Despite the cast, I was never in a rush to watch this horror movie, the final feature directed by Pete Walker. I knew I would get to it eventually though. It's old-fashioned, creaks under the weight of the baggage being moved across every wooden floor, and also has a ridiculous framing device. I couldn't bring myself to dislike it though.
Desi Arnaz Jr. plays Kenneth Magee, a writer who makes a bet with his agent (Richard Todd) that he can hole himself up in dark and isolated house for 24 hours and come out with a novel akin to something produced by the Brontë sisters. It's handy for Magee that his agent has a key to such a location, and the bet is on. The house ends up being populated by a strange mix of characters though. Sheila Keith and John Carradine appear, claiming to be the housekeeping staff. Julie Peasgood appears, claiming to want to keep our lead from danger. Then along come Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee. It's a veritable cornucopia of horror movie legends.
Based on a novel, "Seven Keys To Baldpate" by Earl Derr Biggers, which had also been adapted into a successful play by George M. Cohan, the screenplay here, from Michael Armstrong is really just an excuse to make room for the many iconic actors to interact with one another here. This doesn't make for a great movie, necessarily, but it's impossible to watch this as a horror fan and not get some pleasure from it. And I'd argue that any scene involving the bigger names is better than any scene that focuses on Arnaz Jr. (who isn't terrible, but never feels like a good enough leading man).
Walker directs without any real relish, instead seeming to take on the role of mediator responsible for ensuring that all of the performers get their individual moments to shine. The film is about familiarity and comfort ahead of any actual scares, although there is some enjoyable atmosphere created by the central location. Will you care about the actual plot, or what dangers crop up around our "hero"? I doubt it, but that's not really the point anyway.
If you have read this far then you know why you will want to watch this. It's all in the second paragraph. This film allows you some time with some true genre greats, and that's the main thing going for it. Cushing may have to work with a strange speech affectation that stops him from being at his best, but he's still Peter bloody Cushing, a legend and a damn fine actor. Lee is as calm and quietly menacing as he so often could be, and Keith, Carradine, and Price all enjoy delivering an endearing helping of ham. Peasgood is decent enough, and Louise English and Richard Hunter turn up in time to provide more potential victims as the titular house aims to reveal some deadly secrets.
I was hoping this would be a bit better, but I was also aware of it not being beloved by many. It's a decent enough way to kill 102 minutes though, especially if viewed (as it should be) as a loving tribute to a number of the main cast members.
6/10
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