Madhouse (1974)

Director:

Jim Clark

Writers:

Angus Hall (novel)
Ken Levison (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

March 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

If Stark Terror Were Ecstasy... living here would be sheer bliss!

Plot:

A horror movie star returns to his famous role after years in a mental institution. But the character seems to be committing murders independent of his will.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Nervous Breakdown | Fiancée | Actor | England

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Paul Toombes
Peter Cushing	...	Herbert Flay
Robert Quarry	...	Oliver Quayle
Adrienne Corri	...	Faye
Linda Hayden	...	Elizabeth Peters
Natasha Pyne	...	Julia
Barry Dennen	...	Blount
Catherine Willmer	...	Louise
Ellis Dayle	...	Alfred
Jenny Lee Wright	...	Carol
John Garrie	...	Harper
Ian Thompson	...	Bradshaw
Julie Crosthwaite	...	Ellen
Peter Halliday	...	Psychiatrist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Boris Karloff	...	Clip from 'The Raven' (archive footage)
Michael Parkinson	...	TV Interviewer
Basil Rathbone	...	Clip from 'Tales of Terror' (archive footage)
George Blackler	...	George the Make-Up Artist (uncredited)
Robert Cawdron	...	CID Inspector (uncredited)
Michael Craze	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Earl Rhodes	...	Boy Fishing (uncredited)
Christopher Sandford	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Jim Clark

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Angus Hall		novel "Devilday"
Ken Levison		screenplay
Greg Morrison		screenplay

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
John Dark	....	associate producer
Max Rosenberg	....	producer
Milton Subotsky	....	producer

Original Music by
Douglas Gamley

Cinematography by
Ray Parslow

Art Direction by
Tony Curtis

Makeup Department
George Blackler	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Green	....	third assistant director
Allan James	....	first assistant director
Nigel Wooll	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Ian Smith	....	clapper loader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dulcie Midwinter	....	costumes

Music Department
Douglas Gamley	....	conductor

Other crew
David Sheldon	....	production executive

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Amicus Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1986) (West Germany) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video Ltd. (1986) (UK) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Deathday
The Madhouse of Dr. Fear
The Revenge of Dr. Death

Runtime:

92 min | USA:89 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) | USA:PG

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Peter Cushing dresses as Dracula, an in-joke reference: he frequently played Van Helsing in Hammer's Dracula series.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the police are examining the hanged woman's body, the camera shows her face reflected in a piece of gym equipment. Her eyes clearly move as the camera tilts up.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Villager in Movie: Dr. Death, where are you? Let's smoke him out!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TCM Underground: Madhouse/The Last Man on Earth (#1.12)" (2006)

Okay old-fashioned horror film.

Following the grisly murder of his fiancee,Hollywood film star Paul Toombes(Vincent Price)withdraws into his own world.Some time later,he is persuaded by an old actor-friend(Peter Cushing)to revive his famous horror role as Doctor Death.Life soon becomes a living nightmare for Toombes when friends and colleagues are brutally murdered one by one."Madhouse" is a rather cheaply made horror film that manages to create only a little bit of suspense.The story,which is based on the novel 'Devilday' by Angus Hall is also not very intriguing.Director Jim Clark uses clips from old Roger Corman horror films featuring Vincent Price as reenactments of the murders.Still the film is slightly entertaining and it's nice to see two horror veterans Vincent Price and Peter Cushing together.Check it out.7 out of 10.