The Hearse * (1980, Trish Van Devere, Joseph Cotten, David Gautreaux) – Classic Movie Review 9952

Director George Bowers’s 1980 film The Hearse stars Trish Van Devere as San Francisco schoolteacher Jane Hardy, who for the summer moves into an old house inherited from her deceased devil worshipper aunt in the rural town of Blackford, and is frightened by the forces of darkness.

Jane experiences supernatural occurrences, including witnessing apparitions of her aunt and a ghostly black hearse with a creepy driver, until soon both she and the house are shaking.

Director Bowers reheats the age-old story for an acceptable though arid supernatural horror picture, with spirited acting by Van Devere and Joseph Cotten helping to brush a few cobwebs from a terminally-ill plot that was previously successfully reanimated in the 1979 The Amityville Horror.

It is written by William Bleich (as Bill Bleich), from an idea by Mark Tenser.

Shooting took place in San Francisco and Bradbury, California, from 29 October 1979 to January 1980. It premiered in New York City on 6 June 1980.

Also in the cast are David Gautreaux as Tom Sullivan, Donald Hotton as the Reverend Winston, Med Flory as Sheriff Denton, Donald Petrie as Luke, Christopher McDonald as Pete, Perry Lang as Paul Gordon, Fred Franklyn as Mr Gordon, Olive Dunbar as Mrs Gordon, Al Hansen as Bo Rehnquist, Dominic Barto as The Driver, Nicholas Shields as Dr Greenwalt, Chuck Mitchell as Counterman, Allison Balson as Alice, Jim Gatherum as Boy #1, Victoria Eubank as Lois, Tanya Bowers as Schoolgirl and Dennis Quaid as Repairman (uncredited).

The Hearse is directed by George Bower, runs 99 minutes, is made by Marimark Productions, is released by Crown International Pictures (1980) (US), is written by William Bleich (as Bill Bleich), from an idea by Mark Tenser, is shot in Metrocolor by Mori Kawa, is produced by Newton P Jacobs (executive producer), Mark Tenser and Charles Russell, is scored by Webster Lewis and designed by Keith Michl.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9952

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