Theatre of Blood
| Theatre of Blood | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Douglas Hickox |
| Produced by | Gustave Berne Sam Jaffe John Kohn Stanley Mann |
| Written by |
Anthony Greville-Bell (screenplay), Stanley Mann & John Kohn (idea) |
| Starring |
Vincent Price Diana Rigg Ian Hendry |
| Music by | Michael J. Lewis |
| Cinematography | Wolfgang Suschitzky |
| Edited by | Malcolm Cooke |
| Distributed by |
United Artists (UK & USA, theatrical), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (video) |
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Release date
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Running time
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104 min |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1 million (US/ Canada rentals) |
Theatre of Blood (also known as Theater of Blood in the US) is a 1973 horror film starring Vincent Price as vengeful actor Edward Lionheart and Diana Rigg as his daughter Edwina. The cast includes such distinguished actors as Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Ian Hendry, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, Joan Hickson, Robert Morley, Milo O'Shea, Diana Dors and Dennis Price. It was directed by Douglas Hickox.
After being humiliated at an awards ceremony, Shakespearean actor Edward Lionheart commits suicide by diving into the Thames. Unbeknownst to the public, he survives and is rescued by a group of vagrants. Two years later, on March 15th, Lionheart sets out to exact vengeance against the critics who failed to salute his genius.
This film was reportedly a personal favourite of Price, as he had always wanted the chance to act in Shakespeare, but found himself being typecast due to his work in horror films. Before or after each death in the film, Lionheart recites passages of Shakespeare, giving Price a chance to deliver choice speeches such as Hamlet's famous third soliloquy ("To be, or not to be, that is the question..."); Mark Antony's self-serving eulogy for Caesar from Julius Caesar ("Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears..."); "Now is the winter of our discontent..." from the beginning of Richard III; and finally, the raving of the mad King Lear at the loss of his faithful daughter.
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Wikipedia