Madhouse (1974)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

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 | England | Actor | Movie Star | Fiancée

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 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:

The Dr. Death movie clip played at the beginning of Madhouse is from the end of The Haunted Palace (1963). The voices have been dubbed to fit with Dr. Death.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Julia's dead body is breathing heavily after Paul Toombes discovers her.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Features The Haunted Palace (1963)

I give it a 6 only for the stars

Vincent Price plays Paul Toombes (sigh) who plays a character called Dr. Death in a series of horror movies written by a friend (Peter Cushing). His fiancée is murdered and he has a nervous breakdown. Years later, he's (supposedly) recovered and starts redoing Dr. Death...and a bunch of murders start up.

The teaming of two horror greats (Price & Cushing) and a semi-great (Robert Quarry) is a great idea. Sadly it doesn't work. Since it's an AIP pic it was made cheaply--and it shows. It's dully directed and it has an obvious, boring plot and a totally stupid twist at the end. Also I've never seen such boring murders in my life (it looks like a few of them were cut down to get a PG). And there's WAY too much footage from Price's earlier horror films.

Still, it's great to see Cushing, Price and Quarry all together. They give everything they have to the script. Price is great (as always); Quarry is amusing as a slimy producer; Cushing is criminally underused. There's also a very funny joke in a costume party segment--Quarry (who played Count Yorga, Vampire twice) and Cushing (always fighting vampires in Hammer films) come dressed as vampires!

So, it's almost worth seeing for those three. Almost.