The Cabinet of Caligari

Last updated

The Cabinet of Caligari
Cabinetofcaligari1962.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRoger Kay
Written by Robert Bloch
Produced byRoger Kay
Starring
Cinematography John L. Russell
Edited by Archie Marshek
Music by Gerald Fried
Distributed by
Release date
May 25, 1962
Running time
105 min.
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1 million [1]

The Cabinet of Caligari is a 1962 American horror film by Roger Kay, starring Glynis Johns, Dan O'Herlihy, and Richard Davalos, and released by 20th Century Fox.

Contents

Although the film's title is very similar to the German silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), it shares very few similarities except for the main plot twist. The film's script was written by Robert Bloch, author of the novel Psycho . The cinematographer for The Cabinet of Caligari was John L. Russell, who also worked on Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho (1960).

Plot

Motorist Jane Lindstrom (Glynis Johns) has a tire blowout and seeks assistance at an estate owned by Caligari (Dan O'Herlihy), a very polite man with a Swedish accent. After spending the night there, she finds that Caligari will not let her leave; he proceeds to ask some personal questions and shows her pictures that offend her.

Prevented by guards from leaving and unable to use the telephone, Jane seeks allies among the other guests. She finds only three possible candidates: the older Paul, the younger Mark (Dick Davalos), for whom she has romantic desires, and a lively elderly woman named Ruth (Estelle Winwood). After seeing Ruth tortured, Jane goes to Paul who convinces her to confront Caligari. Jane does so and tries to seduce him, as she suspects he has been spying on her in the bath. After her attempts fail, Caligari reveals that he and Paul are one and the same person, Jane runs down a corridor of wildly shifting imagery that acts as a transition.

Finally, it is revealed that Jane is a mental patient and everything the audience has seen up to this point has been her distortion of the institute she was in: the personal questions were psychoanalysis, the pictures were Rorschach blots, Ruth's torture was shock treatment, and even Caligari's coat of arms was a distorted version of the medical caduceus symbol. Cured, Jane is taken from the asylum by Mark, now revealed to be her son.

Cast

Production

Sam Goldwyn bought the remake rights in 1921. [1] He assigned the project to French-born Roger Kay, who had directed Grand Guignol theatre in Paris and New York. He also had degrees in psychology. [2] The director Roger Kay persuaded Robert Bloch "to drop the Dr from the original title but do a story with enough similarity to be recognizable as an homage." [3] At one stage, the film was just known as Caligari. [4] The story of the way director Roger Kay tried to rob Bloch of the writing credit for the film and how Bloch won is told in Bloch's autobiography. [5]

Robert Lippert's movies around this time normally cost $500,000, but Lippert allowed extra funds for this movie. It was shot over 25 days. [1] Harry Spalding, who worked for Lippert, later recalled that everyone in their organization thought making the film was a bad idea except for Lippert. He says the director hired Robert Bloch to write the script, but they had a falling out and the director wrote the script himself. [6] Bloch's signing was announced in July 1961. [7] Glynis Johns was signed in November. [8] Maury Dexter, head of Lippert's company, says Lippert told him "to give Roger [Kay] a wide berth because he expected great things from him." [9]

Kay used a colour chart when making the film. He went through the script and allocated a colour representing the emotion the audience was to feel. [1] " The new Caligari is completely modern", said Kay during filming. "I don't want to sound presumptuous but I am trying to get the Pirandello approach that says nothing is what it appears to be. The thesis behind the damsel in distress, behind the little thrills and shocks is, What is reality?" [1] "This picture is going to cause a lot of talk", said Lippert. [1] Dexter says once he read the script and saw how different the film would be from the original, he advised Lippert to fire Kay, but Lippert backed the director. He also says Kay yelled at Glynis Johns during filming and Johns ran off the set; Lippert forced Kay to apologize so filming could continue. [9]

Reception

According to Dexter, the film was a critical and financial failure. [9]

In 1963, Kay said he "disowns" the film, blaming Fox for turning it into a "lurid, sex charged picture" and claiming the version released was "considerably different" from his version. He said a copy of his original cut was with the Museum of Modern Art. [10]

Lippert wanted to reunite O'Herlihy and Johns in an adaptation of Trilby , [11] but no film resulted.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari</i> 1920 film by Robert Wiene

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 1920 German silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. Considered the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema, it tells the story of an insane hypnotist who uses a brainwashed somnambulist to commit murders. The film features a dark, twisted visual style, with sharp-pointed forms, oblique, curving lines, structures and landscapes that lean and twist in unusual angles, and shadows and streaks of light painted directly onto the sets.

<i>The Alligator People</i> 1959 film

The Alligator People is a 1959 American CinemaScope science-fiction horror film directed by Roy Del Ruth. It stars Beverly Garland, Bruce Bennett, and Lon Chaney Jr. This film was the penultimate feature directed by Del Ruth, and quite different from those of his days at Warner Bros.

<i>I Shot Jesse James</i> 1949 film by Samuel Fuller

I Shot Jesse James is a 1949 American Western film starring Reed Hadley as Jesse James and John Ireland as Bob Ford. Directed by Samuel Fuller in his debut behind the camera, it portrays the murder of Jesse James by Robert Ford and Robert Ford's life afterwards. The story is built around a fictional rivalry between Ford and his eventual killer Edward O’Kelley over a woman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert L. Lippert</span> American film producer

Robert Lenard Lippert was an American film producer and cinema chain owner. He was president and chief operating officer of Lippert Theatres, Affiliated Theatres and Transcontinental Theatres, all based in San Francisco, and at his height, he owned a chain of 139 movie theaters.

<i>Desire in the Dust</i> 1960 film by William F. Claxton

Desire in the Dust is a 1960 American neo noir crime film released by the Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, directed by William F. Claxton, produced by Robert L. Lippert and starring Raymond Burr, Martha Hyer and Joan Bennett. The screenplay was written by Charles Lang based on a novel by Harry Whittington.

<i>Seven Women from Hell</i> 1961 film by Robert D. Webb

Seven Women from Hell is a 1961 war drama directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Patricia Owens, Denise Darcel, Margia Dean, Yvonne Craig and Cesar Romero about women prisoners in a Japanese World War II prison camp, interned with other prisoners.

<i>The Yellow Canary</i> 1963 film by Buzz Kulik

The Yellow Canary is a 1963 American thriller film directed by Buzz Kulik and starring Pat Boone and Barbara Eden. It was adapted by Rod Serling from a novel by Whit Masterson, who also wrote the novel that was the basis for Orson Welles' Touch of Evil. The film was photographed by veteran Floyd Crosby and scored by jazz composer Kenyon Hopkins.

Freckles is a 1960 American Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. It stars Martin West and Carol Christensen. It was filmed in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color, and is the fourth of five adaptations of Gene Stratton-Porter's 1904 novel of the same name.

The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come is an American CinemaScope Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. It stars Jimmie Rodgers and Luana Patten and includes the film debut of George Kennedy.

<i>Little Big Horn</i> (film) 1951 film by Charles Marquis Warren

Little Big Horn is a 1951 American Western film written and directed by Charles Marquis Warren starring Lloyd Bridges, John Ireland and Marie Windsor.

<i>The 3rd Voice</i> 1960 film

The 3rd Voice is a 1960 American neo noir thriller crime drama film directed and written by Hubert Cornfield, who also produced the film with Maury Dexter. It is based on the novel All the Way by Charles Williams and stars Edmond O'Brien, Laraine Day, and Julie London.

<i>A Dog of Flanders</i> (1959 film) 1960 film

A Dog of Flanders is a 1960 American drama film directed by James B. Clark, with stars David Ladd, Donald Crisp and Theodore Bikel. It is based on the 1872 novel of the same name by Ouida. It was released on March 17, 1960, by 20th Century Fox in CinemaScope and Color by De Luxe.

The Big Show is a 1961 DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope drama film directed by James B. Clark, starring Esther Williams and Cliff Robertson. The cast also includes Robert Vaughn, Margia Dean, Nehemiah Persoff and David Nelson, who was best known to audiences of the time for The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet television show.

<i>The Oregon Trail</i> (1959 film) 1959 film

The Oregon Trail is a 1959 American CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color Western film directed by Gene Fowler Jr. and starring Fred MacMurray, William Bishop and Nina Shipman.

<i>The Two Little Bears</i> 1961 film

The Two Little Bears is a 1961 American comedy film directed in CinemaScope by Randall Hood, written by George W. George, and starring Eddie Albert, Jane Wyatt, Soupy Sales, Butch Patrick, Donnie Carter and Jimmy Boyd. The film was released on November 1, 1961, by 20th Century Fox.

<i>Womanhunt</i> 1962 film by Maury Dexter

Womanhunt is a 1962 American drama film directed by Maury Dexter and written by Russ Bender and Edward J. Lakso. The film stars Steven Piccaro, Lisa Lu, Berry Kroeger, Bob Okazaki, Ann Carroll, Tom Daly and Ivan Bonar. The film was released on June 3, 1962, by 20th Century Fox.

<i>Police Nurse</i> 1963 film by Maury Dexter

Police Nurse is a 1963 American drama film directed by Maury Dexter and written by Harry Spalding. The film stars Ken Scott, Merry Anders, Oscar Beregi (Jr.), Barbara Mansell, John Holland and Byron Morrow. The film was released in May 1963, by 20th Century Fox.

<i>The High Powered Rifle</i> 1960 film by Maury Dexter

The High Powered Rifle is a 1960 American action film produced and directed by Maury Dexter and written by Joseph Fritz. The film stars Willard Parker, Allison Hayes, Dan Simmons, John Holland, Shirley O'Hara and Terrea Lea. The film was released in September 1960, by 20th Century-Fox.

<i>The Long Rope</i> (1961 film) 1961 film by William Witney

The Long Rope is a 1961 American Associated Producers Inc Western film directed by William Witney and written by Robert Hamner. The film stars Hugh Marlowe, Alan Hale, Jr., Robert J. Wilke, Chris Robinson, William Kerwin and Jeff Morris. The film was released in February 1961, by 20th Century Fox.

<i>Hand of Death</i> (1962 film) 1962 film by Gene Nelson

Hand of Death is a low-budget 1962 American horror film directed by Gene Nelson, and written and produced by Eugene Ling. The film stars John Agar, Paula Raymond, Stephen Dunne and Roy Gordon. The narrative follows a scientist who develops a military nerve gas. After accidentally exposing himself to it, he not only turns into a grotesque monster, but anyone who touches him dies. The scientist goes on the run but is killed by police before a curative serum can be tried on him.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schumach, Murray (11 December 1961). "New Film Makes Horror a Science". The New York Times . p. 41. ProQuest   115309922.
  2. ↑ Scheuer, Philip K. (26 July 1961). "Old Vic Outlines Plans for Return". Los Angeles Times . p. C9. ProQuest   167928419.
  3. ↑ Bloch, Robert (1 January 1993). Once Around the Bloch: An Autobiography. p. 258. ISBN   0312853734.
  4. ↑ "Filmland Events: 'The Deadly Coward' Bought for Filming". Los Angeles Times . 10 October 1961. p. B6. ProQuest   167973654.
  5. ↑ Bloch, Robert (1 January 1993). Once Around the Bloch: An Autobiography. pp. 258–62, 264–68. ISBN   0312853734.
  6. ↑ Weaver, Tom (19 February 2003). Double Feature Creature Attack: A Monster Merger of Two More Volumes of Classic Interviews. McFarland. p. 333. ISBN   9780786482153. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2020– via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Parsons, L. (17 July 1961). "John Mills Family Besieged by Roles". The Washington Post and Washington Times-Herald . p. A21. ProQuest   141473377.
  8. ↑ "Of Local Origin". The New York Times . 23 November 1961. p. 50. ProQuest   115284670.
  9. 1 2 3 Dexter, Maury (2012). Highway to Hollywood (PDF). p. 103. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  10. ↑ Scheuer, P. K. (17 May 1963). "Busy Tony Curtis Talks 'Off the Cuff': 'Rawhide's' Fleming in Film; 'Liza' No Snap, Audrey Admits". Los Angeles Times . p. C11. ProQuest   168317180.
  11. ↑ Scheuer, Philip K. (3 June 1962). "Director Shifts from Sex to Sainthood". The Washington Post and Washington Times-Herald . p. G3. ProQuest   141681306.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.