The Tell-Tale Heart (1960 film)
| The Tell-Tale Heart | |
|---|---|
DVD cover
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| Directed by | Ernest Morris |
| Produced by |
Edward J. Danziger Harry Lee Danziger |
| Written by |
Brian Clemens Eldon Howard |
| Based on | The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe |
| Starring |
Laurence Payne Adrienne Corri Dermot Walsh |
| Music by |
Tony Crombie Bill LeSage |
| Cinematography | James Wilson |
| Edited by | Derek Parsons |
| Distributed by | Warner-Pathé Distributors |
|
Release date
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December 1960 |
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Running time
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78 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Tell-Tale Heart is a 1960 British horror film directed by Ernest Morris produced by the Danzigers. The screenplay by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard is a loose adaptation of the 1843 short story of the same title by Edgar Allan Poe.
Edgar Marsh, a shy librarian obsessed with erotica, becomes infatuated with his neighbour Betty Clare when he sees her undressing in her bedroom. He invites her to dinner, and although she clearly is uncomfortable with the attention he pays her, he showers her with jewelry and fantasizes about their future. Complications arise when he introduces her to his friend Carl Loomis, whom Betty finds far more attractive and appealing. In order to eliminate the competition, Edgar bludgeons Carl to death with a poker and buries him beneath the floorboards in his piano room. His overwhelming guilt leads him to believe a ticking metronome and the incessant dripping of a faucet actually are the sound of his victim's heart still beating.
Around this time the typical budget of the Danzigers' feature film was ₤15,000. This cost a little more due to its period setting and necessitated shooting in black and white.
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