The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1970
Running Times: 95 mins (UK - theatrical)
Format: Eastmancolor
Ratio:
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Company: A Tigon British / Chilton Film production
Copyright: © Tigon British Film Productions Ltd and Chilton Films and Television Enterprises Ltd MCMLXX
Executive Producer: Tony Tenser
Produced by: Peter L. Andrews, Malcolm B. Heyworth
Production Manager: Ron Jackson

SCRIPT
Original Screenplay by: Robert Wynne-Simmons
With additional material by Piers Haggard

DIRECTION
Directed by: Piers Haggard
Assistant Director: Stephen Christian
Second Assistant Director: Bill Westley

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Dick Bush
Camera Operator: Dudley Lovell
Focus Puller: Mike Rutter
Gaffer: Harry Woodley
Grip: Reg Hall
Processed by: Rank Film Laboratories, Denham

EDITING
Editor: Richard Best

MUSIC
Music Composed and Conducted by: Marc Wilkinson

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Tony Dawe
Sound Editor: Bill Trent
Dubbing Mixer: Ken Barker

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make-Up: Eddie Knight
Hairdresser: Olga Angelinetta
Wardrobe Mistress: Dulcie Midwinter

VISUAL EFFECTS
Titles and Opticals by: General Screen Enterprises Ltd

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Arnold Chapkis
Set Dresser: Milly Burns
Construction Manager: Ken Softley

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Josie Fulford
Production Secretary: Caroline Langley

LOCATIONS
Made at pinewood Studios, London, England and on location

CASTING
Casting Director: Weston Drury Jnr

CAST
Patrick Wymark (the judge)
Linda Hayden (Angel Blake)
Barry Andrews (Ralph Gower)
Michele Dotrice (Margaret)
James Hayter (James Hoyter in opening credits) (Squire Middleton)
Anthony Ainley (Reverend Fallowfield)
Howard Goorney (the doctor)
Avice Landon (Isobel Banham)
Charlotte Mitchell (Ellen Vespers)
Wendy Padbury (Cathy Vespers)
Tamara Ustinov (Rosalind Barton)
Simon Williams (Peter Edmonton)
Robin Davies (Mark Vespers)
Godfrey James (Angel's father (uncredited))
Milton Reid (dog handler (uncredited))
Geoffrey Hughes (uncredited)
Andrew McCulloch (uncredited)
Jill Riddick (uncredited)
Jason Twelvetrees (uncredited)

In 17th century rural England, a farmer ploughs up the putrid remains of a half-human monstrosity. Almost immediately, nasty things are afoot. The local village is plagued by a series of vicious murders, the perpetrators of which seem to be the children, led by Angel Blake. Under the evil influence of the demonic remains, the children - accompanied by a couple of senile old timers - form a bizarre and violent cult, dedicated to rape, mutilation and torture.

Superbly filmed by Haggard (who was never this good again - witness the disastrous Venom (1982)) - Blood on Satan's Claw is one of the best of the early 70s British exploitation movies. Unflinchingly brutal, the film is far more graphic than Michael Reeves' Witchfinder General (1968), which it was clearly meant to mimic, film, yet strangely, never achieved the same status of cause celebre. Linda Hayden is superb as the sensual child-woman, whether leading fellow teens onto mantraps, presiding over ritual sacrifices, or trying to seduce the local priest in his own church. By far her best performance, her childlike innocence was never so expertly employed as here.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Chilton Films
DVD Distributors: Anchor Bay Entertainment (ABD4241)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Cannon
Video Distributors: Paragon; Cannon

Australia
Rating: R

Finland
Rating: K-16

Norway
Rating: 16 (in 1972); 15

UK
Rating: X (with cuts)

USA
Rating: R

1970
September
21: UK - rated X by the BBFC (for theatrical release)

1971
January
12: UK - trade show at the Contemporary Preview Theatre, London

November
29: Sweden - theatrical release

1972
July
7: Finland - theatrical release

October
12: Norway - theatrical release

1988
March
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on ITV)

1994
June
28: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 4)

A living nightmare of black magic... and unspeakable evil!

Blood and the Beast in a chill-filled festival of horror! (UK double bill with The Beast in the Cellar)

The Devil's Touch
In den Krallen des Hexenjägers - West German title
Paholaisen nahka - Finnish title
La pelle di Satana - Italian title
Satan's Claw
Satan's Skin
Satans skinn - Swedish title

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique vol.1 no.4 (Fall 1971) pp.31-32 (USA)
illustrated review by John Duvoli

Cue 1 May 1971 (USA)
review (by Donald J. Mayerson)

Empire no.176 (February 2004) p.138 (UK)
illustrated DVD review (by Mark Dinning)

Filmfacts vol.14 no.9 (1971) p.193 (USA)
credits

Films and Filming vol.18 no.205 (October 1971) pp.62, 64 (UK)
review (by Eric Braun)

Kinematograph Weekly no.3302 (23 January 1971) p.13 (UK)
review (by Graham Clarke)

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.38 no.446 (March 1971) p.57 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review (by David Pirie)

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.38 no.450 (July 1971) p.153 (UK)
note

New Yorker 19 April 1971 (USA)
review (by Judith Crist)

Sight and Sound vol.14 no.3 (March 2004) p.75 (UK)
DVD review

Starburst no.306 (January 2004) p.87 (UK)
DVD review

Today's Cinema no.9795 (14 April 1970) p.15 (UK)
credits

Today's Cinema no.9874 (22 January 1971) p.9 (UK)
credits, review (by Marjorie Bilbow)

NEWSPAPERS

New York Daily News 15 April 1971 (USA)
review (by Ann Guarino)

New York Times 15 April 1971 (USA)
review (by Vincent Canby)

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Again p.50
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.41
credits

Ten Years of Terror: British Horror Films of the 1970s by Harvey Fenton and David Flint (eds) pp.15-18 (Guilford: FAB Press (2001) ISBN: 0-9529260-8-3)
illustrated credits, reviews (by Harvey Fenton, Jonathan Sothcott)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

the devil, human sacrifices, satanism

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009