IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

“But, darling boy, they aren’t going to start killing people for writing bad notices. Are they?”
— Meredith Merridew (Robert Morley) in Theatre of Blood (1973)

Fall is here, when a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of Halloween. If you’re anything like me, as soon as a slight chill can be detected in the air and leaves begin to change color, you feel the lure of cinematic horrors. I felt that familiar pang this week, and because the passing of the magnificent Dame Diana Rigg was also still on my mind, it seemed appropriate to revisit Theatre of Blood (1973), the film that she often referred to as her best.

The plot of Theatre of Blood follows the revenge theme-murder model that worked so well for Vincent Price in 1971’s The Abominable Dr. Phibes and its 1972 follow-up Dr. Phibes Rises Again. Consequently, many horror fans consider Douglas Hickox’s 1973 horror to be a loosely connected third film in a trilogy. Certainly there are similarities to Robert Fuest’s Phibes philms, but Theatre of Blood is its own animal. It’s themes are darker, the look is grittier with a more subdued color palette, the gore is more explicit, and it occasionally comes across as a bit tawdry. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  Theatre of Blood is every bit as good as the Phibes philms. Which of the films you rank the highest will simply come down to a matter of personal taste.

Unlike the Phibes philms, which were set in an imaginary Art Deco-ornamented 1920s, Theatre of Blood was set in what was then the present day — London of the early Seventies. Prominent London theater critics are turning up dead, murdered in bizarre tableaus mimicking scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. All evidence points to Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price), a notoriously hammy Shakespearean actor who was humiliated by members of London’s Theatre Critics Guild at their awards ceremony. However, Lionheart couldn’t be the culprit, because the members of the Theatre Critics Guild saw him jump to his death on the night of that public shaming. And how does Lionheart’s daughter, Edwina (Diana Rigg), figure into the killings? As the membership of the Theatre Critics Guild begins to dwindle, Peregrine Devlin (Ian Hendry), the leader of the group, teams with Inspector Boot (Milo O’Shea) to discover the identity of the Shakespearean assassin.

The setup for Theatre of Blood — a Shakespearean actor being given the opportunity to take revenge upon his critics, utilizing methods devised by the Bard himself — is pure bliss. It’s all the more fun with Vincent Price in the central role. Price appears to be having a ball, magnificently hamming it up while portraying some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters.  However, the role of Edward Lionheart also affords Price a few quiet moments to display what a truly gifted actor he actually was. The line “Howl, howl, howl, howl!” from King Lear is nearly impossible to pull off in any natural way, and I think Price’s reading of the line is the best I’ve ever heard.

Sadly, Diana Rigg is a bit underused in the role of Edwina. Dame Diana was an actress of amazing intelligence, warmth, and wit; and she was always game for anything. Consequently, I wish, like Price, she had been given more opportunities to “play act” in multiple roles. She is wonderfully funny the one time she gets to enact a different feminine character, while serving as bait for the victim of the Merchant of Venice-themed killing.

The rest of the cast is rounded out by an unbelievable assemblage of some of the greatest British character actors of the screen, including Ian Hendry, Milo O’Shea, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, Robert Morley, Dennis Price, and Eric Sykes. While some of them don’t get a lot of screen time, due to their victim status, they all make the most of the moments they are given. Robert Morley is a particular standout.

I do think story does have a few issues. Why would a notoriously bad-reviewed actor expect to win the Critics Circle Award as Best Actor? Self delusion only goes so far. Also all of the award-related business just makes Edward Lionheart appear petty and unsympathetic. His revenge would be sweeter if he was simply an actor who had been truly wronged by his critics. Finally, I don’t find Ian Hendry very appealing as the nominal hero of the film. Still, these are nitpicks. Most of the performances and situations are tremendous fun.

Many people consider Theatre of Blood to be the ultimate Vincent Price picture, and Price himself called it his favorite. Personally, I prefer the campier, more colorful Phibes philms. Still, it is undeniable that Theatre of Blood is in the top tier of Vincent’s filmography.  It was a great start to my 2020 Halloween season.

UK/C-104m./Dir: Douglas Hickox/Wr: Anthony Greville-Bell (from an idea by Stanley Mann & John Kohn/Cast: Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, Milo O’Shea, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, Robert Morley, Dennis Price, Eric Sykes, Madeline Smith, Diana Dors, Joan Hickson, Renée Asherson

For Fans of: If you love other Vincent Price movies, especially the Phibes philms, or if you love 70s British horror in general, you should love Theatre of Blood as well.

Video: Theatre of Blood received a limited Blu-ray release in the U.S. from Twilight Time. Unfortunately, that disc is long out-of-print (although pricey copies can be acquired on Amazon or eBay). There was also a British Blu-ray release from Arrow Video, which is still in print. However, the Arrow Video release is Region B-locked, so Americans would need a region-free Blu-ray player to view it. I do have a region-free set-up, so I watched the Arrow Video Blu-ray for this review.

The Arrow Video Blu-ray was transferred from the original MGM film elements, so it looks excellent for what it is. Keep in mind that the production was on the low budget side, so Theatre of Blood has never looked or sounded spectacular (even in its theatrical release). It is likely that the Arrow Video Blu-ray represents the best the title will ever look on home video, and I have read that the video quality of the Twilight Time Blu-ray is nearly identical.

The Arrow Video disc does best the Twilight Time release in terms of special features, which include:

• Audio commentary with The League of Gentlemen, Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, and Reece Shearsmith — As a fan of this British sketch comedy group, this funny, informal commentary track was the biggest selling point for me, beyond the film itself.
• A Priceless Potboiler: Victoria Price discusses Theatre of Blood
• A Fearful Thespian: an interview with David Del Valle
• Staged Reaction: an interview with star Madeleine Smith
• A Harmony for Horror: an interview with composer Michael J. Lewis
• Original Trailer
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Smith

Streaming: If neither of the Blu-rays are easily viewable by you, Theatre of Blood can be purchased or rented in digital HD from Amazon and Vudu.  The third link below is the Amazon digital video link.

More to Explore: If you haven’t watched the Dr. Phibes films, consider them a “must see.” The Abominable Dr. Phibes is included in Scream Factory’s The Vincent Price Collection Blu-ray box set, and Dr. Phibes Rises Again is in The Vincent Price Collection II.  There are many other Vincent Price favorites included in those Blu-ray sets.  I’m a particular fan of The Raven (1963) and The Comedy of Terrors (1963).

Trivia: Price met his third wife, Coral Browne, while making the film.

For More Info: Theatre of Blood (Midnight Movie Monographs) by John Llewellyn Probert dedicates 116 pages to the 1973 film. Of course, there a plenty of books on the career of Vincent Price. A good starting place is The Price of Fear: The Film Career of Vincent Price, In His Own Words by Joel Eisner. For more info on Dame Diana, let me recommend Diana Rigg: The Biography by Kathleen Tracy.