Madhouse (1974 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Madhouse is a 1974 British horror film directed by Jim Clark for Amicus Productions. It stars Vincent Price, Natasha Pyne, Peter Cushing, Robert Quarry, Adrienne Corri and Linda Hayden.

Based on a novel called Devilday (1969) by Angus Hall, the film is the last horror movie that Price made for American International Pictures, where he had worked consistently (mostly on Poe adaptaitons) since 1960. Co-star Robert Quarry was being groomed to replace Price, but low-budget horror films fell out of fashion after the release of THE EXORCIST.

Price plays Paul Toombs, a horror actor whose trademark role is "Dr. Death." Years after a scandal ends his film career (his fiance is murdered and Toombes ends up in an asylum, suspected but never convicted of the crime), Toombs revives his character for a television series. Cast and crew begin to die in ways that suggest scenes from Toombs' films, which are represented here by clips of Price's AIP efforts.