‘A mind so evil it could lock its terrible secret inside a beautiful body’
Crucible of Terror is a 1971 British horror film about an obsessed sculptor who kills a young woman to create a bronze sculpture of her. Years later at his secluded home, a number of people become trapped in a web of revenge, murder and horror.
Directed by Ted Hooker from a screenplay co-written with producer Tom Parkinson. Peter Newbrook (director of The Asphyx) was executive producer and cinematographer.
The Glendale Film Productions movie stars Mike Raven, Mary Maude, James Bolam and Ronald Lacey (Raiders of the Lost Ark).
Plot:
Jack Davies (James Bolam), an art dealer from London, does a deal with a friend of his Michael Clare (Ronald Lacey), the son of a gifted artist Victor Clare (Mike Raven). Michael smuggles out some of his father’s works and Davies sells them for a large sum at his gallery, splitting the profit between them. Davies and Michael Clare are both in need of more money and realising that Victor Clare’s works are worth a fortune they decide to acquire some more.
Unfortunately, Victor Clare is a recluse, who lives in isolation in Jericho Valley which is above an abandoned tin mine in Cornwall. As it would be impossible to smuggle out any more of the paintings without being noticed, Davies decides to offer the artist a deal for hard cash.
They travel to Cornwall with their wives, and they find it an odd and disconcerting experience. Victor Clare’s wife has regressed into a second childhood, while he spends his time having affairs with his models. The only sense of normality is apparently provided by Bill, Victor’s only friend, who cooks dinner for them…
Buy Severin DVD: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
“The Cornish locations are easy on the eye and some of the supporting actors are very good value, notably James Bolam, and fourteen years after her excellent performance in Dracula, Melissa Stribling. But the film is poorly paced, visibly under-budgeted at £100,000 and, worse still, its insane protagonist is played by the uniquely wooden Mike Raven.” Jonathan Rigby, English Gothic book
Buy English Gothic: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca
” …has some well-used location footage of Cornwall and a couple of good scenes to make up for the trite script, obviously low budget and total miscasting of Mike Raven as the psychotic sculptor.” David Pirie, Time Out Film Guide book
“The horror is treated as something that happens between the melodramatics of the Clare family squabbles and where there is a killing, it is over in seconds, with violence and gore kept to a minimum. Parkinson was a self-confessed admirer of the Val Lewton school of fantasy and perhaps the film should be commended for trying to do something more than ‘stalk and slash’.” John Hamilton, X-Cert 2 book
Buy X-Cert 2: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk
Free online on YouTube:
Cast and characters:
Mike Raven … Victor Clare – I, Monster, Lust for a Vampire, Disciple of Death
Mary Maude … Millie – Terror; The House That Screamed
James Bolam … John ‘Jack’ Davies – Straight On Till Morning
Ronald Lacey … Michael Clare – Disciple of Death
Betty Alberge … Dorothy Clare – Disciple of Death
John Arnatt … Bill aka Billie
Beth Morris … Jane Clare
Judy Matheson … Marcia – Twins of Evil; Lust for a Vampire
Melissa Stribling … Joanna Brent – Dracula (1958)
Kenneth Keeling … George Brent
Me Me Lai … Chi-San – The Man from Deep River, Last Cannibal World, Eaten Alive!
Filming locations:
Blue Hills, St Agnes, Cornwall, England
Jericho Valley, St Agnes, Cornwall, England
Perranporth, Cornwall
Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England
Technical specs:
1 hour 31 minutes
Audio: Mono
Aspect ratio: 1.66: 1
Release:
In the UK, Scotia-Barber released Crucible of Terror on a double-bill with Lady Frankenstein.
Alternate title:
Unholy Terror – US video title
