If Amicus Productions was known for one thing, it was their portmanteau horror movies. Starting with Dr. Terror's House of Horrors in 1965, Amicus produced several of these films, each with framework that served primarily to tell horror stories. The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was the third of Amicus's horror anthologies. As you might be able to tell from the title, the framing story of The House That Dripped Blood (1971) involved an old country house whose inhabitants often meet mysterious fates.
To be more specific, the framing story of The House That Dripped Blood (1971) involves Detective Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) investigating the mysterious disappearance of horror movie star Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) shortly after he bought the house. As Detective Holloway continues his investigation, he is told various stories concerning the house's owners. The first concerns hack horror writer Charles Hillyer (Denholm Elliott), who is convinced he is seeing his latest creation, a murderous psychopath named Dominic (Tom Adams). The second centred on retired stockbroker Philip Grayson (Peter Cushing), who becomes obsessed with a waxwork of Salome who resembles a long lost love. The third involves widower John Reid (Christopher Lee), whose young daughter Jane (Chloe Franks) is morbidly afraid. The fourth story concerns horror actor Paul Henderson, who is starring in a vampire movie while living in the house. When he complains about the cloak being used in the movie, he buys a rather more special one from shopkeeper Theo von Hartmann (Geoffrey Bayldon).
Max Rosenberg of Amicus Productions came up with the title The House That Dripped Blood long before production began. The title was not universally popular with the filmmakers. Director Peter Duffel hated the title and has said that Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee agreed with him. Max Rosenberg's partner at Amicus, Milton Subotsky had wanted to call the movie Death and the Maiden, which arguably wasn't nearly as lurid as The House That Dripped Blood.
Like Amicus Productions' previous horror anthology movie, Torture Garden (1967), The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was based on short stories by legendary horror writer Robert Bloch. According to Max Rosenberg, he spent an entire year reading Robert Bloch short stories before he settled on the ones that would be used for The House That Dripped Blood (1971). Milton Subotsky of Amicus Productions was also a voracious reader who was always on the look out for horror stories that could be adapted for their movies. Robert Bloch adapted his own stories for The House That Dripped Blood (1971), with Russ Jones, best known as the creator of the magazine Creepy, doing some work on the "Waxworks" segment.
The House That Dripped Blood(1971) was budgeted at £500,000. Like Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and Torture Garden (1967), it was filmed at Shepperton Studios in Surrey. Unlike Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and Torture Garden (1967), it would not be directed by Freddie Francis. Freddie Francis was not available at the time, and to top it off he and Max Rosenberg did not get along very well during the making of Torture Garden (1967). Peter Duffell was then hired to direct The House That Dripped Blood (1971). It would be Peter Duffell's first feature film credit,but he was experienced in directing television shows, including The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre and The Avengers. Peter Duffell thought that Milton Subotsky liked to hire young directors and had probably seen some of the work he had done on television.
The role of horror movie star Paul Henderson was offered to Vincent Price, who had to turn it down because he was currently under contract to American International Pictures. The role then went to Jon Pertwee, who was playing the Third Doctor on Doctor Who at the time. Jon Pertwee said that he based his portrayal of Paul Henderson on Christopher Lee, who did not even realize Jon Pertwee was parodying him. Peter Cushing tried to get out of his contract to do The House That Dripped Blood (1971) as his beloved wife Helen was ill at the time. She would die in 1971, around a month before the movie was released. At the time Ingrid Pitt appeared in The House That Dripped Blood (1971), she was already an experienced horror actress. She had already appeared in the movies El sonido de la muerte (1966), The Vampire Lovers (1971), and Countess Dracula (1971).
The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was shot in about a month, from June 29, 1970, to July 28, 1970. The "House That Dripped Blood" itself was Littleton House Lodge at Shepperton Studios. Weybridge Hall in Weybridge, Surrey served as the wax museum in the film.
Despite its title, no blood appears in The House That Dripped Blood (1971), In fact, when Amicus submitted the film to the British Board of Film Censors, the BBFC wanted to give The House That Dripped Blood (1971) an "A" certificate, which meant that children under 5 could not see the film and it was not recommended for children under 14 (in other words, more or less the equivalent of the American 'PG" rating). Amicus feared that an "A" certificate could hurt the film at the box office, and pressured the BBFC to give it an "X" certificate. At the time, an "X" certificate meant no one under 18 could be admitted. At the time, the BBFC gave most of rival Hammer Film Productions "X" certificates.
The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was released on February 21, 1971, in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it premiered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 10, 1971. For the most part, it received positive reviews. The Variety staff called it "one of the most entertaining of its genre to come along in several years." In The Los Angeles Times, Kevin Thomas wrote, " "Richly atmospheric settings, muted color photography, an outstanding cast and competent direction (by Peter Duffell) do justice to Bloch's fine script, which deals with psychological terror rather than relying on the typical blood-and-guts formula." The New York Times' Roger Greenspun gave The House That Dripped Blood (1971) a more mixed review, writing, "Such failure, however, may be more or less interesting. And it is in terms of the esthetics of failure that I am of several minds about Peter Duffell's The House That Dripped Blood, which moves in many directions, but never too far from the mechanics of the high school play." With regards to the box office, The House That Dripped Blood (1971) did moderately well in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Indeed, it was successful enough that Amicus would produce more portmanteau horror movies. It was followed by Tales from the Crypt (1972), based on the old E.C. Comics; Asylum (1972); The Vault of Horror (1973), also based on E.C. Comics; and From Beyond the Grave (1974). Although The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was milder than some of Amicus's output and certain than Hammer's output, it as still a good blend of classic horror and psychological horror that remains entertaining to this day.
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