Theatre of Death

Christopher Lee - Philippe Darvas
Lelia Goldoni - Dani Cirreaux
Julian Glover - Charles Marquis
Evelyn Laye Mme. - Angele
Jenny Till Nicole - Chapel
Ivor Dean Inspector - Michaeud

Atmospheric and tense chiller featuring a typically bravura performance from Hammer icon Christopher Lee. Samuel Gallo, whose film career proved short-lived, directed what is essentially a macabre whodunit letdown by leaden pacing.

Set in Paris, the citizens are terrified by a series of horrible murders. When the bodies of the girls discovered by the police are each found to be drained of blood, this leads some to suspect the signs are of vampiric attack. Dr. Charles Marquis (Julian Glover), a surgeon who is helping the police investigate the crimes grows increasingly suspicious of the strange Theatre du Mort playhouse where the theatrics of Grand Guignol are a speciality. On stage, some of history’s more atrocious displays of torture are re-enacted to the delight of the French patrons. Voluptuous actresses from the troupe are falling for the sinister director Phillipe Darvas (Christopher Lee), who seems to exert a strange power over them.

After being cruelly rejected by the director, Dani (Lelia Goldoni), a young actress with a history of mental instability vows revenge. All the evidence points to the sadistic Darvas, until shortly afterwards he too disappears with nobody certain if he is another victim or the elusive murderer. Dani’s roommate is the young starlet Nicole (Jenny Till), whom Darvas was attracted to and hypnotised during the premiere of his newest sketch. Dani and her fiancé Charles search for clues as to the killer’s identity and discover who the real criminal is.