Madhouse (1974)

Vincent Price plays Robert Toombes – a veteran horror actor famous for his long-running film role as Dr Death – a sinister horror villain who wears a skull-like mask.

Toombes is about to marry Ellen Mason (Julie Crosthwait) but is irritated at the engagement party by a crass producer named Oliver Quayle (Robert Quarry) who reminds Toombes that Ellen used to make ‘adult’ films for him.

Ellen is upset by the reaction of Toombes to this most unwelcome reminder of her past and tearfully goes to her room – but a man dressed as Dr Death appears. When Toombes goes up to apologise to Ellen he finds she has been murdered. Decapitated no less.

Toombes spent some time in a mental institution and is not even sure himself if he killed Ellen or not.

Years later, Toombes is asked to go to England where his old friend Herbert Flay (Peter Cushing) has done a deal to make a Dr Death television series with Oliver Quayle producing. As soon as Toombes arrives, murders start occurring.

Adrienne Corri co-stars as Faye Carstairs, one of Toombes’ former leads and now seemingly the captive of Flay. Faye has gone mad after suffering injuries in a car crash and now lives in the cellar with a menagerie of spiders.

Michael Parkinson has a cameo when Toombes appears on a chat show.

The film – a team-up between Britain’s Amicus and the US’s AIP – was released in some markets as The Revenge of Dr Death.

Paul Toombes
Vincent Price
Herbert Flay
Peter Cushing
Oliver Quayle
Robert Quarry
Faye Carstairs Flay
Adrienne Corri
Julia Wilson
Natasha Pyne
TV Interviewer
Michael Parkinson
Elizabeth Peters
Linda Hayden
Gerry Blount
Barry Dennen
Alfred Peters
Ellis Dale
Louise Peters
Catherine Willmer
Inspector Harper
John Garrie
Bradshaw
Ian Thompson
Carol Clayton
Jenny Lee Wright
Ellen Mason
Julie Crosthwaite
Psychiatrist
Peter Halliday

Director
Jim Clark

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