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Compilation of four tales of terror, all linked to a mysterious mansion. A writer's strange obsessions prove deadly, a little girl dabbles in voodoo, a jealous husband vows to wreak revenge and an actor takes his passion for realism too far. Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, John Bennett, Jon Pertwee and Denholm Elliott.
1970
Fantasy
Horror
Movie/Drama
Sketches
Cast & Crew
Christopher Lee
(Actor)
.. John Reid
Peter Cushing
(Actor)
.. Philip Grayson
John Bennett
(Actor)
.. Holloway
Jon Pertwee
(Actor)
.. Paul
Denholm Elliott
(Actor)
.. Charles Hillyer
Ingrid Pitt
(Actor)
.. Carle Lynde
Robert Lang
(Actor)
.. Psychiatrist
Nyree Dawn Porter
(Actor)
.. Ann
John Bryans
(Actor)
.. Stoker
Joanna Dunham
(Actor)
.. Alice Hillyer
Joss Ackland
(Actor)
.. Neville Rogers
Peter Duffell
(Director)
More Information
Did You Know..
Christopher Lee
(Actor)
.. John Reid
Born:
May 27, 1922
in
Belgravia, London
Best Known For:
Playing Dracula.
Early-life:
Born Christopher Frank Carandini Lee on May 27, 1922, in Belgravia, London, the son of an Italian aristocrat and a soldier. He had an older sister, Xandra, whose daughter is actress Harriet Walter. When their parents divorced, the children were raised by their mother and her second husband, a banker. Lee attended Wellington College, then worked in a London shipping office before serving in the RAF during the Second World War. On being demobbed, he was snapped up by Rank Studios, but failed to get a big break, appearing instead in several small roles.
Career:
Lee hit the big time in 1957 when his formidable height landed him the role of the monster in Hammer's The Curse of Frankenstein. It marked the beginning of his horror movie partnership with Peter Cushing, which also included such films as Dracula, The Mummy, and The Gorgon. Lee went on to become one of the world's most prolific actors. Star Wars episodes II and III and The Lord of the Rings introduced him to a new generation of fans. Other significant titles include The Wicker Man, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gremlins II, The Man with the Golden Gun and The Golden Compass. He also appeared in Alice in Wonderland, Burke and Hare, Season of the Witch and The Hobbit. He died on June 7, 2015, at the age of 93 due to respiratory problems and heart failure.
Quote:
'There are many vampires in the world today - you only have to think of the film business.'
Trivia:
Lee was knighted in 2009. Away from acting, he was an accomplished singer and had an intriguing sideline as a heavy metal star.
Peter Cushing
(Actor)
.. Philip Grayson
John Bennett
(Actor)
.. Holloway
Jon Pertwee
(Actor)
.. Paul
Denholm Elliott
(Actor)
.. Charles Hillyer
Born:
May 31, 1922
in
London
Best Known For:
Playing eccentric English gentlemen.
Early-life:
Denholm Mitchell Elliott was born in London on May 31, 1922. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) but was asked to leave after only one term. While flying in a Halifax bomber during the Second World War in 1942, his aircraft was hit by flak and ditched in the North Sea near Germany. He spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp in Silesia.
Career:
Elliott made his film debut in Dear Mr Prohack (1949) and went on to play a wide range of parts, usually in a supporting role. He won Bafta TV awards for BBC2 Playhouse (1974), Tales of the Unexpected (1979) and Blade on the Feather (1980). For his work on the big screen, he won Bafta film awards for Trading Places (1983), A Private Function (1985), A Room with a View (1985) and Defence of the Realm (1986). Other notable credits included the films Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and the TV miniseries Codename: Kyril (1988) and Bangkok Hilton (1989). He died at his home in Spain on October 6, 1992 at the age of 70.
Quote:
'I've been always very careful in my career to do theatre, it takes you out of the TV eye and people are glad to see you back again.'
Trivia:
Elliott was nominated for an Academy Award for A Room with a View and lost out to fellow Brit Michael Caine (Hannah and her Sisters).
Ingrid Pitt
(Actor)
.. Carle Lynde
Robert Lang
(Actor)
.. Psychiatrist
Nyree Dawn Porter
(Actor)
.. Ann
John Bryans
(Actor)
.. Stoker
Joanna Dunham
(Actor)
.. Alice Hillyer
Joss Ackland
(Actor)
.. Neville Rogers
Born:
February 29, 1928
in
London
Best Known For:
His instantly recognisable voice
Early-life:
Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland was born in 1929 in Kensington, London. He has a brother, Paddy, and a sister, Barbara. Joss studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama, before making his stage debut at the tender age of 17 in a 1945 production of The Hasty Heart. He met his wife, Rosemary during a production in Pitlochry, Scotland, and the pair moved to South Africa after Joss decided to quit acting in 1955. They returned two years later, when he joined The Old Vic and began establishing himself as a major player on the stage.
Career:
While beavering away in theatre, where he was associate director of The Mermaid and had become an established star in the West End, Joss was also appearing in TV series such as The Avengers, Z Cars and The Persuaders. His most high-profile role came in the 1987 movie White Mischief, which brought him to the attention of Hollywood. Since then, he has amassed an eclectic body of work, including the films Lethal Weapon 2, The Hunt for Red October and These Foolish Things. His small-screen CV is equally impressive, and includes starring in Sky One's lavish adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather.
Quote:
On the parts being offered to him in 2000: 'I'm so tired of not being able to make a movie without a car chase, or the villain dying twice. It's all exactly the same.'
Trivia:
He was awarded a CBE in 2001 for services to acting.
Peter Duffell
(Director)
