Tales from the Crypt (1972)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Freddie Francis

Writers:

Johnny Craig (comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror)
Al Feldstein (comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror)
(more)

Release Date:

9 March 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

DEATH LIVES in the Vault of Horror!

Plot:

Five people get lost in a crypt and meet up with a strange crypt keeper who tells them stories of how they died.

Plot Keywords:

Crypt | Future | Tour | Infidelity | Sword

Cast

Joan Collins	...	Joanne Clayton (segment "All Through The House")
Peter Cushing	...	Arthur Edward Grimsdyke (segment "Poetic Justice")
Roy Dotrice	...	Charles Gregory (segment "Wish You Were Here")
Richard Greene	...	Ralph Jason (segment "Wish You Were Here")
Ian Hendry	...	Carl Maitland (segment "Reflection of Death")
Patrick Magee	...	George Carter (segment "Blind Alleys")
Barbara Murray	...	Enid Jason (segment "Wish You Where Here")
Nigel Patrick	...	Maj. William Rogers (segment "Blind Alleys")
Robin Phillips	...	James Elliott (segment "Poetic Justice")
Ralph Richardson	...	The Crypt Keeper
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Guide
David Markham	...	Father (segment "Poetic Justice")
Robert Hutton	...	Neighbour (segment "Poetic Justice")
Angela Grant	...	Susan Blake (segment "Reflection of Death") (as Angie Grant)
Susan Denny	...	Mrs. Maitland (segment "Reflection of Death")
Manning Wilson	...	Vicar (segment "Poetic Justice")
Chloe Franks	...	Carol Clayton (segment "All Through The House")
Kay Adrian	...	Mrs. Davies (segment "Poetic Justice")
Carlos Baker	...	Mrs. Davies's Son (segment "Poetic Justice")
Martin Boddey	...	Richard Clayton (segment "All Through The House")
Dan Caulfield	...	Postman (segment "Poetic Justice")
Melinda Clancy	...	Mrs. Carter's Daughter (segment "Poetic Justice")
Paul Clere	...	Maitland's Son (segment "Reflection of Death")
Sharon Clere	...	Maitland's Daughter (segment "Reflection of Death")
Clifford Earl	...	Police Sergeant (segment "Poetic Justice")
Edward Evans	...	Councillor Ramsey (segment "Poetic Justice")
Frank Forsyth	...	Tramp (segment "Reflection of Death")
Peter Frazer
Irene Gawre	...	Mrs. Phelps (segment "Poetic Justice")
George Herbert	...	Dad Greenwood (segment "Blind Alleys")
Harry Locke	...	Cook (segment "Blind Alleys")
Oliver MacGreevy	...	Maniac in Santa Suit (segment "All Through The House")
Stafford Medhurst	...	Mrs. Phelps' Son (segment "Poetic Justice")
Jayne Sofiano
Peter Thomas	...	First Mortician (segment "Wish You Were Here")
Tony Wall	...	Male Attendant (segment "Blind Alleys")
Hedger Wallace	...	Police Inspector (segment "Wish You Were Here")
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Rietty	...	Radio Newcaster (voice)
John Barrard	...	Blind Man (segment "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Carl Bernard	...	Blind Man (segment "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Hugo De Vernier	...	Blind Man (segment "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Chris Gannon	...	Blind Man (segment "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Ernest C. Jennings	...	Blind Man (segment "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Louis Mansi	...	2nd Blind Man (segment "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Bartlett Mullins	...	First Blind Man (segment "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Bert Palmer	...	Blind Man (segment "Blind Alleys") (uncredited)
Ann Sears	...	Mrs. Carter (segment "Poetic Justice") (uncredited)

Directed by
Freddie Francis

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Johnny Craig		comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror
Al Feldstein		comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror
William M. Gaines		comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror (as Bill Gaines)
Milton Subotsky		screenplay

Produced by
Charles W. Fries	....	executive producer (as Charles Fries)
Max Rosenberg	....	producer (as Max J. Rosenberg)
Milton Subotsky	....	producer

Original Music by
Douglas Gamley

Cinematography by
Norman Warwick		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Teddy Darvas

Casting by
Ronnie Curtis

Art Direction by
Tony Curtis

Makeup Department
Roy Ashton	....	chief makeup artist
Joan Carpenter	....	chief hairdresser

Production Management
Teresa Bolland	....	production manager
Arthur Stolnitz	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Saunders	....	assistant director
Mike Higgins	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Terry Pearce	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Helen Thomas	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Norman Bolland	....	sound mixer
Pat Foster	....	sound editor
Nolan Roberts	....	dubbing mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
John Harris	....	camera operator
David Wynn-Jones	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bridget Sellers	....	wardrobe mistress

Music Department
Douglas Gamley	....	conductor
Nicolas Kynaston	....	musician: organ, Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D minor

Other crew
Penny Daniels	....	continuity
Paul Thompson	....	production executive
Michael Walsh	....	dog trainer: "Shane"

Production Companies

• Amicus Productions (as An Amicus Production)
• Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC) (presents)

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing UK (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Prism Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1996) (Finland) (TV)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1972) (Italy) (theatrical)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1972) (original rating) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (re-rating) | West Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Italy:VM14 | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (cinema version) (cut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Amicus Productions

Trivia:

Peter Duffell passed on the chance to direct this picture.

Goofs:

Continuity: During most of the "All Through The House" segment, the amount and placement of the blood on the newspaper, the carpet, and Joanne's hands changes between shots.

Quotes:

Maj. William Rogers: [Hearing his dog bark in the room beside him] Well, at least feed my dog, please!
George Carter: [Somber] He'll be fed alright.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Stephen King's World of Horror (1986) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Toccata and Fugue in D minor

Ghoulish Fun

Five people wander off on a tour and come upon the crypt-keeper. Each tells his or her last memory. Each one confesses to doing something wrong. The crypt-keeper listens to each before telling the five what has happened to them and where they are. Easily this is one of the best Amicus horror anthologies. It is well-crafted, well-acted, and suitably directed by genre stalwart Freddie Francis. All of the stories are pretty good, with three standing out. The first story about Christmas and a loose killer is well-done and shocking for its day. The best story stars Peter Cushing as a genial old man suffering desolation and humiliation from a heart-less(no pun intended) neighbor. Cushing does a wonderful job here, and in a way it is a sad performance as it was made shortly after the death of his long-time wife Helen. The last story is almost as good about a group of blind residents who stop taking being treated poorly and give out punishment to a military man with razor-sharp justice. Patrick Magee and Nigel Patrick both excel in this little vignette. The frame story is also well-executed and Sir Ralph Richardson hams it up amicably as the keeper of the crypt. A great group of frightening stories...each with a moral of sorts.