The Dunwich Horror (1970)
90 mins | Horror | 14 January 1970
Cast:
Sandra Dee, Dean Stockwell, Ed Begley [ More ]Director:
Daniel HallerWriters:
Curtis Hanson, Henry Rosenbaum, Ronald SilkoskyProducers:
James H. Nicholson, Samuel Z. ArkoffCinematographer:
Richard C. GlounerEditors:
Fred R. Feitshans Jr., Christopher HolmesProduction Designer:
F. Paul SylosProduction Company:
American International Productions
The project was announced in a 12 Sep 1968 DV item, which noted that Ray Russell would adapt the screenplay from H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, “The Dunwich Horror,” published in Weird Tales magazine in Jul 1933. The 16 Jan 1970 DV review indicated that Mendocino, CA, stood in for the town of “Dunwich.”
As stated in the 10 Dec 1969 DV, the picture was initially rated “M” (for mature audiences) by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The 16 Jan 1970 DV review listed the rating as M, but a later review in the 9 Jul 1970 NYT cited a new rating of “GP” (all ages admitted, parental guidance suggested).
Theatrical release took place on 14 Jan 1970 in Chicago, IL, at McVickers Theater, where the film grossed $30,000 in its first week, according to a 21 Jan 1970 Var brief. It opened on 21 Jan 1970 in Los Angeles, CA, and in New York City months later, on 8 Jul 1970, on a double-bill with Scream and Scream Again (1970, see entry). The 12 May 1971 Var reported a box-office gross of $478,900 for the year 1970.
The soundtrack by Les Baxter was set to be American International Records’ first album release, as stated in the 20 Jan 1970 DV.
The Dunwich Horror marked the feature film debut of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Curtis Hanson, credited as “Curtis Lee ...
More
Less
The project was announced in a 12 Sep 1968 DV item, which noted that Ray Russell would adapt the screenplay from H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, “The Dunwich Horror,” published in Weird Tales magazine in Jul 1933. The 16 Jan 1970 DV review indicated that Mendocino, CA, stood in for the town of “Dunwich.”
As stated in the 10 Dec 1969 DV, the picture was initially rated “M” (for mature audiences) by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The 16 Jan 1970 DV review listed the rating as M, but a later review in the 9 Jul 1970 NYT cited a new rating of “GP” (all ages admitted, parental guidance suggested).
Theatrical release took place on 14 Jan 1970 in Chicago, IL, at McVickers Theater, where the film grossed $30,000 in its first week, according to a 21 Jan 1970 Var brief. It opened on 21 Jan 1970 in Los Angeles, CA, and in New York City months later, on 8 Jul 1970, on a double-bill with Scream and Scream Again (1970, see entry). The 12 May 1971 Var reported a box-office gross of $478,900 for the year 1970.
The soundtrack by Les Baxter was set to be American International Records’ first album release, as stated in the 20 Jan 1970 DV.
The Dunwich Horror marked the feature film debut of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Curtis Hanson, credited as “Curtis Lee Hanson.”
More
Less
Los Angeles opening: 21 January 1970
New York opening: 8 July 1970
Nancy Walker and Elizabeth Hamilton, two students who attend Miskatonic University and work in the school library, are putting away the Necronomicon , a rare book on the occult, after a lecture on the supernatural given by visiting professor Dr. Henry Armitage. Dr. Armitage discovers Wilbur Whateley memorizing ritual passages from the Necronomicon and is at first angry, but learns that Wilbur comes from nearby Dunwich, a village having a history of evil occurrences, and that Wilbur is the great-grandson of Oliver Whateley, who was hanged by the villagers as a demon. Nancy, finding herself attracted to Wilbur, offers to drive him home when he misses his bus. Later, in the old mansion where Wilbur lives with his grandfather, Wilbur drugs Nancy and sabotages her car, thus forcing her to stay for the night. (He plans to sacrifice her in a fertility rite in the hopes of gaining for himself contact with the spiritual world.) Nancy accepts his invitation to spend the weekend there, but her absence alarms both Elizabeth and Dr. Armitage, who learn that Wilbur's mother has been living in an insane asylum since giving birth to twins--Wilbur and a boy who has never been seen. Wilbur steals the Necronomicon from the library, kills a guard, and takes Nancy to the "Devil's Hopyard," a rocky hillside, for the ritual. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Dr. Armitage arrive at the Whateley house; Elizabeth opens a locked door and is immediately devoured by an invisible creature, the Dunwich Horror (Wilbur's twin). The Horror escapes and ravages the countryside, intending to kill Wilbur. Eventually, Dr. ... + −
Nancy Walker and Elizabeth Hamilton, two students who attend Miskatonic University and work in the school library, are putting away the Necronomicon , a rare book on the occult, after a lecture on the supernatural given by visiting professor Dr. Henry Armitage. Dr. Armitage discovers Wilbur Whateley memorizing ritual passages from the Necronomicon and is at first angry, but learns that Wilbur comes from nearby Dunwich, a village having a history of evil occurrences, and that Wilbur is the great-grandson of Oliver Whateley, who was hanged by the villagers as a demon. Nancy, finding herself attracted to Wilbur, offers to drive him home when he misses his bus. Later, in the old mansion where Wilbur lives with his grandfather, Wilbur drugs Nancy and sabotages her car, thus forcing her to stay for the night. (He plans to sacrifice her in a fertility rite in the hopes of gaining for himself contact with the spiritual world.) Nancy accepts his invitation to spend the weekend there, but her absence alarms both Elizabeth and Dr. Armitage, who learn that Wilbur's mother has been living in an insane asylum since giving birth to twins--Wilbur and a boy who has never been seen. Wilbur steals the Necronomicon from the library, kills a guard, and takes Nancy to the "Devil's Hopyard," a rocky hillside, for the ritual. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Dr. Armitage arrive at the Whateley house; Elizabeth opens a locked door and is immediately devoured by an invisible creature, the Dunwich Horror (Wilbur's twin). The Horror escapes and ravages the countryside, intending to kill Wilbur. Eventually, Dr. Armitage confronts Wilbur and the monster at the Devil's Hopyard, and there Armitage utters a curse which sends both Wilbur and the Dunwich Horror up in flames. + −
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