A Reel Retro Review: THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1971)

Reel Speak’s Retro Reviews will randomly review a classic film from the TCM library every week, with the intention of introducing some overlooked and perhaps forgotten screen gems from the past to those of us who may be unfamiliar or unawares of their existence. 

 

As we wrap up STAR WARS Month, we look back at some films featuring its many stars. In 40-plus years of STAR WARS movies, we have been treated to some of the most ruthless and iconic villains in cinema. One that is often overlooked is the man that held Darth Vader’s leash; Grand Moff Tarkin as played by Peter Cushing. But even before Cushing started destroying planets, he was an icon in the horror genre, with one of his films being the 1971 horror anthology THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD. 

 

After renting an old country house, horror film star Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee), vanishes. Scotland Yard Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) is called in to investigate, and is told some of the house’s history through four separate tales; including the film star, a struggling writer and his wife (Denholm Elliot, Joanna Dunham), a retired stockbroker and his best friend (Peter Cushing, Joss Ackland), and a widowed man and his daughter (Christopher Lee, Chloe Franks). 

 

Directed by Peter Duffell, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is composed of four short stories, almost feeling like four separate short-films, connected by the house and the inspector trying to solve the murder of the missing film star. As he digs deeper into the recent history of the house, he finds, through the four stories, that all four previous tenants had come to bad ends. As a policeman, Holloway is focused on the facts, while everyone else seems convinced that the house has an evil to it. 

 

With a creepy atmosphere and some excellent performances from the entire cast, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is perfect viewing during the Halloween season, as it is packed with the familiar spooky things; vampires, witches, escaped lunatics, a large empty house and even a creepy wax museum of horror. The buildup of tension and scares is perfectly done, and each of the four tales comes with a twist or two. 

 

The final minutes don’t do the greatest job in tying the four stories together, and instead focuses only on the final tale. It’s a little unsatisfying, and the final shot is a character looking at the camera and telling the audience exactly how the house works. It feels lazy and unnecessary, but doesn’t ruin the experience as everything else is strong enough, and spooky enough to overcome it. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

 

Reel Facts: Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, who would also appear as a villain in two STAR WARS films, would appear in a total of 22 films together. Peter Duffell’s career would run over 60 years as a writer and director, winning the BAFTA for Best Director in 1980 for CAUGHT ON A TRAIN. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 95.