The William Castle Blogathon :: The Kookiest and Spookiest Ghost Doesn’t Walk in this Family — It Runs Riot! (December, 1963)

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently, the original The Old Dark House (1932) helped inspire artist Charles Addams to untold heights of ghoulishness. And so, he was recruited to design the opening title credits for this Castle / Hammer co-produced remake. Alas, the film is kinda all downhill from there. Now, I like Tom Poston, and found Zotz oddly endearing, but this version of The Old Dark House kinda stinks, locked in a morass where tedious and insipid meet on the graph. All is not lost, however, as its co-feature, Maniac,  is another Hammer Castle cash-in that’s well worth your time.

 

 
This post is part of Goregirl’s Dungeon and The Last Drive-In’s The William Castle Blogathan, a week long tribute to the King of Schlock. Follow the linkage, Boils & Ghouls. It’s gonna be a great week. And stick around, as we’ll be showcasing Castle’s film career from its fairly normal beginnings through it psychotronic glory days. Stay tuned!

The Old Dark House (1963) William Castle Productions :: Hammer Film Productions :: Columbia Pictures / P: William Castle, Anthony Hinds / AP: Dona Holloway / D: William Castle / W: Robert Dillon, J.B. Priestley (novel) / C: Arthur Grant / E: James Needs / S: Tom Poston, Robert Morley, Janette Scott, Joyce Grenfell, Mervyn Johns, Fenella Fielding, Peter Bull

Maniac (1963) Hammer Film Productions :: Columbia Pictures / P: Jimmy Sangster / D: Michael Carreras / W: Jimmy Sangster / C: Wilkie Cooper / E: Tom Simpson / S: Kerwin Mathews, Nadia Gray, Liliane Brousse, Donald Houston, George Pastell

The William Castle Blogathon :: His Face Could Stop a Heart. You, the Audience, Decide His Fate! (January, 1962)

 

 

 

 
Despite assurances that the audience could decide the fate of our dastardly protagonist, no matter what rumor you’ve heard that out there, somewhere, an audience let Mr. Sardonicus off the hook, there is no evidence of an alternate, happy ending ever being shot let alone shown — except for that dramatic re-enactment on Wiseguy in what was perhaps the strangest TV season of episodic TV ever. Does anyone else remember that?
 

 

 
Also, somewhat coincidentally, as far as Mr. Sardonicus’ excellent co-feature is concerned, Jimmy Sangster might have been shooting for the same fearful beats as Alfred Hitchcock and Henri-Georges Clouzot, but, Scream of Fear (and Nightmare, and The Snorkel, and Maniac), I think, hews a helluva lot closer to the five-car contrivance twist-pile-ups of William Castle. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you. Just giving credit where credit is due.
 

 
This post is part of Goregirl’s Dungeon and The Last Drive-In’s The William Castle Blogathan, a week long tribute to the King of Schlock. Follow the linkage, Boils & Ghouls. It’s gonna be a great week. And stick around, as we’ll be showcasing Castle’s film career from its fairly normal beginnings through it psychotronic glory days. Stay tuned!

Mr. Sardonicus (1961) William Castle Productions :: Columbia Pictures / P: William Castle / AP: Dona Holloway / D: William Castle / W: Ray Russell / C: Burnett Guffey / E: Edwin H. Bryant / M: Von Dexter / S: Ronald Lewis, Audrey Dalton, Guy Rolfe, Oskar Homolka, Erika Peters, Lorna Hanson

Scream of Fear (1961) Hammer Film Productions :: Columbia Pictures / EP: Michael Carreras / P: Jimmy Sangster / D: Seth Holt / W: Jimmy Sangster / E: Eric Boyd-Perkins / M: Clifton Parker / S: Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd, Christopher Lee, John Serret

SEE! The World’s Greatest Horrorama! Your Most Ghastly Frightmare Come True! (February, 1959)

 

 

 

 

Other Points of Interest:

Poster campaign for Curse of the Demon at the Brewery.

The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) Hammer Film Productions :: Columbia Pictures / EP: Michael Carreras / P: Anthony Hinds / AP: Anthony Nelson Keys / D: Terence Fisher / W: Jimmy Sangster / C: Jack Asher / E: Alfred Cox / M: Leonard Salzedo / S: Peter Cushing, Francis Matthews, Eunice Gayson, Michael Gwynn, John Welsh

Curse of the Demon (1957) Sabre Film Production :: Columbia Pictures / EP: Hal E. Chester / P: Frank Bevis / D: Jacques Tourneur / W: Charles Bennett, Hal E. Chester, M.R. James (novel) / C: Edward Scaife / E: Michael Gordon / M: Clifton Parker / S: Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis, Maurice Denham, Athene Seyler

All New and Never Dared Before! Please Try Not to Faint! (September, 1957)

 

 

 

 

 

Other Points of Interest:

The poster campaign for The Curse of Frankenstein at the Archive.

The poster campaign for X… The Unknown at the Archive.

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) Hammer Films :: Warner Bros. / EP: Michael Carreras / P: Anthony Hinds, Max Rosenberg / AP: Anthony Nelson Keys / D: Terence Fisher / W: Jimmy Sangster, Mary Shelley (novel) / C: Jack Asher / E: James Needs / M: James Bernard / S: Peter Cushing, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee, Robert Urquhart, Valerie Gaunt

X… The Unknown (1957) Hammer Films :: Warner Bros / EP: Michael Carreras / P: Anthony Hinds / AP: Mickey Delamar / D: Leslie Norman / W: Jimmy Sangster / C: Gerald Gibbs / E: James Needs / M: James Bernard / S: Dean Jagger, Edward Chapman, Leo McKern, Anthony Newley, Jameson Clark