House of the Long Shadows

Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, and John Carradine together in one film: does anyone need to say more? If you're a fan of any one of these four film legends, you're in for a treat.

Many people comment that "House of the Long Shadows" is not on video. It is. I found my copy on eBay, but it is commercially prepared. The box resembles the poster at the top of the IMDB page, and says:

AN MGM/UA HOME VIDEO PRESENTATION VHS VIDEOCASSETTE

The box isn't a plastic job with a slip-in cover; it's an actual printed box. (Sorry -- wouldn't give it up for anything, but watch the second hand shops and auction places and you're sure to see one, too.)

While Desi Arnaz Jr. may be one of the worst actors I've ever seen, this movie succeeds despite his desperate attempts to ruin every seen he's in. Price, Cushing, Lee and Carradine are, of course, stellar in their various supporting roles, with Cushing's best Elmer Fudd/Peter Cook from The Princess Bride impersonation standing as the comic high watermark of the piece. I'm not one to figure out endings, but I did figure this one out, even through the movie-within-a-movie setup. And still I enjoyed the hell out of the film. It's no Memento, but if you're in the mood for a simple, Old Dark House-style midnight-on-Friday popcorn black horror comedy, here you go. Enjoy! I sure did.

This is a horror film aficianado's dream - the only time that Peter Cushing, John Carradine, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price appeared in the same film and the same scenes together!

Forget about the ponderous build-up to the appearance of the stars and the lamentable arrogance of Desi Arnaz Jr. in a forgettable role (he can't hold a torch to the acting abilities of his famous co-stars!). The cliched surroundings of a dark, haunted house can also be criticised; but this is the ideal platform for the horror greats on show to perform in a typically professional fashion.

Peter Cushing's drunken characterization is very well done and Vincent Price's grand dialogue is reeled off in an extremely believable way. Christopher Lee's role is also enjoyably wooden and in the mould that we have come to expect over the years!

The film is guilty of faulty pacing - the start is slow but the execution of murders later in the film comes relentlessly and with little subtlety in thought or execution. However, the sole purpose of the film is to provide a horrific who-dunnit in an old-fashioned way with the top stars of the genre!

The ending also ensures that the viewer is never quite confident that the story's resolution has been provided.

Not a masterpiece by any means , but a fitting tribute to the stars in the horror field, who have entertained us so much in the past and will continue to do so in the future!

It felt like I was watching the film for the first time again. I pretty much had forgotten how the plot played out. Even to a point, that the seasoned cast of genre actors actually had larger screen time, and scenes together then I remembered. And boy, don't they each make an entrance when they first appear. The wonderful ensemble of Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, David Carradine and (Walker regular) Sheila Keith really chew up the scenery by providing the lively theatrics to Pete Walker's trope infused, old dark house mystery-horror. Even during the constant back and forth dialogue exchanges, and there's a lot early on. It's the old heads who kept me entrenched with their ghoulish banter.

Murder and mayhem slowly develops, as director Walker pulls you along in many different directions. What it's building towards was fairly contrived and disappointing, but the shadowy atmosphere of a candle lit manor with a lingering thunderstorm outside gave it a cosy tranquility amongst the frantic shrills and macabre spills. I just wish it was more fun than it was, and it mainly fell on Walker, because the old boys kept the pulse beating.

This proved to be the last film of British horror director Walker (in the accompanying DVD interview for his THE FLESH AND BLOOD SHOW [1972], which followed this in short order, he states that this was his only 'assignment' – all his other work he personally financed) as well as the final teaming of that prolific and (for fans, hugely rewarding) iconic duo of Peter Cushing (complete with endearing speech impediment) and Christopher Lee (a complex characterization, albeit characteristically boorish).

Having mentioned the two Hammer stars, some reviewers mistakenly believed the film intended to recapture that studio's Gothic tradition but it actually hearkens back to the comedy-thrillers of the Silent and early Talkie era. In fact, it was the sixth filmization – scripted by Michael Armstrong, whose own directorial career was curtailed following the notoriety of his MARK OF THE DEVIL (1970) – of "Seven Keys To Baldpate", a novel by Earl Derr Biggers (creator of Charlie Chan) that was adapted for the stage by George M. Cohan (yes, the songwriter played by James Cagney in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY [1942]!).

Besides, its plot about a dysfunctional Welsh family that includes a locked-up maniac and whose mansion is 'intruded' upon by innocent strangers is a virtual retread of James Whale's sublime THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932; one of my absolute favorites) – though with little of that film's style or wit. Another direct link to it is the fact that there is a Roderick involved – and let's not forget that Vincent Price (who co-stars here) had played a character by that name in Roger Corman's seminal Poe adaptation HOUSE OF USHER (1960)! The final revelation (which wasn't at all surprising nor, come to think of it, was the identity of the mysterious killer), then, is straight out of SEVEN FOOTPRINTS TO Satan (1929)…

The cast also highlights two other lesser horror stars – John Carradine (who's supposed to be the patriarch of the family when the difference in age from, at least, Price and Cushing is minimal!) and Walker regular Sheila Keith (replacing the ailing Elsa Lanchester). The young cast isn't in any way comparable obviously – however, both Desi Arnaz Jr. (from childhood sci-fi TV show AUTOMAN [1983]!) and Julie Peasgood prove reasonably engaging nonetheless. By the way, Richard Todd appears as novelist Arnaz's genial publisher – who makes a bet with his client that he won't stay the full-length of 24 hours in an ostensibly haunted house (which is the exact same premise of the Abel Gance/Max Linder short AU SECOURS! [1924] I've just watched and, I see, Michael Elliott did too!).

At the end of the day, the film is clearly old fashioned (despite the occasional gore) but undeniably fun – which makes the Leonard Maltin guide's *1/2 rating a genuine head-scratcher!