Danza macabra (1964)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Directors:

Sergio Corbucci
Antonio Margheriti

Writers:

Sergio Corbucci (screenplay)
Giovanni Grimaldi (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 July 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The living and the dead change places in an orgy of terror!

Plot:

A writer accepts a bet that he cannot spend the night alone in a haunted castle on All Soul's Eve. Once night falls at the castle...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Bet | Actual Animal Killed | Nudity | Overnight In A Haunted House

Cast

Barbara Steele	...	Elisabeth Blackwood
Georges Rivière	...	Alan Foster
Margarete Robsahm	...	Julia
Arturo Dominici	...	Dr. Carmus (as Henry Kruger)
Silvano Tranquilli	...	Edgar Allan Poe (as Montgomery Glenn)
Sylvia Sorrente	...	Elsi (as Sylvia Sorrent)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Giovanni Cianfriglia		(as Phil Karson)
John Peters
Merry Powers
Umberto Raho		(as Raul H. Newman)
Salvo Randone
Benito Stefanelli		(as Ben Steffen)
Johnny Walters

Directed by
Sergio Corbucci		(as Gordon Wilson Jr.)
Antonio Margheriti		(as Anthony M. Dawson)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sergio Corbucci		screenplay and dialogue (as Gordon Wilson Jr.)
Giovanni Grimaldi		screenplay and dialogue (as Jean Grimaud)

Produced by
Leo Lax	....	producer (US version) (as Frank Belty)
Marco Vicario	....	producer (US version) (as Walter Sarah)

Original Music by
Riz Ortolani		(as Ritz Ortolani)

Cinematography by
Riccardo Pallottini		(as Richard Kramer)

Film Editing by
Otello Colangeli		(as Otel Langhel)

Production Design by
Ottavio Scotti		(as Warner Scott)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ruggero Deodato	....	assistant director (as Roger Drake)

Special Effects by
Enrico Catalucci	....	special effects (as E. Catalucci)

Production Companies

• Giovanni Addessi Produzione Cinematografica
• Ulysse Productions
• Vulsinia Films

Distributors

• Cosmopolitan Films (1964) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc. (1964) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Synapse Films (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Castle of Blood (UK) (USA)
Coffin of Terror
Dimensions in Death
Edgar Allan Poe's Castle of Blood
La danse macabre (France)
La lunga notte de terrore
Terrore
The Castle of Terror (USA)
The Long Night of Terror
Tombs of Horror
Tombs of Terror
Makavrios horos (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Company:

Giovanni Addessi Produzione Cinematografica

Quotes:

[last lines]
[to himself]
Edgar Allan Poe: Incredible.
[in a ghostly voice-over]
Elisabeth Blackwood: You have stayed with me, Alan.
[in a ghostly voice-over]
Alan Foster: Yes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in La vendetta di Lady Morgan (1965)

Castle of Babes

I saw this movie as a kid on Creature Feature when I lived in New York. It was a pretty creepy movie, though not as good as Horror Hotel. I just bought this movie on DVD, and it is different from what I remember because in the DVD that I bought there are several scenes where the actors speak in French and/or Italian and no subtitles are provided. Then the other actors respond in English to what was being said. Kind of weird. Also on the DVD box, the names of some of the actors are spelled differently than on IMDb.

Aside from that, this movie is different in that the character of Elsie takes her clothes off and provides a nude shot in one scene and in another scene Julia tries to force Elizabeth (Barbara Steele) to make out with her by pushing her down on the bed and kissing her while Steele resists. That scene existed in the TV version, but it was very edited. I wonder if there is any extra footage that could be incorporated into a remastered ultra-edition? It seems sad that some of these old low budget classics have been spliced to bits and sold in all kinds of edited versions. Where are the master tapes and all the unused footage?

Aside from the first boring twenty minutes before Allen is delivered to the Castle, the rest of the movie is pretty good. There aren't too many special effects (but Herbert's face after Julia clubs him is a good one). The creepy atmosphere and the strange, exotic, and seductive look of Barbara Steele make the movie a lot better than it should be. I can honestly say that if Barbara Steele had not been in this film, it would be a big zero. She makes the movie a ten!