Tuesday, December 1, 2020

House of The Damned

 

HOUSE OF THE DAMNED-1963-Architect Scott Campbell (Ron Foster) and his wife Nancy (Merry Anders) go to do a surveying job at an old castle (The Rochester House) after getting a midnight phone call from a guy named Joe (Richard Crane; THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE) who that don't seem to like. They go to the castle but can't get in. Something weird is going on though as the door opens after they go away. Mr. Quinby (Dal McKennon), a real estate agent gives them the keys and a rundown on the castle including the former owner Priscilla Rochester. 

The couple settle in but it's obvious they are not alone. Especially at night when some creature shuffles in and steals the house keys. Next day the missing keys turn up but with 2 keys gone. Later Joe's wife Loy (Erika Peters) shows up looking for her husband. She decides to sunbathe and while undressing is watched by a mysterious woman. Scott and Nancy measure the house. Joe finally shows up. He and Loy seem to be having martial problems and Loy prepares to leave but is pursued by a giant (Richard Kiel; a year after EEGAH!) and disappears. The others look for her. 

Nancy finds her headless in a chair but still moving! Of course when she brings the two men Loy isn't there. Later Joe and Scott break into a locked room and find the withered corpse of Capt. Arbuckle, another former owner. When Scott has a run-in with the giant he's saved by a circus fat lady (Ayllene Gibbons; Later Mrs. Joyboy in THE LOVED ONE) because the captain was using the the castle to house circus people. It has a weird happy ending. Much like director Maury Dexter's THE DAY MARS INVADED EARTH it uses a large estate.

No comments: