| The Sadist | |
|---|---|
Promotional movie poster for the film |
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| Directed by | James Landis |
| Produced by | L. Steven Snyder |
| Written by | James Landis |
| Starring | Arch Hall, Jr. Richard Alden Marilyn Manning Don Russell Helen Hovey |
| Music by | Paul Sawtell (uncredited) Bert Shefter (uncredited) |
| Cinematography | William Zsigmond |
| Editing by | Anthony M. Lanza |
| Distributed by | Fairway International Pictures (United States) Prima Film (Canada, 1971) |
| Release date(s) | April 1963 (United States) |
| Running time | 95 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
The Sadist (also known as Profile of Terror and Sweet Baby Charlie) is a 1963 black-and-white exploitation film written and directed by James Landis, and stars Arch Hall, Jr. The film was distributed by Fairway International Pictures of the United States and Prima Film of Canada.[1]
The film is loosely based on the killings of Charles Starkweather, upon which the films Badlands and Natural Born Killers were also based. It was shot by famed cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond over a period of 2 weeks for $33,000 with a cast of five, one of which doubled as the production's production manager. [2]
The film is a favorite of director Joe Dante who owns the 35mm print that's been the source for many of the DVD releases of this film. [3]
Contents |
Three high school teachers, Ed, Doris, and Carl, are driving through rural Southern California on their way to a Dodgers game in Los Angeles. The group’s Chevrolet Belair has some trouble and they are forced to pull off to a gas station/junkyard on the side of the road. After examining the vehicle Ed concludes that the fuel pump will need to be replaced. Doris and Carl search the junkyard looking for the owner, but they cannot find him. In the residence Carl finds a warm meal with a table set for four, but oddly enough nobody is in the house. The three realize this is very peculiar and start to seriously worry about their situation. At this point Charlie Tibbs, a rather large man wielding a Colt .45, and his girlfriend Judy show up. Charlie and Judy have spent the past several days heading west from Arizona, leaving a trail of corpses behind them. Law enforcement is on the hunt for them, but Charlie has managed to stay a step ahead by changing vehicles frequently and then killing the people who offer their help. Charlie demands that Ed finish repairing the car and informs him that he and Judy will be stealing the Belair and taking off when Ed is done. Charlie threatens that if the three don’t cooperate “it’ll be the end of them.” During the next several hours Charlie and his girlfriend torment Ed, Doris, and Carl.
Charles A. Tibbs the villain in the film, is portrayed by Arch Hall, Jr..
Judy Bradshaw, Charlie’s girlfriend in the film, is played by Marilyn Manning. Judy plays a rather small role in the film, having nearly no dialogue.
Ed Stiles (Richard Alden) is a young school teacher who is held captive by Tibbs. Stiles attempts to protect his companions from Tibbs and his homicidal tendencies
Doris Page (Helen Hovey) is young and beautiful, but also very prim and proper.
Carl Oliver (Don Russel) is a soft-spoken, middle-aged family man who is horrified at the set of circumstances he finds himself in, and is ultimately unable to deal with the pressure.
Actor Richard Alden recalled that in order to save money the ammunition used in the film was real.[4]
In 2007,[5] Apprehensive Films released The Sadist onto DVD.[6]