The Horror of It All

The Horror of It All
Directed by Terence Fisher
Produced by executive
Robert L. Lippert
associate
Margia Dean
Written by Ray Russell
Starring Pat Boone
Erica Rogers
Dennis Price
Music by Douglas Gamley
Cinematography Arthur Lavis
Edited by Robert Winter
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
 August 19, 1964
Running time
 75 minutes
Country United States
Language English

The Horror of It All is a 1964 American horror comedy film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Pat Boone and Erica Rogers.[1][2]

Plot

American encyclopedia salesman Jack Robinson arrives at a dilapidated mansion in the English countryside belonging to the Marley family. Robinson has fallen in love with Cynthia and wants to ask permission to marry her.

Cynthia's family include: her uncle Percival, an inventor; her cousin Natalia, a macabre, vampire-like creature; Cornwallis, a hammy ex-actor; her uncle Reginald; Grandfather, who lies bedridden upstairs; and cousin Muldoon, who is kept locked up in the fear that he will harm someone.

A cousin of Cynthia has just died and Conrwallis dies after drinking a toast. Jack wants to get the police but they are 20 miles away and the family have no car (Jack's has broken down).

Several attempts are made on Jack's life. He learns that the family fortune consists of one million dollars and one of the Marleys intends to end up with all of it. Later grandpa is killed.

Jack and Cynthia make a dash for freedom and Cynthia reveals that she is the murderer. She conks out Jack.

In hospital, Jack discovered that Cynthia made up the confession to protect him - the real killer is Cornwallis, who was pretending to be dead.

Cast

Production

The film was made at Shepperton Studios in England. The story is essentially a comedic remake of the classic Universal Studios horror film The Old Dark House (1932) which had already been remade as a comedy, The Old Dark House (1963 film), a year earlier. The plot also has elements of the horror-comedy Murder, He Says (1945).

Reception

The Los Angeles Times thought Terence Fisher "had the right idea playing the silly plot for laughs but his snail's pace spoils the show. He kills much of the humour by holding a scene after he's made his point."[3]

References

  1. ↑ http://allmovie.com/work/the-horror-of-it-all-95618
  2. ↑ HORROR OF IT ALL, the. (1966, Monthly Film Bulletin, 33, 124. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.sl.nsw.gov.au/docview/1305828238?accountid=13902
  3. ↑ Creaky Plots Mark New 'Horror' Program Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 11 Sep 1964: F12.


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