Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974)

Director:

Theodore Gershuny

Writers:

Theodore Gershuny (writer)
Jeffrey Konvitz (screenplay)

Release Date:

April 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The mansion... the madness... the maniac... no escape.

Plot:

A man inherits a mansion, which once was a mental home. He visits the place and begins to investigate some crimes that happened in old times, scaring the people living in the region.

Plot Keywords:

Mental Hospital | Dying During Sex | Psychopath | Tragic Ending | Christmas Eve

Cast

Patrick O'Neal	...	John Carter
James Patterson	...	Jeffrey Butler
Mary Woronov	...	Diane Adams
Astrid Heeren	...	Ingrid
John Carradine	...	Charlie Towman
Walter Abel	...	Mayor Adams
Fran Stevens	...	Tess Howard
Walter Klavun	...	Sheriff Bill Mason
Philip Bruns	...	Wilfred Butler (1929) (as Phillip Bruns)
Staats Cotsworth	...	Wilfred Butler (voice)
Ondine	...	Chief Inmate
Tally Brown	...	Inmate
Lewis Love	...	Inmate
Candy Darling	...	Guest
Harvey Cohen	...	Inmate

Also Known As:

Death House
Night of the Dark Full Moon (UK)
Zora (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

88 min | Canada:64 min (dvd version) | USA:81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:18 | USA:R | Iceland:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Armor Films Inc.

Trivia:

Many of the cast of players were former "superstar" actor/personalities from Andy Warhol's "Factory" years: Star Mary Woronov (who was at one time married to director Theodore Gershuny), supporting players Ondine, Candy Darling, Kristen Steen, Tally Brown, Lewis Love, filmmaker Jack Smith, and artist Susan Rothenberg.

Quotes:

Diane Adams: How old are you?
Jeffrey Butler: You mean how many years have I lived?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in House on Haunted Hill (1999)

Mildly Suspenseful Holiday Slasher Flick...

Preceding the "psycho killer on a rampage on a holiday" era of horror films by a few years, this film manages to wring a fair amount of suspense and some well-directed murder scenes out of its miniscule budget. An eerie musical score, Andy Warhol veterans Ondine & Candy Darling in cameo roles, & the presence of Mary Woronov aid in the film's success. One complaint: It is VERY poorly produced resulting in most of the film being overly dark.