Dark Places (1973 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dark Places
Dark Places FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed byDon Sharp
Written byEd Brennan
Joseph Van Winkle
Produced byJames Hannah Jr.
StarringChristopher Lee
Joan Collins
Herbert Lom
CinematographyErnest Steward
Edited byTeddy Darvas
Music byWilfred Josephs
Production
company
Glenbeigh Limited
Distributed byCinerama Releasing Corporation (USA)
Release date
  • 1973 (1973)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Dark Places is a 1973 British horror film directed by Don Sharp and starring Robert Hardy, Christopher Lee, Joan Collins and Herbert Lom.[1][2]

Plot[]

Dr. Mandeville (Christopher Lee) and his sister Sarah (Joan Collins) try to locate two suitcases of money hidden on the large estate of one of his former patients but their plans are thwarted when mentally unstable Edward (Robert Hardy) arrives to claim the estate which had been left to him by the owner before he died. Edward soon begins to have flashbacks to the murders committed by the previous owner Andrew (Hardy as well). As the story unfolds it sheds light on the events of 30 years or so before when Andrew had planned to leave his wife Victoria (Jean Marsh) for the younger and more attractive governess of their two children. In desperaration Victoria had encouraged the two children to murder the governess whilst she attempted to seduce Andrew in the bedroom. In a fit of rage Andrew strangled his wife and killed the children with a sword before bricking all four corpses up behind a wall with the two cases of money.

Edward eventually strangles Sarah and kills Dr. Mandeville with a pick axe before getting arrested and led away by police.

Cast[]

Production[]

Don Sharp was under contract to a studio at the time, Scotia, who loaned him out to make this film. He said "apart from one slow sequence" near the beginning, the movie "had some super stuff". Sharp said it was "a very strange production all the way through" in part because producer James Hannah was eccentric. "Nobody could figure out why he was making a movie," recalled Sharp, who said there were rumours the film was being made as a tax loss.[3]

The film was shot at an old asylum near Uxbridge.[3]

Release[]

There were delays in releasing the film. "There were rumours it had disappeared," said Sharp, who said twenty years after filming was comppleted he started receiving cheques from the film being sold to cable in Switzerland.[3]

Home media[]

The film was released for the first time on DVD by Film 2000 on 20 November 2006.[4]

Reception[]

TV Guide awarded the film 1/5 stars, calling it 'mediocre in all respects'.[5] Dave Sindelar from Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings gave the film a negative review, criticizing the film's "sluggish" pacing, repetition, and final act. Sindelar did however, commend the film's performances.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ BFI.org
  2. ^ Vagg, Stephen (27 July 2019). "Unsung Aussie Filmmakers: Don Sharp – A Top 25". Filmink.
  3. ^ a b c Sharp, Don (2 November 1993). "Don Sharp Side 6" (Interview). Interviewed by Teddy Darvas and Alan Lawson. London: History Project. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Dark Places (1974) - Don Sharp". Allmovie.com. Allmovie. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Dark Places - Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings". TV Guide.com. TV Guide Staff. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  6. ^ Sindelar, Dave. "Dark Places (1973)". Fantastic Movie Musings.com. Dave Sidnelar. Retrieved 10 July 2019.

External links[]


Stub icon

This article related to a British film of the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Stub icon

This article about a 1970s horror film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""