El sepulcro de Lorna Love

"Joel Gregory" (Robert Wagner) and his wife "Donna" (Kate Jackson) are writing a book on a former movie star by the name of "Lorna Love" (Marianna Hill) who captivated audiences with her sex appeal before dying in the prime of her life. To help them with this project they are given permission to stay in Lorna's former mansion to collect more information pertaining to their research. What they soon discover is that Lorna spent a great deal of money to hire a specialist in the occult who could give her immortality along with her lover--who just happens to have been the father of Joel. Soon mysterious things begin to happen to both Joel and Donna which not only threatens their marriage but also their sanity and their lives. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a fairly entertaining mystery film which was greatly limited by the made-for-television format. Additionally, while it had some suspense here and there, it seemed somewhat subdued in nature as well. All in all though, I suppose it was an okay movie and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Attractive husband and wife writing team Robert Wagner (as Joel Gregory) and Kate Jackson (as Donna Gregory) arrive at the spooky mansion of actress "Lorna Love" (actually, silent film star Harold Lloyd's house). Mr. Wagner and Ms. Jackson are contracted to write the silent movie star's biography. Wagner has a personal interest in the project, since his father was once the famed star's lover. Mysterious events unfold, and Jackson must fight to save her husband from the spirit of the beautiful blonde, who is "perfectly preserved" in a crypt on the estate; moreover, the evil woman seems bent on possessing her husband, and murdering Jackson!

This is very much a "Night of Dark Shadows" variation, co-starring genuine "Dark Shadows" alumni Kate Jackson, who knows and plays her part well. Robert Wagner lacks David Selby's intensity. Sylvia Sidney (as Mrs. Josephs) sidesteps Grayson Hall. Marianna Hill is not a match for Lara Parker (or Diana Millay). Bill Macy (as Oscar Payne) is good in a part that would have been played by John Karlen (in a Dan Curtis production).

There are smooth cameos by Joan Blondell, John Carradine, and Dorothy Lamour. Ms. Lamour's delivery resembles Joan Bennett, which begs the question: why didn't producer Aaron Spelling get more of the original "Dark Shadows" regulars?

Director E.W. Swackhamer was Bridget Hanley's husband; he worked with Ms. Blondell on "Here Come the Brides", and with Jackson on "The Rookies". "Death at Love House" has, arguably, a tighter storyline than the "Night of Dark Shadows" film; it differs in the movie star angle; and, in its "Father Eternal Fire" ending, it more closely resembles the TVseries' "Laura the Phoenix" storyline.

**** Death at Love House (9/3/76) E.W. Swackhamer ~ Robert Wagner, Kate Jackson, Sylvia Sidney

I saw this flick on video as a kid and just recently purchased a DVD copy. The film transfer to DVD is god awful proving grainy and scratchy. However, this film deserves it's place among the campy horror flicks of the 70's and early 80's. Along the lines of "The Monster Club" and "The Night Stalker" .

Starring The one and only Angel herself, Kate Jackson, this film is almost an exact replica of her earlier film debut, "Night Of Dark Shadows". Only better. I've always felt that Night of Dark Shadows is so lackluster because it never decides what it wants to be. Serious, Campy, artsy...you get the picture. Obscenely slow paced and with a rather mundane , molasses slow script.

Death At Love House moves at a much faster pace and is 10 times more entertaining . It is a kind of "House on Haunted Hill" of the 70's! (The Vincent Price version, not the terrible remake). Even with it's low budget and production values . Stars such as John Carradine, Dorothy Lamour and Joan Blondell make the most of their cameo appearances and add to the films charm. The brilliant Sylvia Sydney is the perfect choice for the creepy house keeper a la Judith Anderson and Grayson Hall. My main complaint is that she does not get enough screen time. Just like Hall in Night of Dark Shadows, Sydney is not utilized enough.

Robert Wagner phones in his performance as the doomed love interest of Lorna Love, played by Mariana Hill. I agree with the previous reviewer, Hill (while stunning) is about as convincing as silent film star as Brittney Spears. Kate is Kate. She may be thinking, "why the hell did i agree to do this?! But gives 200% as the tortured ingénue .

The film delivers the goods when it comes to entertaining. Now, don't misunderstand me. Death at Love House is never going to receive any great acclaim, it's not any great piece of cinema. It is what it is. A very enjoyable TV horror romp from yester-year. Check it out.

This movie, made for TV was very well cast, with excellent players, including Robert Wagner, Kate Jackson, John Carradine, Bill Macy, Joan Blondell, and others.

The screen writing was WEAK and failed to provide believable scenarios. EG: A serious, nearly successful attempt to murder Kate Jackson's character happened with no-one calling the Police, no questions asked, when there were ONLY three people in the mansion at the time - implausible at the least! Transitions and segues were too abrupt, or in some instances, totally inadequate, especially the denouement/climax of the storyline, at the very end of the movie's 74-minute duration.

As one reviewer noted, costuming and make-up left a Hell of a lot to be desired, in the flashback shots, which presumably were meant to take us back to the late 1920's. Our Silent-Era Hollywood Star was dressed and groomed more in keeping with the styles of 40-50 years LATER than when the scenes were supposed to be taking place. Someone really dropped the ball on their historical research, which should have been as easy as pie. Instead of modeling Lorna Love closely after Clara Bow or Jean Harlow, in this production, she more closely resembled Madonna.

It was almost too painful to watch, as this cast was made up of some of my favorite actors and actresses. Spelling and Goldberg should have been sued for wasting a golden opportunity to have produced a classic horror film.

I rate Death at Love House "5" strictly based on the valiant efforts of the cast, to overcome shoddy direction and lousy production values.

I'm only giving this 5 stars because of the old-timers who appeared in this cheesy TV movie: Sylvia Sidney, Joan Blondell, John Carradine, and Dorothy Lamour.

Robert Wagner and Kate Jackson play a married couple researching a book on a silent old film star, Lorna Love, and her affair with Wagner's father.

This is a little like The Shining in that the spirit of the house takes over Wagner like five minutes after their arrival.

The actress playing Lorna Love, Marianna Hill, looked like something out of Charlie's Angels, not a '20s film star. After hearing for the entire film how irresistible she was, I still didn't get it.

Campy TV movie.