BLOG ENTRY # 20 ----Supernatural Theater celebrates two great ladies of Euro films ----
BARBARA STEELE and ROSSANA PODESTA.
BARBARA STEELE and ROSSANA PODESTA.
Two beautiful women that starred in these 2 classics of Italian horror cinema ----
Both directed by ANTHONY DAWSON (Antonio Margheriti).
I bit my nails off as a kid watching these on Channel 9 & 11 (Chiller Theatre) from New York
Vamped by the ladies’ beauty, and spooked by the directorial talent of Dawson 
Up first ---- Your blood will be our life!!!!
Up first ---- Your blood will be our life!!!!
DANSE MACABRE
Starring BARBARA STEELE, Georges Riviere
With Margrete Robsahm, Umberto Raho, Giovanni Cianfriglia, Sylvia Sorrente,
and Arturo Dominici as Carmus
With Margrete Robsahm, Umberto Raho, Giovanni Cianfriglia, Sylvia Sorrente,
and Arturo Dominici as Carmus
Directed by Anthony Dawson (Antonio Margheriti)
Title card for the US television version.
They never open spooky movies at noontim e
on a sunny day.
Struggling writer Alan Foster (Georges Riviere) meets up with a wealthy Lord Thomas Blackwood (Umberto Raho) in
a pub.
Blackwood has an eloquent friend with him describing dark and macabre
tales of death, and the unknown. He is the infamous, Edgar Allan Poe (Silvano Tranquilli). One weird guy.
Foster was planning on having a brief interview with him.
After a discussion about life after death, Blackwood makes a wager with
Foster.
Would he be able to stay in his closed up castle overnight, and leave
at dawn?
Others have taken the bet on this night, every year, and lost the
wager. Ghosts?
Foster thinks it would make an interesting story to write.
He’ll call the story – The Castle
of Terror
Poe, Blackwood, and Foster ride by coach to the castle.
Foster should have had a lot of scotch before leaving the pub.
Because we just know, he's in for it.
Because we just know, he's in for it.
They say they will come back in the morning to see who wins.
Foster goes through the castle gates and enters the dark, heavily cob
webbed castle.
He searches the many rooms by candlelight. A lot of dust, but nothing.
He sees a beautiful painting, a portrait of a sexy blonde woman. It
begins to shimmer. Then he hears music playing, slamming doors, and briefly views
people dancing.
His imagination? No, just a good
beginning for a helluva creepy flick.
He turns and meets Elizabeth (Barbara Steele). Wow! A spooky hottie. This lovely
woman says she is the sister to Blackwood. She says that her brother, brings people to the castle on this particular night every year for the wager.
She’ll help him to win.
But they meet pretty, but evil Julia (Margrete Robsahm) her love rival.
She is the blonde in the painting.
She is the blonde in the painting.
After the passions, Alan has his head laying on Elizabeth
No heartbeat. He’s startled to say the least. She looks at him and
speaks.
He’s relieved, but not for long.
She’s dead!
Liz has plenty of sex drive, but no heartbeat.
I just love that strange scene.
Every year the dead come back to life. Just for one night.
They must get fresh blood for their spirits to return the following
year.
They get the blood of the people that come for the Blackwood overnight wager.
Then those dead greedy dummies, come back thirsty too.
They relive the final minutes just before their death, actually
murders.
No heart attacks or natural deaths in this film.
Alan then relives the death scenes of the previous victim s. ---- It's really Creepy & Eerie !!!
Hey remember, the Creepy & Eerie magazines from the 1960’s ???
Anyhow, a young newlywed couple get murdered just before lovemaking.
The blonde Julia gets killed after lovemaking with Elizabeth
A big muscular hunk of a killer, that does the killings, gets killed
too.
Alan tries to escape through the castle. Those ghosts want him bad.
Alan tries to escape through the castle. Those ghosts want him bad.
Are you with me so far?
Alan meets a long missing scientist named Carmus (Arturo Dominici), an expert in metaphysics, that has now
proved life after death. He shows Alan all the death scenes played out again.
It must be really weird to figure out you're a bloodthirsty ghost. Now it’s Alan’s turn.
It must be really weird to figure out you're a bloodthirsty ghost. Now it’s Alan’s turn.
He must die too. Blood transfusions needed fast. Must be done by daylight.
Elizabeth and Alan are in love each other. How did love blossom through all of
this?
Well hot sexy Liz helps Alan escape all the ghosts including her, that are after his blood.
Does he make it??
Or........
Or........
Will he and Elizabeth be together forever having passionate sex with no heartbeats for only
one day a year??
Hey, that sounds like some married people I know!!! lol!
one day a year??
Hey, that sounds like some married people I know!!! lol!
My Rating ----- A Minus! (Minus a few ghosts)
This is another favorite of mine since I was a kid. Everybody’s Saturday night favorite on NYC’s Chiller Theater back in the day. The english language dubbing is just fair, but who cares.
In the sixties, there were so many dubbed Euro films, they must have recorded like one a day.
In the sixties, there were so many dubbed Euro films, they must have recorded like one a day.
castle atmosphere for 10 films. If you want to see one of the top Italian horrors, this is it.
It grabs you right from the beginning, right to the final swing of the iron castle gate!
Ooops ---- Spoiler alert!
Let's just say Foster won't have an iron deficiency in his blood.
British born Barbara Steele has been a queen of horror since her 1960 Mario Bava
film,
Black Sunday from Italy. Barbara still has
legions of loyal fans all over the planet.
And I am one of them.
She combined a rare mix of smoldering sexy, innocence, and old
fashioned spooky. Wow.
Her eyes just bounce off the screen right into you.
Her eyes just bounce off the screen right into you.
She worked well with the horror genre, having a solid, very admirable
career.
Barbara, if you are reading this, please drop me a line.
You have a great lifelong fan in me.
Antonio Margheriti remade this film six years later, as Web of the Spider.
It starred Tony Franciosa (of US TV fame) as Foster, and a great weirdo performance
by Klaus Kinski as Poe. This version in color too.
Very few times the same director actually remakes his own film.
Alfred Vohrer from Germany, also comes to mind with his Edgar Wallace krimi
Dead Eyes of London, then he remade as The Gorilla Gang a few years later.
Antonio Margheriti remade this film six years later, as Web of the Spider.
It starred Tony Franciosa (of US TV fame) as Foster, and a great weirdo performance
by Klaus Kinski as Poe. This version in color too.
Very few times the same director actually remakes his own film.
Alfred Vohrer from Germany, also comes to mind with his Edgar Wallace krimi
Dead Eyes of London, then he remade as The Gorilla Gang a few years later.
Had a 16mm film print of this back in the 70’s. Actually an old TV
print with the commercial cue marks (signaling the start of commercials on
another projector), lots of lines (thin scratches on the film looking like
vertical lines), and tons of splices (the joining broken or edited film together with film
cement ---glue). Had some great Halloween parties showing the film and having everybody in costumes. Good memories.
Two key scenes were butchered at the tim e
of 1960’s US television viewings.
Too hot & spicy for the tame tim e were
the newlywed stripping scene with Sylvia Sorrente,
and the Steele/Robsahm female love scene. Chop. Chop.
and the Steele/Robsahm female love scene. Chop. Chop.
Obviously very tame compared to any R rated stuff today.
This Black and White film's TV showings were eliminated by the mid seventies, because
TV stations wanted color films to show for the mega popular full color TV sets.
This 26 inch wooden console Sylvania set was the first full color TV in my family from 1966.
Remember which was yours??
This Black and White film's TV showings were eliminated by the mid seventies, because
TV stations wanted color films to show for the mega popular full color TV sets.
This 26 inch wooden console Sylvania set was the first full color TV in my family from 1966.
Remember which was yours??
Castle of Blood is on cheap DVD all over planet Earth.
It has not been released on Venus or Mars yet. They only get it on satellite. lol.
Plus it has been recently restored from a beautiful European negative.
Not from an old beat up TV print like I had years ago.
Some things do get better with age.
Varied shots of the alluring, one of a kind, Barbara Steele.
Pin Ups of Sylvia Sorrente.
Supernatural Theater's next film ----
A beautiful newlywed goes to her husband’s terror ridden castle after their honeymoon.
What would you do if this happened to you???
HORROR CASTLE
Where the blood flows!
THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG
(Now there is a hell of a title)
CASTLE OF TERROR
(Not to be confused with Anthony Dawson's other film)
CASTLE OF TERROR
(Not to be confused with Anthony Dawson's other film)
Starring ROSSANA PODESTA, Georges Riviere (again),
and with Christopher Lee.
Directed by Antonio Margheriti aka. ANTHONY DAWSON
Music by Riz Ortolani (Won an Oscar for “More” from Mondo Cane)
Produced by Marco Vicario (of 7 Golden Men fame)
Beautiful Rossana Podesta plays newlywed Mary Hunter, who wakes up in
her bed to frightening screams and moaning coming from somewhere in her
husband’s huge and scary castle on the Reine in Germany. It’s late at night, without husband Max
Hunter around (Georges Riviere).
Now we in today’s world would ring 911, bolt the door, and wait for the
cops to arrive. But we are in an Italian horror flick of the early 1960’s, so Mary walks around the castle in a white flimsy sexy night gown armed with only a
candle stick looking for the origin of the
hideous moans.
hideous moans.
Is it her maid?
Is the maid moaning during sex? ---- Nahhh.
Mary finally finds a museum chock full of antique torture instruments.
All clean and well cared for too.
Is her maid into kinky sex? ---- Nahhh.
One last, low volume moan, over by a large mummy like, sarcophagus kinda
thing.
We see some blood coming out into a small drip container.
Definitely not a good sign. Most of us would have high tailed it out of
there by now.
Yes, she has to look.
Yes, she has to look.
But Rossana Podesta has what it takes to be an Italian horror film star!
Or else, she is very, very dumb.
She opens the door, slowly of course, and we see many sharp knives.
Then we see the victim , a
pretty woman with her eyes gauged out.
Mary passes out, and the door closes.
The credits roll! Nifty jazz
music blares. This is one rousing opening sequence!
In the morning, we find Max comforting his wife in bed, with a doctor
present.
They make Mary think she just had a nightmare. Yeah, sure.
Is she pregnant, he asks. No says the doctor.
She’s just tired after the long trip to the castle.
But a maid is missing though.
When she is just beginning to feel better, the biddy old housekeeper tells
her ---
It’s the Punisher!
He roams the neighborhood, and he kills the young women, she warns.
It’s the Punisher!
He roams the neighborhood, and he kills the young women, she warns.
Mary sees her husband nervous and deeply upset by something.
And it’s not the tax bill for his huge castle.
Mary gets plenty scared after meeting Erich. He has a large scar on his face.
A old wound from World War II. He served as Max's father's servant.
Erich tends to keeping the castle’s museum up to par. You just have to keep those torture instruments nice and clean. Max’s father was a General in the German army.
Is he still alive?
Grisly torture murders of young women around the castle continue.
The Punisher is apparently alive and well.
Max keeps leaving his poor beautiful wife to be alone is this big bad castle.
That night the Punisher attempts to pay her a visit.
The finale is one of the most original in the horror genre in my opinion.
The true life torture horrors of the Nazi’s, of revenge at the end of WWII, and
how the horrors of WWII Nazi's carries on through the years. Even has a tie in with assassination
attempts on Hitler like Valkyrie.
It all comes together before a burn ‘em out ending with the two newlyweds.
attempts on Hitler like Valkyrie.
It all comes together before a burn ‘em out ending with the two newlyweds.
My Rating ---- A Minus (We should subtract war from our existence).
The photography and lighting are first rate. The use of the castle stood out so well.
One slight fault was the appearance in the background of a palm tree here of there.
Obvious a castle near the Mediterranean. Not in Germany. Let it slide.
I love Riz Ortolani’s score. Some people think it’s too jazzy, but it suited this sixties film
really well. Incidental music helped keep the movie creepy.
really well. Incidental music helped keep the movie creepy.
As a side note --- Friends have asked me, why did European directors change their names back in the 60’s? Sergio Leone was Rob Robertson. Here Margheriti was Dawson
Releasing companies thought (stupidly) that America
Luckily people couldn't care less, so Euro films gained huge popularity through the years.
And have large cult followings even now, and are heavily repeated on TV.
And we love it.
And we love it.
This has been made available on DVD from the original negative lately.
Beautifully mastered with great color.
This was a film hacked apart on TV showings from the sixties to seventies.
The opening sequence, the rat torture scene, and part of the finale were snipped from the 16mm TV film prints. I had 2 versions of this on film years ago, one chopped,
and one all together.
Had the good one for almost 30 years.
It still holds up as a very original Gothic horror.
Enough scares, great visuals, especially Rossana.
2 Horror Hits! ---- Now that's a great "Double Feature!
and one all together.
Had the good one for almost 30 years.
It still holds up as a very original Gothic horror.
Enough scares, great visuals, especially Rossana.
2 Horror Hits! ---- Now that's a great "Double Feature!
Also have to mention --- Christopher Lee. He has played not only leading roles like Dracula, Fu Manchu, Man With the Golden Gun, etc., but also played many strong supporting roles too.
This character of Erich was really a small role for his talent, but he played it really well.
The beautiful Rossana Podesta below.
First in a body stocking from the heist film, Seven Golden Men (this was Rated G too).
First in a body stocking from the heist film, Seven Golden Men (this was Rated G too).
Podesta beautifully graced the Italian version of Playboy also.
Rossana passed away in 2013, at 79 years old in Rome.
She has left a great screen legacy for her fans.
Rossana passed away in 2013, at 79 years old in Rome.
She has left a great screen legacy for her fans.
Various pin-ups below.
These two Italian horrors from this
They were excellent films, that still play well today.
Both Barbara Steele, and Rossana Podesta showed talent along with their beauty.
Anthony Dawson/Antonio Margheriti’s direction on both of these films was first rate.
Low budget films that packed plot, chills, and strong visuals.
He made many striking films that you should check out or see again and again.
Some of my favorites ---- the creepy Long Hair of Death (also with Steele), Eurospy film
Lightning Bolt (written in one of my blogs), and he also made a few Outer Space sci-fi films including Wild Wild Planet, and Battle of the Worlds.
The Virgin of Nuremberg title was the weird name of the sarcophagus like torture device
featured in the film.
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YOU CAN READ MY OTHER BLOG ENTRIES IN THE ARCHIVE (to the right).
REMEMBER, TO KEEP AN "EYE" OUT ---- THERE'S MORE
TRIVIAL TRIVIA TO COME.
Eurospy favorites and More Edgar Wallace Krimi's !
My Blog Entries on the Edgar Wallace mysteries have been very popular.
So I will writing about a few more of my favorites.
The 3 movies below scared me out of wits when I was a kid of 9.
I have to write about these. The Birds still gives me the chills, but the other 2 have
become Golden Turkeys!
SEE YOU NEXT TIME !