Madhouse (1974) – Film Review

Director: Jim Clark
Cast: Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Robert Quarry
Certificate: 18

By Sarah Morgan

Vincent Price and Peter Cushing – together on screen at last…

By 1974, the veteran thespians were horror icons and firm friends, but despite both appearing in Dr Phibes Rises Again and Scream and Scream Again, had never shared scenes together. That all changed with Madhouse, the 24th film from Amicus, one of Hammer Films’ main rivals during the 1960s and 1970s.

It’s supposedly based on Angus Hall’s novel Devilday, although the book and the film have very little in common – for a start, Price’s character, fading film star Paul Toombes, is a repulsive villain on the page, but on screen is a far more sympathetic character. In fact, it’s rather pleasant to see Price show his vulnerable side, and one wonders if this is actually as close as he ever got to playing himself.

“Slayings”

Toombes’ career went into freefall following the grisly murder of his fiancee Ellen at a New Year’s Eve party some years previously. After undergoing therapy, he’s now tentatively returning to the part that made his name, that of horror villain Dr Death. His friend, actor-turned-writer Herbert Flay (Cushing) has persuaded him to accept a contract from sleazy producer Oliver Quayle (Robert Quarry, who had also appeared in the aforementioned Dr Phibes sequel), but almost as soon as his boat docks in the UK, murder seems to follow him around.

Has Paul failed to recover from his breakdown and is carrying out the slayings himself, or is someone trying to frame him for them while simultaneously driving him out of his mind?

Cushing is his usual consummate self as Flay. The scenes between him and Price are a delight, and although he looks frail throughout, he throws himself around at times, displaying the athleticism of a much younger man.

Others to look out for include Adrienne Corri as Flay’s improbably named, arachnid-loving wife Fay, who once held a torch for Paul and, believe it or not, Michael Parkinson playing, well, Michael Parkinson during a chat show sequence in which Paul is a guest.

“Disturbing”

In his autobiography, Parky described Madhouse as “…a horror film starring Vincent Price, which involved him setting fire to himself in a TV studio as I interviewed him. Don’t ask me why because I never did work it out,” although he did admit that “Vincent was a joy to work with.”

It’s probably stretching it to suggest that Madhouse is a joy to view, but it’s extremely watchable, with fine direction from Jim Clark, who is better remembered as an editor on such acclaimed movies as Marathon Man, The Killing Fields and The Mission.

The grand finale is oddly disturbing too, and although the once popular trend of gothic chillers was dying out by the time this one hit cinemas, it’s now well worth reassessing.

Special features include a video essay by horror and gothic scholar Mary Going, and there’s a booklet to enjoy too.

Sarah Morgan( Writer )

Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

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