UK, 1964
90m
35mm film, colour, 1.37:1
mono, English
A British horror film directed by Lance Comfort.
Plot Summary
While on holiday in Brittany, Paul Baxter and his friends are attacked by a Satanist cult led by the vampire Count Sinistre. The only survivors of the massacre are Paul and Madeleine, but when he returns to Britain, Paul begins to suspect that Madeleine has fallen under Sinistre spell and has helped him arrive in the UK. Paul has fallen in love with a model, Karen, who now becomes the object of Sinistre’s attention…
Credits
Crew
Directed by: Lance Comfort
© Planet Film Distributors MCMLXIV [1964]
Produced by: Tom Blakeley
Original Story and Screenplay by: Lyn Fairhurst
Photographed in Eastman Colour by: Reg Wyer
Camera Operator: Frank Drake
Editor: John Trumper
Music Composed and Arranged by: Bernie Fenton
Sound Recordists: Robert T. MacPhee, Gordon K. McCallum
Wardrobe: Muriel Dickson
Make-up: George Blackler
Hairdressing: Biddy Chrystal
Art Director: John St John Earl
Produced at: Pinewood Studios, London, England
Cast
William Sylvester (Paul Baxter)
Hubert Noël (Arman du Moliere, le Comte Sinistre)
Carole Gray (Karin Steele)
Tracy Reed (Tania)
Diana Decker (Madeleine Braun)
Rona Anderson (Anne Forest)
Peter Illing (Inspector Malin)
Gerard Heinz (Bouvier)
Brian Oulton (the colonel)
Walter Brown (Bruno)
Eddie Byrne (Dr Robert Kelsey)
Victor Brooks (Inspector Hardwick)
Marianne Stone (the duchess)
Marie Burke (gypsy woman)
Avril Angers (Midge)
John Taylor (Sergeant Miller)
Frank Forsyth (caretaker)
Geoffrey Kenion (Keith Forrest)
Murray Kash (gypsy chief)
Rod McLennan (Dave)
Burnell Tucker (Derek)
Margaret Denver (Tania’s mother)
Olwen Brookes (landlady)
Billy Milton (library)
Alternative Titles
Los diablos de la oscuridad – Spain
Gruft der toten Frauen – Germany
Talisman
References
Periodicals
- British National Film Catalogue vol.3 (1965) – credits
- The Daily Cinema no.9106 (20 August 1965) p.6 (UK) – credits, review
- Kine Weekly no.3021 (26 August 1965) p.18 (UK) – credits, review
- Monthly Film Bulletin vol.32 no.381 (October 1965) p.149 (UK) – credits, review
Books
- The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror by Phil Hardy (ed.) pp.169-170
- Cinematic Vampires by John L. Flynn p.170
- English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby pp.135-37, 136,
- Feature Films, 1960-1969: A Filmography of English-language and Major Foreign-language United States Releases by Harris M. Lentz III pp.104-105
- Hoffman’s Guide to SF, Fantasy and Horror Movies 1991-1992 p.102 – credits, review
- The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide by Stephen Jones p.46 – credits, review
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.99 – credits
- Sixties Shockers by Mark Clark and Bryan Senn pp.148-149
- Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films, 1956-1976 by Gary A. Smith pp.77-78
- Unsung Horrors by Eric McNaughton & Darrell Buxton (eds) pp.294-295 – illustrated review (by S.R. Shutt)
- X-Cert: The British Independent Horror Film: 1951-1970 by John Hamilton pp.145-148; 233
