment found ourselves much more in sympathy with her, and that is precisely the effect intended by Robert Bloch.

Overall the movie was worth the time it took to watch, but didn't stand out as a favorite for either of us. But when we encountered something frustrating after that, we'd look at each other and shout, "Waaaa-Hahhh!"