******BLOODY GOOD SPOILERS!******

As a little kid, my favorite magazine (made of paper, for younger readers) was editor-publisher Forry Ackerman’s legendary “Famous Monsters of Filmland,” the behind-the-scenes horror magazine that launched more than a few careers, and inspired many of its young readers (my then eight-year old self among them). One image from that magazine that remains etched into my nearly-60 year-old brain was the one-sheet poster for Amicus Productions’ horror anthology film “The House that Dripped Blood” (1971), which featured Peter Cushing’s severed head on a platter, which a once-beautiful woman with a half-skeletal face held in her hands. I wanted to see this movie for years afterward, as I very much enjoyed other Amicus horror anthologies, such as “Tales from the Crypt” (1972), “The Vault of Horror” (1973) and others.

Decades later, in the mid-1990s, I’d finally catch “The House that Dripped Blood” one night on cable at my old bachelor apartment. If I’m not mistaken, it was part of a Halloween season movie marathon on some cable network. In fact, I was carving a pumpkin at the time, so the mood was set. Needless to say, I loved it. Also interesting that, despite its title, there’s no blood in the movie whatsoever (unlike other Amicus horror anthologies), and the final segment, starring former Doctor Who Jon Pertwee, takes a hard left into comedy. This was unexpected, yet not unwelcome. In fact, it was only recently I’d read that that movie was conceived of (and filmed) as a horror-comedy, and it was rejiggered in the editing to beef up its horror elements.

Mainly scripted by horror legend Robert Bloch (“Psycho”) and directed by non-horror director Peter Duffel (“England Made Me”), the movie features four distinct segments and a framing story packed into its 102-minute runtime.

“The House that Dripped Blood” (1971)

Framing Story

The framing story interwoven throughout all four segments features no-nonsense Detective Inspector Holloway (John Bennett), who is investigating the disappearance of horror film actor Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) in a mysterious house with a history of supernatural occurrences among its last few occupants, as related to the Inspector by realtor A.J. Stoker (John Bryans)…

Note: The realtor’s name is Stoker, as in Irish author Bram Stoker (1847-1912), who wrote the original 1897 gothic novel “Dracula,” which inspired countless plays, movies, books, and re-imaginings, including a long-running Hammer horror film series (1958-1974), several of which costarred Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing; both of whom are also in this film.

“Method for Murder.”

Horror writer Charles Hillyer (Denholm Elliott) and his wife Alice (Joanna Dunham) rent an old country house where Charles hopes to finish a new novel involving an escaped strangler he’s named ‘Dominic’ (Tom Adams), whose face and maniacal laugh he begins to see and hear in the real world. Fearing he’s losing his mind, a desperate Charles sees psychiatrist Dr. Andrews (Robert Lang). Both men are then strangled to death in Andrews’ office by Dominic. We then learn Dominic is real, and that he’s actually Richard; a failed actor plotting with Alice to drive her husband insane and acquire his wealth. Alice quickly finds that Richard is a method actor, and has adopted the persona of killer Dominic, resulting in her death as well…

Note: Denholm Elliott made a name for himself in horror, with roles in “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1968), “Vault of Horror” (1973), “To the Devil a Daughter” (1976) and the “Hammer House of Horror” TV series (1980) before finding his greatest fame as Indiana Jones’ professorial colleague Marcus Brody in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989). Sadly, the actor died of complications from AIDS in 1992 at age 70.

Note: The look of Dominic is appropriately theatrical, since we see later on that it’s the quick-and-dirty work of a struggling actor (a terrific performance by Tom Adams). It’s a bit odd, however, that all of Dominic’s makeup bits (including his greasepaint, stubble, eyebrows, and prosthetic nose) come off by simply removing his wig and teeth. All the same, this segment makes for a great beginning.

“Waxworks.”

Phillip Grayson (Peter Cushing) is a retired businessman who’s moved into the house. Lonely for company, bachelor Phillip is unexpectedly visited by old friend and former romantic rival, Neville Rogers (Joss Ackland). On a trip into town together, both men become obsessed with an evil wax museum displaying a gallery of killers; one of which is a woman carrying a severed head on a silver platter. The statue bears an uncanny likeness to the late woman both men were enamored with, years earlier. The proprietor of the museum (Wolfe Morris) modeled the statue on his own wife, Salome; a murderess who was later executed (her skeleton resides within the statue’s wax). The secrets of the museum soon unravel, as the jealous proprietor butchers Neville and later Phillip. Afterward, a random visitor to the museum sees the wax figure of the woman–now carrying the severed head of Phillip on her platter…

Note: Peter Cushing (1913-1994) has horror credentials longer than most modern movie end credits, particularly with the Hammer Horror reinventions of “Dracula” (1958) and “Curse of Frankenstein” (1957), where he played Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Frankenstein, respectively, which costarred longtime friend and acting partner Christopher Lee. Cushing would also tackle the roles of Sherlock Holmes (Hammer’s 1959 film of “Hound of the Baskervilles”) and even Doctor Who, in writer/producer Milton Subotsky’s non-canonical Doctor Who feature films “Dr. Who and the Daleks” (1965) and “Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.” (both based on the BBC serials). Star Wars fans will also recognize Cushing as the haughty governor of the Death Star, Grand Moff Tarkin.

Note: British actor Joss Ackland (1928-2023) first came onto my radar as the evil, drug-dealing, murderous South African ambassador Arjen Rudd in “Lethal Weapon 2” (1989), and as the conniving Soviet ambassador in “The Hunt for Red October” (1990).

Note: This is the weakest of the segments, despite the combined star power of Cushing and Ackland. I can gladly overlook the intentionally cheesy wax mannequins, but the vague, hazy plotting has a ‘comeuppance’ that really doesn’t work; Phillip is beheaded by the creepy proprietor because… he was a lonely old man who missed an ex-girlfriend? Maybe if Phillip had some darker shadings to his character, it might’ve worked better. Perhaps he’d killed his late lover in a jealous rage, or something. Also of note; the barely-seen Dracula mannequin in the wax museum is modeled on the Hammer version of the character, as played by Christopher Lee.

“Sweets to the Sweet.”

Widower John Reid (Christopher Lee) moves to the accursed house with his lonely young daughter Jane (Chloe Franks), where he plans to raise the girl in near-total seclusion. He arranges for a live-in nanny/teacher named Anne Norton (Nyree Dawn Porter), who grows very close to Jane. Attempting to normalize Jane’s upbringing, Anne buys her a baby doll, which her stern father promptly tosses in the fireplace. Reading books from the house’s vast library, Jane learns witchcraft–a gift she inherited from her mother, whom John is desperate to forget. Retaliating against her father’s cruelty, Jane sticks needles in a voodoo doll she made in his image before tossing it into the fire. Anne is horrified to see Jane smile at the screams of her agonized father, burning to death in bed…

Note: Actress Nyree Dawn Porter (1936-2001) also played the android version of Alice Hathaway in the 1980 TV adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s “The Martian Chronicles.”

Note: Where does one begin with the legendary career of Christopher Lee (1922-2015)? In addition to his iconic Hammer horror movies, where he played Frankenstein’s monster, Count Dracula and the Mummy, he’s reinvented himself for newer audiences time and again, playing Saruman in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy (2001-2003), Count Dooku in two of the Star Wars prequels (2002’s “Attack of the Clones,” 2005’s “Revenge of the Sith”), as well as Willy Wonka’s father in 2005’s (ill-advised) reimagining of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Lee kept working almost right up until his death, with projects that spanned the performing arts, including singing. He was also an intelligence officer in the Royal Air Force during World War 2, because being a cinematic hero wasn’t enough for this truly incredible man. For one of his best performances ever, see “The Wicker Man” (1973); Lee’s role of pagan leader Lord Summerisle is the polar opposite of his role in this movie.

Note: Talented young Chloe Franks also costarred in Amicus Productions’ “Tales from the Crypt” (1972), “Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?” (1971), “Straw Dogs” (1971), “I, Monster” (1971) and “Heidi” (1974). Franks was the British Drew Barrymore of her day. In adulthood, Franks became an advocate of disability employment and education, as a sufferer of rheumatoid arthritis. “Sweets to the Sweet” is, for me, the darkest and most disturbing of the segments, as it deals with child abuse and trauma. John’s treatment of his own daughter is appalling, sending the girl into a near-catatonic state when we first meet her. One wonders what Jane’s life might’ve been like if her father had given his intellectually curious child positive reinforcement instead of such brutal shunning. This segment stayed with me long after I saw it.

“The Cloak.”

The final tale sees vain, egotistical veteran horror actor Paul Henderson (Pertwee) renting the house while shooting a schlocky vampire movie, with sexy costar Carla Lynde (Ingrid Pitt) in tow. Disappointed by the film’s shoddy sets and subpar costuming, Henderson finds a business card left in his dressing room for an antiques dealer named Theo Von Hartmann (Geoffrey Bayldon), who sells him a used cape that gives Henderson the powers of a real vampire–including levitation and an urge to bite his costar during filming. A student of the supernatural, Henderson tells Carla he believes the since-deceased Von Hartmann was an actual vampire desperate to relieve his own curse so that he could die; hence the reason he sold the cape for a pittance. In a twist ending, Carla reveals she’s a vampire herself, and now possesses the cape. Eager to vampirize Henderson, Carla turns into a bat and flies upstairs to bite him…

Note: Look closely at the photos surrounding the mirror in Paul’s dressing room at Shepperton Studios (the home of “ALIEN,” “Star Wars,” “2001: A Space Odyssey” and many more) and you’ll see a photo of Jon Pertwee as the Doctor, at the wheel of his beloved roadster, Bessie. As Henderson, Pertwee voices his dislike for “that other chap” who played Dracula after Bela Lugosi; aka, Pertwee’s costar, Christopher Lee.

Note: Character actor Geoffrey Bayldon (1924-2017) also appeared in “Tales from the Crypt” (1972), as well as the Sidney Poitier classic “To Sir, with Love” (1967), and the bizarre, psychedelic, Bond movie spoof “Casino Royale” (1967); not to be confused with the 1954 live TV adaptation of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, nor the 2006 Bond movie series reboot starring Daniel Craig.

Note: The vampire cape is lined in red, much like Jon Pertwee’s cape that he wore in character as the Doctor during his run in “Doctor Who” (1970-1974). Actor Tom Baker (“Vault of Horror” “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad”) would succeed him in the role.

Note: Polish-born ‘scream queen’ Ingrid Pitt (1937-2010) also starred in “The Vampire Lovers” (1970), “Countess Dracula” (1971) and, of course, “The Wicker Man” (1973) with Christopher Lee. With its sly commentary on Hammer horror movies and manifold Doctor Who references, “The Cloak” is hilariously meta, and it offers a glimpse into how this entire movie could’ve been easily recut into a full-blown horror comedy (as originally conceived and filmed, according to some sources).

Framing Story

The final scenes of the framing story see the now-obsessed Holloway visiting the house late at night for himself. There, Holloway finds a deep subterranean crypt beneath the cellar. Holloway also sees a coffin, out of which rises the fully-vampiric Henderson–whom the inspector unthinkingly stakes to death. Holloway is then menaced by Carla, who once again transforms into a bat before she kills (or transforms) Holloway, too. The following morning, we see mysterious realtor A.J. Stoker drive up to the house. Exiting the car, he turns to break the fourth wall and reveal to the audience that the house amplifies the personae of its inhabitants. Stoker then asks if we’d like to visit it, saying “there is nothing to be afraid of, provided (you’re) the right sort of person.”

Note: Actor John Bryans (1942-1989) switches from real estate paper pusher to this movie’s own answer to the crypt-keeper by simply changing his tone and addressing the audience. Bryans would also appear as Bercol in the first two series of “Blake’s 7” (1978-1981).

The End.

Summing It Up

Starring a virtual who’s-who of horror (Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt, Denholm Elliott) and written by no less than “Psycho” author Robert Bloch, “The House that Dripped Blood” takes a lighter stab (forgive the pun) at the horror anthology subgenre, with only one segment that remains genuinely disturbing. And despite the title, not a single drop of blood is spilt.

“The House that Dripped Blood” isn’t a traditional haunted house film, either. There are no ghosts rattling chains in attics. As explained to us by the cheekily-named realtor “Mr. Stoker,” the house merely amplifies the personae and predilections of its temporary occupants, which invites a variety of characters; including a (seemingly) happily married writer, a lonely retired bachelor, a puritanical recluse and his daughter, as well as a pompous horror icon. With director Peter Duffel not wanting to be typecast as a horror director, a nicely playful mood is established; with nothing too jarring, gory or explicit. Even the ghouls, killers and severed heads are delivered with a theatrical panache more fitting to an old-time carnival funhouse than a movie chronologically sandwiched between “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) and “The Exorcist” (1973).

Most of producer/creator Milton Subotsky’s Amicus horror anthologies had a level of camp, but “The House that Dripped Blood” truly revels in its flamboyance, which might explain its lighthearted appeal 55 years later. The movie also features several horror icons (and former Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee) at the height of their powers; which might just overload the circuits of some classic horror/sci-fi fans. Seeing it again for this overview, it still brings to mind all those giddy, silly reasons my younger self was so obsessed with horror in the first place.

While the early 1970s pacing might make younger viewers squirm a bit today, “The House that Dripped Blood” remains a near-textbook example of the horror anthology subgenre at its best. It also makes for excellent Halloween viewing, and might even inspire a carved pumpkin or two…

Where to Watch

Good news, fellow horror fans; “The House that Dripped Blood” is currently streaming for free (as of this writing) on Tubi, Pluto, The Roku Channel, SlingTV and Amazon Prime Video. The movie is also available for purchase on physical media (DVD, Blu-Ray) via Amazon.com and Gruv.com.