THE SHRINE OF LORNA LOVE (DEATH AT LOVE HOUSE)

US, 1976, 74 minutes, Colour.
Robert Wagner, Kate Jackson, Sylvia Sidney, Marianna Hill, Dorothy Lamour, Joan Blondell, John Carradine.
Directed by E.W. Swackhamer.

A telemovie taking advantage of the 70s interest in Hollywood and the thirties and the giamour of past stars. It also has dashes of the occult. However, the film's running time is brief and there is a rather sketchy presentation of these themes. The film is of interest in its re-creation of the shrine for the thirties' sex symbol. It is also interesting in its overtones of the occult and features interesting cameos from Dorothy Lamour, Joan Blondell and John Carradine. Robert Wagner and Kate Jackson are an attractive lead couple. Interesting - but it might have been much better.

1. Audience interest in Hollywood in the thirties, the stories, the glamour, the, myths? The seventies' interest in the occult? How well did this film combine these themes?

2. The brief running time of the telemovic - suggesting of themes, creation of atmosphere, the mystery, sustaining audience interest, the resolution? with the commercial breaks and the home viewing? How difficult to sustain suspense and atmosphere for television viewing?

3. The contribution of the set especially Lorna Love's house, her gardens, the shrine? Decor? affluence, bizarre? The importance of the flashbacks and the immersing the audience in Joel Gregory's memories, imagination, Lorna Love's world? The irony of the opening and close with the tourist bus and the painting going to the museum? Audience identification with the tourists going into this unusual world? and glad to escape at the end?

4. Joel and Donna as an ordinary contemporary couple, their arriving on the tourist bus. their fascination with the house, their job? Joel's interest in getting to understand his father? Oscar and his explanations and commercial interests, Mrs Joseph and her administration of the house and ambiguous attitudes? Hostility towards Donna, attraction towards Joel? The continual focus on the portrait of Lorna and its seeming to have a soul compared with the reality? The puzzle about her personality? The house and the rooms an revealing her character? The threat of the house and the ominous tones of to shrine? Marissa and her running through the garden? The background of father/eternal-fire and witchcraft emblems?

5. The ordinariness of the couple? Donna and her pregnancy, reaction to the storms, to Carol's visit and his death? Donna and the cutting of the photo, the threat in the shower, the clash at Marissa's house, the arguments with Joel and her leaving? Oscar's advice to go and drag him away? Her intrepid behaviour in doing this?

6. Joel and his continued fascination with the picture, the interview with Denise, with Carol, with Marissa? The hallucinations and memories of his dancing with Lorna, the key of her bedroom being left, his imagination of Mexico and the outing, his lying on her bed, her final appearing? His fascination with the shrine? The rescue of Donna and then the clashes? The taking over of his personality by his father's memory?

7. Carol and his visit and his quick indicating of his hostility towards Lorna and revealing something of her character, the ugliness of his death? Denies and her commercial and the story of rivalry, her knowing Joells father, Lorna's destructiveness? Marissa and the fan club and the ambiguity of attitudes especially towards the witchcraft emblems?

8. Lorna herself, the portrait, her being embalmed, her films? Her presence in the flashbacks, her speaking from the screen? Her hold over Joel, the dancing, the flashback in Mexico and her capriciousness? Her possessing Joel and her appearing on the bed? and the ugliness of the truth about her burning? The talk about her, her reputation and Hollywood behaviour? A sinister personality?

9. The character of Mrs Josephs, housekeeper, kind towards Joel, antagonistic towards Donna, rescuing her? The finale and the truth?

10. Joel's allowing himself to be taken over, his fighting it, the burning of Lorna? The witchcraft and its being a red herring for the audience? The failure of the witchcraft?

11. The symbolic ending with Lorna burning and not gaining eternity, the van and leaving with her picture?

12. Films like this satisfying audience curiosity? The values that such films presuppose about good and evil, right and wrong, celebrities?