House of the Long Shadows

This is the only film I can think of that has all four horror greats in the same film at the same time and in the same scenes. Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and John Carradine are the big four, and their presence alone makes seeing this film a must. I don't think any other film had three of these men in the same film, same time, and same scenes(Scream and Scream Again has Lee, Cushing, and Price, but Cushing does not share screen time with either Lee or Price). The men are all still great to see and brought a flood of nostalgia to me as they made their entrances into the film. The film, however, is weak, and there really is no denying that. I like the film because of the four boogeymen, but cannot say in good faith that it is a good film. It is not. The story concerns an author having a bet with his publisher to stay in a creepy place and produce a book in one evening for twenty thousand dollars. It is a very worn plot, and to make matters worse, the scriptwriter butchers his way through the script trying to squeeze out anything that might have been thoughtful and original. The male lead is none other that that master thespian Desi Arnaz Jr. I know hearing his name makes you tingle with anticipation, but this man has no clue how to perform. Plainly put, he is awful, and painful to watch as he delivers hackneyed dialogue with a smug manner. He certainly canot hold his own with the reverent cast or even female character actress Shelia Keith who really shines in her small role. Some of the dialogue is funny, some serious, but there are only four reasons to watch this film: Price, Cushing, Lee, and Carradine. They put in this film what little life this film has. Of the four, watch for Vincent Price playing ever the ham! He is superb.

Everyone probably figured that Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing would have to all co-star in a movie, but who ever would have guessed that Desi Arnaz Jr would also co-star? Far removed from his parents' famous roles, Arnaz plays Kenneth Magee, an American author who goes to an old Welsh estate to write a novel. He is supposed to have no disturbances, but Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and John Carradine arrive to release their brother who has been locked in his room for forty years, and Christopher Lee arrives to claim ownership of the mansion. Naturally, things don't go as everyone expects.

"House of the Long Shadows" doesn't have anything that we wouldn't anticipate in a movie about a dark old mansion, but it's got more twists and turns than a roller coaster. So, I recommend it, and I hope that they don't try to remake it.

Desi Arnaz Jr. Plays Kenneth Magee, an American writer who makes a best with his publisher, Sam Allyson (Richard Todd). His ego is great enough that he thinks that he can write something on the level of "Wuthering Heights" (which he doesn't hold in high regard) in 24 hours. At stake is $20,000 of his money. So Sam procures for him a Welsh manor named Baldpate where Kenneth can supposedly write in seclusion. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and Kenneth is interrupted all night long by a family looking to exorcise their old demons and a man looking to purchase the manor.

This effort by the cult filmmaker Pete Walker ("Frightmare", "House of Whipcord") is notable mostly for uniting four legendary horror actors: John Carradine, Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee. "House of the Long Shadows" is a must see for their work, if nothing else. Walker and this fine cast does seem to have fun with the material, which was meant to be played with a sense of humor. Certainly some of the tropes of the genre are present and accounted for: the dark, stormy night, the locked room, the old family secret, etc. What this viewer appreciated most about the film was the old school atmosphere of a classic "Old Dark House" type of story, and for the fact that Walker and screenwriter Michael Armstrong so completely manipulate their audience.

While this viewer didn't dislike Arnaz Jr. As much as most people who've seen this, it's still probably better to say as little about his performance as possible. But don't see it for him. See it for Price (who rattles off the exposition in style), Lee, Carradine, Cushing (whose comic performance is simply wonderful), and Walker regular Sheila Keith (who plays Carradines' daughter).

Good fun for fans of the genre.

Seven out of 10.

Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and John Carradine in one movie is like a dream come true and a recipe for a truly great time. House of the Long Shadows is not a great movie, but it is an interesting one and better than I was led to believe. It does have flaws of course, the ending is unsatisfying and feels like more than one ending rolled into a single one, the middle drags and Desi Arnaz Jnr gives an awful lead performance, very wooden and overly-serious. However, the production values complete with a suitably Gothic mansion are in keeping with the spooky atmosphere and in the genre House of the Long Shadows is an example of. The music has a very haunting sound to it, I loved the tongue-in-cheek humour and thrills in the script(Vincent Price having the best lines and he really relishes them), and the story has some nice-if occasionally silly- twists and turns and is mostly swiftly paced. The opening sequence is great. The murder sequences are not exactly subtle, but are suspenseful and evoke some chills. The four stars Price, Cushing, Lee and Carradine- easily the highlights of the film- are brilliant, distinctive and commanding with a very one-of-a-kind chemistry. In conclusion, fun and interesting if far from perfect. 7/10 Bethany Cox

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!