Tower of Evil (1972)

Director:

Jim O'Connolly

Writers:

George Baxt (novel)
Jim O'Connolly (writer)

Release Date:

1 May 1974 (West Germany)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

They came, they saw, they died!

Plot:

Some experienced and accustomed archeologists are searching for an old and mystic Phoenician treasure...

Plot Keywords:

Treasure | Explosion | Fisherman | Severed Head | Deformed

Cast

Bryant Haliday	...	Evan Brent
Jill Haworth	...	Rose Mason
Anna Palk	...	Nora Winthrop
William Lucas	...	Superintendent Hawk
Anthony Valentine	...	Dr. Simpson
Jack Watson	...	Hamp Gurney
Mark Edwards	...	Adam Masters
Derek Fowlds	...	Dan Winthrop
John Hamill	...	Gary
Gary Hamilton	...	Brom
Candace Glendenning	...	Penelope 'Penny' Read
Dennis Price	...	Laurence Bakewell
George Coulouris	...	John Gurney
Robin Askwith	...	Des
Seretta Wilson	...	Mae Harvey
Fredric Abbott	...	Saul Gurney
Mark McBride	...	Michael Gurney
Marianne Stone	...	Nurse

Directed by
Jim O'Connolly

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
George Baxt		novel
Jim O'Connolly		writer

Produced by
Richard Gordon	....	producer
John Pellatt	....	associate producer
Joe Solomon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Kenneth V. Jones

Cinematography by
Desmond Dickinson

Film Editing by
Henry Richardson

Casting by
Rose Tobias Shaw		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Disley Jones

Makeup Department
Gordon Bond	....	hairdresser
Jimmy Evans	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ted Lloyd	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Price	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Ken Ritchie	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Jones	....	camera operator
Harry Gillard	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Other crew
Kay Rawlings	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Grenadier Films

Distributors

• Anglo-EMI Film Distributors (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• MGM-EMI (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Fanfare Films (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Independent International Pictures (I-I) (1980) (USA) (theatrical) (as "Beyond the Fog")
• Astral Films (Canada)
• DD Home Entertainment (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (USA) (TV)
• Sovereign Multi-Media (1999) (UK) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO) (1993) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Rank Film Laboratories  processed by
• Shepperton Studios  made at

Also Known As:

Beyond the Fog (USA) (reissue title)
Horror of Snape Island (Canada: English title)
Horror on Snape Island

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:18 (video rating) (1982) | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:(Banned) (1972) | UK:18 (video rating) (1993) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | Australia:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Grenadier Films

Trivia:

John Hamill is dubbed.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TCM Underground: Tower of Evil (#1.53)" (2008)

A must see

This is a movie for anyone who loves English horror films from the early 70's--and that should mean you!! A fog enshrouded island, a derelict lighthouse, plenty of blood, sex and dated slang--oh yeah it's here in abundance!! Don't listen to the other reviewers when they say this film would have been better if it had been made with today's effects and a larger budget. This film becomes better because it was made on a tighter budget, when the crew had to come up with inventive ways to create atmosphere, menace and a sustained mood. All of these things drip from every frame of this film and the cast is actually very good and even features George Couloris (of Citizen Kane fame) in a short but blood filled cameo at the start of the film and Jill Haworth, who had prior to this film starred in such acclaimed flicks as "Exodus" and the Broadway version of "Cabaret". Forget those films though this is the highlight of her career--everything else was just practice for this baby!! Some might say I'm going too far but that would be wrong. The twists in this film are truly fun and surprising and the musical score adds a real sense of unease to the well directed carnage and misty vistas (hats off to Jim O'Connolly!) So what are you waiting for--this is now out on DVD and looks crisp and vivid. Get it and see how good horror films were not all that long ago!