The House That Dripped Blood (1971)

Robert Bloch is best known as the author of Psycho, the novel that Alfred Hitchcock adapted in 1960 into one of his best-known movies.  Bloch, however, was a prolific writer, and I don't blame Amicus for getting ahold of some of his stories for one of their many anthologies.  

Det. Insp. Holloway (John Bennett) arrives from Scotland Yard to investigate the disappearance of a horror film actor in a small village.  The actor had been renting a home on the outskirts and, it turns out, the house has a history.  Those who have lived in it have not done so long and, many times, their lives have come to an abrupt end.  Holloway, of course, does not believe in the supernatural, despite what Police Sergeant Martin (John Malcolm) and real estate agent A. J. Stoker (John Bryans) have to say about the dwelling.  

As Holloway does his investigation we learn about the former occupants.  First, in "Method for Murder", we meet a writer (Denholm Elliott) and his wife (Joanna Dunham).  The writer begins a new novel about a strangler named Dominic (Tom Adams) who, for the writer at least, becomes a bit too real.  In "Waxworks", the home is rented by a retired stockbroker (Peter Cushing) who, while in the village, sees a wax figure that is uncannily like a woman he once loved - something his friend Neville (Joss Ackland) notices as well, putting them both in danger.  In "Sweets to the Sweet" Christopher Lee plays a father who moves in with his young daughter (Chloe Franks) and hires a governess named Ann (Nyree Dawn Porter) who soon finds out the girl is a bit too much to handle.  Finally, we get the story of the actor, Paul Henderson (John Pertwee), who gets more than he bargained for when he obtains the cloak of an actual vampire in the aptly named "The Cloak". 

This is one of the better Amicus anthologies.  Even the least impressive story, which in typical fashion comes first, is entertaining even if it is a bit too predictable.  With that out of the way, however, we get the other segments which are all quite effective, even if John Pertwee looks ridiculous in cheap vampire makeup.  The best segment is Christopher Lee's as it has a bit of an old-fashioned gothic supernatural feel without being hammy.  Pertwee's is definitely the funniest and, unbeknownst to Lee, he based Henderson on him. 

Even that segment is bright and well-lit, something that is consistent throughout.  To keep the budget down a good portion of the movie stays within the house, but it doesn't throw off a particularly spooky vibe, nor does it look like a place that would be unwelcoming.  In fact, as Stoker explains at the end, it can be a bit too welcoming to the wrong people.  The framework is not the strongest part, and it does take a bit of suspension of disbelief when it comes to the fact that so much has happened on the one property that people renting it wouldn't know ahead of time.  

This does what any good anthology of an author's work should do and gets me wanting to read more Robert Bloch.  I've never read any of his novels but am quite familiar with many of his short stories, which I have always enjoyed.  The House That Dripped Blood, despite not having any actual blood pooling, dripping, spraying or otherwise, does justice to him, and remains quite enjoyable after all these years. 

The House That Dripped Blood (1971)

Time: 102 minutes

Starring: Denholm Elliott, Joanna Dunham, Peter Cushing, Joss Ackland, Christopher Lee, Nyree Dawn Porter, John Pertwee

Director: Peter Duffell