Severed Arm, The (1973)

A group of six male friends become trapped in an old mine when a tunnel collapses while they are exploring.

Two weeks pass, and the men – now on the brink of starvation – decide to draw straws with the loser sacrificing an arm so that the group can eat.

Mere moments after Ted Rogers (Ray Dannis) has his arm severed by the others, a rescue team arrives, and the men are saved. They agree to lie about the incident and blame the amputation on the cave-in – but as Ted is lifted into an ambulance, he says, “I won’t forget!”

Fast-forward five years and bad things have started happening to the five who perpetrated the amputation. Jeff Ashton (David G. Cannon) receives a severed arm in the mail, while the other four – Ray (John Crawford); policeman Mark (Paul Carr), radio DJ ‘Mad Man Herman’ (Marvin Kaplan) and Bill (Vince Martorano)  – are attacked by a hatchet-wielding killer.

The low-budget film is poorly written, and the dialogue is extremely weak, but it’s an ingenious premise, and the final act is genuinely good suspenseful horror with some bloody kills.

Eventually, the final survivor is locked in a small room with nothing but a hunting knife. When he grows hungry enough, he will have to amputate and eat his own arm.

Former one-time “Gidget” Deborah Walley has a sympathetic supporting role.

Teddy Rogers
Deborah Walley
Sgt. Mark Richards
Paul Carr
Jeff Ashton
David G. Cannon
Mad Man Herman
Marvin Kaplan
Dr Ray Sanders
John Crawford
Bill Hale
Vince Martorano
Ted Rogers
Ray Dannis
Roger Rogers
Bob Guthrie
Ruth Sanders
Cynthia Gabrielle
Harry the Janitor
George Dunn
Construction Worker
Alan DeWitt
Secretary
Treva Frazee
Mrs Rogers
Virginia Alfonte
Postman
Sebastian Korman

Director
Tom Alderman

Video