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House of the Long Shadows (1982)
Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1982
Running Times: 97 mins 24 sec (UK - video)
101 mins (UK - theatrical)
Format: colour 35mm
Ratio:
Sound:
CREDITS
 PRODUCTION
Production Companies: London-Cannon/Golan-Globus
Producers: Menahem Golan, Yoram Globus
Associate Producer: Jenny Craven
Production Manager: Jeanne Ferber
SCRIPT
Script: Michael Armstrong
Novel: Seven Keys to Balpate by Earl Derr Biggers
Play: George M. Cohan
DIRECTION
Director: Pete Walker
Assistant Directors: Brian Lawrence, Glynn Purcell, Paul
Carnie, Nick Godden
PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Norman Langley
Camera Operator: John Simmonds
Follow Focus: Mike Metcalfe
Camera Loader: Fraser Taggart
Camera Grip: Malcolm Smith
Gaffer: Ted Davis
Chief Electrician: Ray Snooks
Stills: Sarah Quill
Labs: Rank Film Labs Ltd
EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Robert Dearberg
Assistant Editors: Sarah Vickers, Brian Trenerry
MUSIC
Music: Richard Harvey
Music Recorded At: Marcus Music Studios Ltd
SOUND
Sound Recording: Peter O'Connor
Boom Operator: Tony Gould-Davis
Sound Assistant: John Thurston
Dubbing Editor: Mike Crowley
Re-Recording: Richard King
Re-Recorded At: World Wide Sound Studios
MAKE UP AND
COSTUMES
Make Up: George Partleton
Wardrobe: Polly Hamilton, Alan Flyng
Ladies Fashions: Belinda Jane
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Titles: Rank Film Labs Ltd
DESIGN AND SET
CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Mike Pickwood
Props Master: Bert Gadsen
LOCATIONS
Locations: Hampshire, England, UK
CAST
Vincent Price (Lionel Grisbane)
Christopher Lee (Corrigan)
Peter Cushing (Sebastian)
Desi Arnaz Jr (Kenneth Magee)
Sheila Keith (Victoria)
John Carradine (Lord Grisbane)
Richard Todd (Sam Allyson)
Julie Peasgood (Mary Norton)
Louise English (Diana)
Richard Hunter (Andrew)
Norman Rossington (station master)
PLOT SUMMARY
A writer struggling to
meet the challenge of penning an entire novel overnight
and winning a bet for $20,000 retires to a remote old
mansion, only to find himself in the middle of a bizarre
family reunion. Four ageing eccentrics and their equally
mad housekeeper have gathered at the old dark house to
pursue a strange agenda - and it's all going to end in
tears.
CAPSULE REVIEW
Pete Walker's last film
before his self-imposed exile to the world of real estate
boasts a cast to die for but a plot that was well past
its sell by date. Luckily, no-one plays it straight
(except for Desi Arnaz Jr who struggles badly) and the
four horror giants have a great time lampooning their
screen personas - the moment when Vincent Price enters
the house for the first time amid a thunderous storm and
gravely announces "I have... returned!" is
guaranteed to bring the house down. Ignore the tedious
mechanics of the worn-out plot and focus instead on the
towering performances of the four leads.
AVAILABILITY
UK
Theatrical Distributor: The Cannon Group Inc
Video Distributor: Guild Home Video; Guild Video
Collection
USA
Theatrical Distributor: Cannon Film Distributors
Video Distributor: MGM-UA
CENSORSHIP HISTORY
Australia
Rating: PG
Finland
Rating: K-16
UK
Rating: 15
USA
Rating: PG
TIMELINE
1983
May
Day Unknown: UK - theatrical release
1984
February
Day Unknown: Portugal - shown at the Fantasporto Film
Festival
March
2: Finland - theatrical release
POSTER TAGS
The screen's masters of terror together
for the first time...
ALTERNATIVE TITLES
La casa delle ombre lunghe - Italian
title
The House of Long Shadows - early title
LINKS
REMAKE OF
Seven Keys to Baldpate (1917)
Seven Keys to Baldpate (1925)
Seven Keys to Baldpate (1929)
Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935)
Seven Keys to Baldpate (1947)
SEE ALSO
The Ghoul (1975)
House of Wax (1953)
The Oblong Box (1969)
REFERENCES
MAGAZINES
Flesh and Blood 7
pp.20-21
credits, review
Halls of Horror 27 p.23
note
Starburst 57 p.15
review
The Dark Side 63 p.26
review
BOOKS
Christopher Lee: The Authorised
Screen History by Jonathan Rigby pp.195-6, 198
review
Fragments of Fear by Andy
Boot p.222
review
Horror and Science Fiction Films
III pp.129-130
credits
John Carradine: The Films by
Tom Weaver
illustrated review
Making Mischief: The Cult Films of
Pete Walker by Steve Chibnall pp.201-212
credits, production notes, review
Peter Cushing by Donald
Fearney
short review
Tall, Dark and Gruesome by
Christopher Lee p.286
production notes
OTHER SOURCES
screen
credits KEYWORDS
play into film, haunted houses, old dark houses, slasher, writers
Last Updated:
15 October, 2008
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