The House that Dripped Blood *** (1971, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Denholm Elliott, Jon Pertwee, Jon Pertwee, Ingrid Pitt, Joanna Lumley, Joss Ackland) – Classic Movie Review 2842

Debut film director Peter Duffell’s effective 1971 four-segment Amicus compendium chiller, set around a murderous mansion, is written with knowing glee by Robert Bloch, author of Psycho. Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Denholm Elliott lead a stalwart cast of the regular British actors of the era, the tales are gruesomely amusing, though not unexpected, and Duffell directs neatly.

The first yarn (Method for Murder) about a mystery writer (Elliott)’s murderer character coming to life as faces a strangler of his own creation and the last (The Cloak) about a film star (Jon Pertwee) who discovers a genuine vampire cloak that gives him a bloodsucker’s powers are the best.

Cushing stars with Joss Ackland in the second story, Waxworks, in which two men are obsessed with a wax figure of a woman from their past, and Lee in the third one, Sweets to the Sweet, in which little girl shows an interest in witchcraft. It’s great to see both of them, even if it’s a pity they have weaker stories, though of course they give them an all-important lift.

In the linking device, John Bennett has a good role as the Scotland Yard detective inspector who investigates the four mysteries, with John Malcom as his sergeant.

It is now rated a PG for scary images in the UK but it originally had an X certificate.

Also in the cast are Joanna Dunham, Nyree Dawn Porter, Jon Pertwee, Ingrid Pitt, Joanna Lumley, John Bryams, Tod Adams, Robert Lang, Tom Adams, Wolfe Morris, Chloe Franks, Geoffrey Bayldon, Richard Coe, Carleton Hobbs, Bernard Hopkins, Jonathan Lynn, Hugh Manning, Winifred Sabine and Roy Evans.

Vincent Price was first offered the part of Paul Henderson, who ended up being played by Pertwee, who was still playing Doctor Who.

Lee can be seen reading his favourite book, The Lord of the Rings, in the film of which he was destined to play Saruman.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2842

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