Madhouse (1974)

Director:

Jim Clark

Writers:

Angus Hall (novel)
Ken Levison (screenplay)

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)

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: When Paul is searching the house at night, the light of his candle is actually a spotlight, and it is does not keep very good pace with his movements.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Features Tales of Terror (1962)

It was quite mad!

This was made around the same time as 'Vault of horror' and it shows. Vincent Price is an ageing movie star who is asked to reprise his role as a killer a few years after his wife-to-be was decapitated by a killer nobody caught. The movie within a movie is just footage obtained from Prices earlier horror flicks like 'Pit and the pendulum' and 'The house of Usher'. The movie itself has good performances from Price and Peter Cushing and the music is great! The music sets an atmosphere for good horror especially in a part where a girl is looking for Vincent Price in Peter Cushings garden. The part where Vincent Price is interviewed by Michael Parkinson adds some class to the movie and also some terror as the killer is stalking someone in the studio! Overall, the movie has a good atmosphere helped by Douglas Gamleys music and decent acting. The movie is tense with the old dark house style 'looking downstairs with a candle' and some good deaths. The only problems are with the story as this just looks like a tribute to Prices earlier movies than something original and the 70's rock music in one of the death scenes. It gives the movies age away and isn't as timeless as Prices earlier movies. If your a Price and Cushing fan you will like it but for a normal person, its a scary but dim treat. 5 and a half out of 10.