Incense for the Damned (1971)

Tony Seymore (Alexander Davion) relates the story of how he was asked to investigate the whereabouts of Richard Fountain (Patrick Mower), an Oxford student – who happens to also be the son of the Foreign Secretary – missing in Greece.

He flies to Greece with Richard’s fiancée Penelope Goodrich (Madeleine Hinde) and school friend Bob Kirby (Johnny Sekka) where they are joined by embassy official Major Derek Longbow (Patrick Macnee, in between The Avengers series).

It turns out that Richard is a masochistic virgin – an easy victim for Chriseis (Imogen Hassall), a sadistic female vampire who has sex-and-drug orgies.

The film is padded with nudity and a long psychedelic-orgy sequence with lots of warped lead-guitar sounds and somebody singing, “Baby, don’t flash your evil eyes at me!”

Top-billed Peter Cushing actually only has a supporting role as an Oxford professor but is in one great scene where Richard, back in England, almost causes a riot by giving an anti-academic speech.

A surprisingly thin Edward Woodward has one scene as an expert who talks about how a person could achieve an orgasm having their neck sucked.

Originally released in America (as Blood Suckers) on a double bill with Blood Thirst, it’s based on the novel Doctors Wear Scarlet, by Simon Raven.

Director Robert Hartford-Davis refused to have anything further to do with the film, as he did not believe it to be finished ( the budget ran out before the film was finished). The film was credited to “Michael Burrowes”.

Major Derek Longbow
Patrick Macnee
Dr Walter Goodrich
Peter Cushing
Tony Seymore
Alexander Davion
Bob Kirby
Johnny Sekka
Penelope Goodrich
Madeleine Hinde
Dr Holstrom
Edward Woodward
Marc Honeydew
William Mervyn
Richard Fountain
Patrick Mower
Colonel
David Lodge
Chriseis
Imogen Hassall
Diplomat
John Barron
Don’s wife
Valerie Van Ost
Mayor
Theo Moreos
Monk Superior
Nick Pandelides
Police Chief
Andreas Potamitis

Director
Robert Hartford-Davis (as Michael Burrowes)