Curse of the Crimson Altar
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Wikipedia
Featured visual 
|
Curse of the Crimson Altar is a 1968 British horror film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff and Mark Eden. The film was produced by Lewis M. Heyward for Tigon British Film Productions. The film was released as The Crimson Cult in the U.S. The story is based on the book The Dreams in Witch House by H. P. Lovecraft. The house in the film is Grim's Dyke House in Harrow Weald, Middlesex, England, the former home of William S. Gilbert.
Plot synopsis
Robert Manning (Mark Eden) goes in search of his brother who was last known to have visited the remote house of Craxted Lodge at Greymarsh. Arriving at night, a party is in progress and he is invited to stay by the niece of the owner of the house, Eve (Virginia Wetherell). But his sleep is restless and strange dreams of ritual sacrifice disturb him. Enquiring about his brother, the house owner Morley (Christopher Lee) ensures him he is not here. But Manning’s suspicions are aroused further by his nightmarish hallucinations. When Manning learns from occult expert Professor Marshe (Boris Karloff) of a witchcraft cult based around an ancestor of Morley, Lavinia Morley, the cult, headed by Morley himself, is uncovered. Craxted Lodge is burned to the ground, with Morley being consumed in the flames.
Cast
- Christopher Lee - Morley
- Boris Karloff - Professor Marshe
- Mark Eden - Robert Manning
- Barbara Steele - Lavinia Morley
- Michael Gough - Elder
- Virginia Wetherell - Eve
- Rosemarie Reede - Esther
- Derek Tansley - Judge
- Michael Warren - Chauffeur
- Denys Peek - Peter Manning
