- Director: Peter Duffell
- Writer: Robert Bloch
- Stars: John Bryans, John Bennett, Denholm Elliott
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 42 Minutes
- Link: https://amzn.to/3roI6Zt
Synopsis
Wraparound Story
Inspector Holloway from Scotland Yard has been put in charge of chasing a temperamental film star. The sergeant explains that this isn’t the first time they’ve had trouble at that house. He goes into the story…
Method for Murder
Charles and Alice Hillyer rented the house after it had been empty for some time. Charles browses the library and finds an old book, “The House of Death.” Alices hates the house, but Charles is impressed with the library.
Charles is a writer of murder and horror stories. Dominick is an escaped maniac and the centerpiece of Charles’ stories. He’s just a figment of Charles’ imagination, but he seems real to the writer. Dominick really takes over the book, and Charles can really identify with him. Soon, Charles starts seeing Dominick around the house and on the grounds.
Charles goes to see a psychiatrist about these visions. The psychiatrist doesn’t seem so sure that he can help Charles. He sees Dominick strangling Alice, but she says it was Charles that was doing it. During their next session, “Dominick” strangles the doctor. Dominick then sneaks up on Alice back at the house— and they embrace each other. It’s really her boyfriend Richard, in disguise trying to drive Charles mad. The police found the doctor and Charles dead bodies. That wasn’t the plan. He says his name isn’t Richard, it’s Dominick…
Waxworks
Phillip Grayson, an unmarried, retired businessman, rents the house next. He wanders about town and comes across a wax museum, so he goes in. One of the statues looks just like the woman Phillip used to love; she’s got a man’s head on a platter. The proprietor comes in and explains that she was modeled on his dead wife. The man tells a creepy story about how she was both a murderer and victim.
That night, Grayson tears up the photo of the woman and goes back to the wax museum, where the statue has a skeleton face. He’s just dreaming, but there’s a knock at his door. It’s his friend Neville, who finds the torn photo in the trash. Neville wants to see the wax museum, so they go in. He recognizes the wax girl as well. They go home.
Grayson goes back to the museum and finds Neville there, staring at that face. They both felt like it was really Salone standing there, and they both think there’s something evil about the place. Neville wants to go back, but Grayson tells him not to do it. Grayson goes back to the museum again and finds Neville’s head on the girl’s platter.
The police sergeant claims “There’s something about that house.” The detective goes to see Mr. Stoker, the Realtor about the house. He believes the house is cursed.
Sweets to the Sweet
John Reed and his daughter Jane move into the house. Jane’s afraid of fire. Reed hires Mrs. Norton, a nanny, for his daughter as he doesn’t believe in boarding schools. Jane is a weird kid, and Mrs. Norton picks up on the fire fear very quickly. Jane explains that her father is very strict; he won’t let her have friends or toys. Jane soon gets over her fear of fire; she sees shapes in the fire.
Norton wants to take Jane to the local playground, but her father won’t hear of it. He won’t explain why. He does allow her to buy Jane some toys. She gets Jane a doll. John throws the doll into the fire— he insists that it’s necessary. He found out what his wife, Jane’s mother, really was, and he was glad when she died.
That night, Jane comes downstairs and gets a book off the shelf. The next day, she explains that Yew trees used to be evil magic trees. Jane hides the book from Mrs. Norton, but she finds it anyway. It’s a book on witchcraft.
Mrs. Norton confronts Mr. Reed about Jane. She thinks he’s afraid of Jane. The power goes out, and he can’t find any candles. When he does find the box, some of the candles are missing. He slaps Jane for stealing them, and she runs off.
Later the next day, Jane has a fully-constructed voodoo doll and she starts hurting her father. Reed explains that Jane is evil, just like her mother. He knows what Jane has done and tells Norton to find the doll. Mrs. Norton chases Jane around the house until Jane finally throws the doll into the fire…
The Cloak
Paul Henderson, a flamboyant actor, wanted to rent the house, but Mr. Stoker didn’t think he’d be happy there. He and his wife moved in. Stoker warns them that the previous tenants had… tragedies.
Paul is an expert on monsters, and he usually stars in horror films. Carla says he’d feel more at home in a medieval castle than a modern house.
He whines on set and goes on and on about present-day horror films having no reality or scares. He hates the cloak they give him, so he insists on getting one himself. Someone leaves him a card for a costumer. Paul goes there, and asks for a “vampire’s cloak.” The creepy old man has exactly what he needs.
He puts on the cloak and can’t see himself in the mirror. He gets out on set, and the cameras start rolling. He puts on the cloak and bites his costar right on camera.
That night, he puts it on again, at midnight, and he grows actual fangs and floats around the room. He realizes the cloak is cursed. He invites Carla over to the house the next evening, and he reads about the costumier shop burning down and realizes what happened. She talks him into putting it on.
He puts it on right at the stroke of twelve. She switched cloaks as a prank. She puts on his cloak. She was already a vampire, and she explains that they “all love his films so much that they want him to join the club.” She then bites him.
Wraparound Story
Holloway and Stoker continue to talk about the house, and Holloway takes the keys and goes back to the house. He lets himself in and starts looking around. He finds his way into the basement, where he finds Paul Henderson sleeping in a coffin. Paul wakes up and we see that he’s a full vampire now…
Mr. Stoker places a fresh “To Let” sign in the front yard. “Perhaps you would like it. There’s nothing to be afraid of if you’re the right sort of person. Think it over,” he explains to the camera.
Commentary
“The House that Dripped Blood” has not a single drop of blood shown onscreen.
For such a low-budget film, this has a very impressive cast. None of the stories are bad, although the fourth is a little silly. Vincent Price wanted to be in this, but couldn’t for contractual reasons. Peter Cushing wanted out, but couldn’t for the same reason.
None of the stories are too long or too short, and none of them are boring. The acting is good, and the sets and lighting are appropriate. It’s one of the better anthologies from the time period.