Diary of a Madman (film)
| Diary of a Madman | |
|---|---|
Promotional movie poster for the film
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| Directed by | Reginald Le Borg |
| Produced by |
Robert E. Kent executive Edward Small (uncredited) |
| Written by | Robert E. Kent |
| Based on | stories by Guy de Maupassant including The Horla |
| Starring |
Vincent Price Nancy Kovack Lewis Martin |
| Music by | Richard LaSalle |
| Cinematography | Ellis W. Carter |
| Edited by | Grant Whytock |
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Production
company |
Robert Kent Productions/Admiral Pictures
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| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Diary of a Madman is a 1963 horror film directed by Reginald Le Borg and starring Vincent Price, Nancy Kovack, and Chris Warfield.
The screenplay, written by producer Robert Kent, is an adaptation of Guy de Maupassant's short story "Le Horla" ("The Horla"), written in 1887. Kent's rendition is notably divergent from the source material, especially in relation to the religious and moral themes of the film, which contradict not only those of the short story, but de Maupassant's as well.
Following the funeral of Simon Cordier (Vincent Price), a French magistrate and amateur sculptor, his secret diary is read out by Simon's pastor friend to a group of people gathered around the table, Simon's servants, and a police captain. The diary transpires that Simon has come into contact with a malevolent entity. The invisible yet corporeal being, called a horla is capable of limited psychokinesis and complete mind control.
Cordier first interacts with the horla when he meets a prisoner whom the horla drove to commit murder. The horla possesses the inmate and attempts to kill Cordier, who in self-defense accidentally kills the man. The magistrate inherits the prisoner's troubles as the horla turns its hauntings toward him.
As the horla begins to destroy Cordier's life, Cordier fears he is going mad and seeks help from a psychologist, who suggests he take a hobby. Cordier chooses to pick up his old interest in art, meeting a model along the way. The horla insists the model is not the charming jewel that Cordier sees, but instead a conniving gold digger, and compels Cordier to treat her as such. This sets up a conflict in Cordier, that he might not be the astute judge of character that his title indicates.
As his and others' lives are put in jeopardy, he becomes convinced of the horla's existence and decides drastic measures are needed to end the horla's evil. He lures the horla into his house at night. When his presence is felt, Simon hurls an oil lamp towards the curtains, setting the house ablaze. Simon succeeds in destroying the horla, but not without sacrificing himself as the house burns in flames.
The film concludes with the people seated round the table after reading Simon's diary. Some believe Simon was mad and that the Horla doesn't exist, others are unsure and that the Horla might have existed. The priest's opinion is that wherever evil exists, the Horla exists.
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