THEATRE OF DEATH Christopher Lee! Free on Tubi and YouTube

‘Where acting can be murder’
Theatre of Death is a 1967 horror film about murders centred around a Parisian theatre company with a tyrannical director. Naturally, he initially becomes the main murder suspect. Released as Blood Fiend in the United States.

Directed by Samuel Gallu (Arthur? Arthur!; The Limbo Line; The Man Outside) from a screenplay by Ellis Kadison and Roger Marshall.

Produced by E.M. Smedley-Aston [as M. Smedley Aston]. Executive produced by William J. Gell.

The movie’s cinematographer was Gilbert Taylor, who also lensed Roman Polanski’s Repulsion and Macbeth; Hitchcock’s Frenzy; The Omen; Star Wars; Dracula (1979), Flash Gordon (1980) and Venom (1981).

The soundtrack score was composed by Elisabeth Lutyens (The Psychopath; The Skull; Doctor Terror’s House of Horrors; The Earth Dies Screaming; Paranoiac).

The Pennea Productions movie stars horror icon Christopher Lee plus Julian Glover (Nemesis; Alien Uprising; The Internecine Project; Quatermass and the Pit), Lelia Goldoni (The Unseen; Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978; Good Against Evil; Hysteria), Jenny Till (The Masque of the Red Death; Help!), Evelyn Laye, Ivor Dean, Joseph Fürst, Betty Woolfe, Leslie Handford and Fraser Kerr.

Censorship:
British BBFC censors demanded cuts for an ‘X’ rating, which were restored in 2001 when the film received a ’15’ certificate on home video.

Cast and characters:
Christopher Lee … Philippe Darvas
Julian Glover … Charles Marquis
Lelia Goldoni … Dani Gireaux
Jenny Till … Nicole Chapelle
Evelyn Laye … Madame Angelique
Ivor Dean … Inspector Micheaud
Joseph Fürst … Karl Schiller
Betty Woolfe … Colette
Leslie Handford … Joseph
Fraser Kerr … Pierre
Dilys Watling … Heidi
Steve Plytas … Andre, Patron of Cafe
Miki Iveria … Patron’s Wife
Terence Soall … Ferdi
Ester Anderson … La Poule
Peter Cleall … Jean
Suzanne Owens-Duval … Girl On Scooter
Julie Mendez … Belly Dancer
Lita Scott … Voodoo Dancer
Evrol Puckerin … Voodoo Dancer

Filming locations:
Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England
Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London

Technical specs:
1 hour 31 minutes
Audio: Mono
Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1

Trailer [1080p HD]:

Trailer as Blood Fiend:

Free on YouTube:

Soundtrack score by Elizabeth Lutyens:

Related:

Théâtre du Grand-Guignol, Paris – location

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