House of the Black Death (1965)

User Rating:

2.0/10   

Directors:

Harold Daniels
Jerry Warren

Writers:

Lora Crozetti (novel)
Richard Mahoney (writer)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

Two brothers, both of whom are warlocks, use their powers and covens of witches to battle over the family fortune. |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel | Independent Film

Cast

John Carradine	...	Andre Dessard
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Belial Dessard
Andrea King	...	Dr. Katherine Mallory
Tom Drake	...	Paul Dessard
Dolores Faith	...	Valerie Dessard
Jerome Thor	...	Dr. Eric Campion
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sherwood Keith
George Mitchell		(as George Andre)
Catherine Petty
Sabrina	...	Belly-dancer
Margaret Shinn
Katherine Victor	...	Lila

Also Known As:

Blood of the Man Beast (USA)
Blood of the Man Devil
Night of the Beast

Runtime:

USA:89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:GP (1971)

Confusing, isn't it?

Jerry Warren, Harold Daniels and (if we can believe the credits) Reginald LeBorg all had something to do with putting this movie together. Jerry is famous for importing Mexican movies, adding new scenes and releasing them as "new". CREATURE OF THE WALKING DEAD and CURSE OF THE STONE HAND come quickly to mind. He also directed MAN BEAST and introduced to world to "Rock Madison" an actor who never really existed! Harold Daniels directed the original version of BAYOU (1956) which was spiced up with "Adults Only" footage a few years later and re-released as POOR WHITE TRASH. Reginald LeBorg had worked with stars Lon Chaney and John Carradine previously in things like DEAD MAN'S EYES, THE MUMMY'S GHOST and THE BLACK SLEEP. The combination of these three culminates with a movie that is . . . well . . .unusual to say the least.

The small town of Wydeburn (it seems to only have 20 residents) is controlled by the feuding DeSade family. The good warlock Andre (John Carradine) controls half the citizens and bad warlock Belial (Lon Chaney) rules the others. Andre tells us that Belial has a cloven hoof but we never see it. Chaney's limp is no doubt due to an attack of gout which he was plagued with for the last years of his life. He does sport a nice pair of horns though. Another member of the family is supposed to be a werewolf and to be fair we do get a brief insert shot of the man wearing what is meant (I guess) to be a werewolf mask! Another DeSade brother (Tom Drake, who costarred with Chaney in THE CYCLOPS back in 1957) comes home with a doctor colleague (Andrea King, best remembered from THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS) to save his sister (Delores Faith) from what he believes is the family madness. Without spoiling too much of the plot (actually the directors did that themselves!) he soon learns that not all of Life's mysteries can be explained away in medical books!

Continuity is barely there and scenes jump around so much you have to wonder who did the editing. At one moment Carradine declares he is tired and must rest yet in the very next scene he is in the living room talking about the family history! Watch how Delores Faith is wearing high heels when she leaves Carradine's house but is barefoot when she arrives at Chaney's place. Everyone I this picture had experience with the genre and I can only assume they did the best they could with a budget that from probably non existent from Day One and three directors all going in different directions. Katherine Victor from THE CAPE CANAVERAL MONSTERS shows up long enough to initiate a new member into Belial's coven. One name "Adults Only" star Sabrina (qv THE ICE HOUSE)shows up as a harem dancer.

If you think Roger Corman's THE TERROR (1963) is all over the map plotwise sit down and try to watch this movie! It's too incoherent to even to be funny. Oh well, call me a completist but I'll watch anything with Lon and John in it. Nice try, guys.