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

Visual Effects by
Gerald Larn	....	matte painter (uncredited)

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:

Plot holes: In the fourth segment, Enid wishes for her husband Jason exactly like he was before the accident. However, when he's brought in by the undertakers, he's been embalmed, which isn't how he was just before the accident.

Quotes:

Charles Gregory: [Revived to life, twitching and screaming in pain] Oh, Enid!
Charles Gregory: [Yelling towards the front door] Charles!
Ralph Jason: Help me!
Charles Gregory: [Entering the house] What's happened?
[to Enid]
Charles Gregory: What have you done?
Enid Jason: I wished him alive again... forever!
Charles Gregory: Don't you realize he's been embalmed? His veins are filled with embalming fluid, burning into him!
Enid Jason: [Sobbing] Oh, no!
Ralph Jason: [Screaming] Enid, do something! For God's sake, Enid, help me!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hood of Horror (2006)

Soundtrack:

Toccata and Fugue in D minor

Not Your Typical Bedtime Story!

Amicus Studios, best known for their anthology films nailed it with this effort from 1972. With five solid stories to chill your bones, this anthology is one of my favorite films, bar none. The film is packed with a solid cast that includes; Peter Cushing, Joan Collins, Ian Hednry and Richard Greene, just to name a few. My personal faves from this anthology would be; All Through the House, Poetic Justice and Wish You Were Here, but all five stories are really well done. The Peter Cushing story is particularly touching, Cushing does a wonderful job of playing a sad man, mourning the death of his wife, in his story, which very much paralleled Cushing's own life, as he was still in mourning over the recent loss of his own wife. If you're a fan of the macabre, then you owe it to yourself to seek this 1972 film out, it is quite tame by today's standards as far as blood and gore go, but the chill factor is definitely there.