CITY OF THE DEAD
UK, 1960, 76 minutes, Black and white.
Christopher Lee, Betta St John, Venetia Stevenson, Valentine Dyall, Patricia Jessel, Dennis Lotis.
Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey.
City of the Dead is the first feature film by John Llewellyn Moxey who made a number of horror films as well as television series in the United Kingdom before leaving for the United States in the late 1960s. For twenty years he directed a great number of television movies as well as a number of series, finishing with many episodes of Murder She Wrote.
This film is set in the United States, with the English cast sporting American accents, especially Christopher Lee. A prologue is set in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, with the burning of a witch. Lee is a university lecturer and persuades one of his students to research in his home town. However, the inhabitants of the town are over three hundred years old, surviving on the blood of victims of their satanic rites.
Betta St John, who appeared in the original stage version of South Pacific on Broadway and in London, and had a short film career in the 1950s including The Robe, is the new librarian of the town who joins with the brother of a victim to unmask what is going on.
This is very early Christopher Lee. He had appeared already as Dracula and was to carve out a long career portraying sinister characters.
1.An interesting horror film? 1950s and 60s style? Witchcraft, Massachusetts, satanic rites?
2.The black and white photography, the atmosphere of the town? The sinister buildings, interiors, dungeons? Mood and score?
3.The title, the prologue, the accusations against Elizabeth Selwyn, her being burnt at the stake? Her fiance being cowardly? The irony of finding out that Elizabeth Selwyn survived as Mrs Newless? Running the hotel? The symbolic name of The Raven?
4.Nan Barlow, the tutorial with Professor Driscoll, her boyfriend and his behaviour? Her research, her decision to go to the town? The support of the professor? Her drive, at the gas station and the warning against going, picking up Jethrow Keane? His disappearance? Moving into the hotel, Mrs Newless? Her going around the town, the people staring at her, the Reverend Russell and his warnings at the church? Her meeting Patricia Russell, their talk, borrowing the book? Her searching in the dungeons? Her being taken, a victim of the satanic rites?
5.Richard, his concern about his sister? Bill Maitland? Their discussions with Professor Driscoll? Meeting Patricia? Their going to the town? Mrs Newless? The plausible explanations of what happened? Their search? The Reverend Russell and his warnings? Patricia and her help? The symbolic days, Candlemas, the Witches' Sabbath? The taking of Patricia? Professor Driscoll and his arrival? The rituals, Richard and his attempt to save Patricia? Bill and his injuries? The shadow of the cross, Bill and his wounds, getting the cross, the people burning up? The final confrontation, Professor Driscoll and Mrs Newless?
6.The belief in satanic worship? Witchcraft? In reality or the material of horror films?
