''The Shuttered Room'' (a.k.a. ''Blood Island'') is a 1967 British horror film directed by David Greene and starring

Gig Young Gig Young (born Byron Elsworth Barr; November 4, 1913 – October 19, 1978) was an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in ''Come Fill the Cup'' (1952) and '' Teacher's Pet'' ...

and

Carol Lynley Carol Lynley (born Carole Ann Jones; February 13, 1942 – September 3, 2019) was an American actress known for her roles in the films ''Blue Denim'' (1959) and '' The Poseidon Adventure'' (1972). Lynley was born in Manhattan to an Irish ...

as a couple who move into a house with dark secrets. It is based on a short story of the same name by

August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...

, published as a so-called "posthumous collaboration" with H. P. Lovecraft. The film has also been re-released under the title ''Blood Island''. Although set in the U.S., the film was shot in England, in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

and

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...

Plot

Susannah Kelton, a newly married woman who was raised in foster care in the city, learns that her real parents have died and left their property to her. She and her husband Mike travel to the island of Dunwich off the coast of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

to inspect the property. They find a local culture that is clannish, backward and ignorant. The few friends whom they make among the locals, including Susannah's aunt Agatha, warn them that the family mill is cursed and urge the Keltons to leave immediately and never look back. Refusing to bow to superstition, the couple consider rebuilding the abandoned mill. They become the target of a gang of local thugs led by Susannah's lecherous cousin, Ethan. Their reign of terror is ended by something still living in the shuttered attic room of the mill, something that caused Susannah to have nightmares as a child.

Cast

as Mike Kelton *

as Susannah Whately Kelton / Sarah *

Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor known for his well-to-do, macho image and "hellraiser" lifestyle. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his ...

as Ethan * Flora Robson as Aunt Agatha *

Judith Arthy Judith Anne Arthy (born 12 November 1940 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) is an Australian actress, now retired, and writer. Judith Arthy began her theatrical career in a production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible with the Brisbane Repertory Th ...

as Emma * Rick Jones as Luther Whately *

Ann Bell Ann Forrest Bell (born 29 April 1938) is a British actress, best known for playing war internee Marion Jefferson in the BBC Second World War drama series '' Tenko'' (1981–84). She was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, the daughter of John Forrest ...

as Mary Whately * William Devlin as Zebulon Whately *

Charles Lloyd-Pack Charles Lloyd-Pack (10 October 1902 – 22 December 1983) was a British film, television and stage actor. Life and career Lloyd-Pack was born at Wapping, East London, to working-class parents. He was seen in several horror films produced by the ...

as Barge Master *

Bernard Kay Bernard Frederic Bemrose Kay (23 February 1928 – 25 December 2014) was an English actor with an extensive theatre, television, and film repertoire. Career Kay began his working life as a reporter for the ''Bolton Evening News'', and a str ...

as Tait *

Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland (born 17 July 1935) is a Canadian actor whose film career spans over six decades. He has been nominated for nine Golden Globe Awards, winning two for his performances in the television films '' Citizen X'' (1995) a ...

as Zebulon (voice) *

Celia Hewitt Celia may refer to: General *Celia (given name) *''Celia'', a subgenus of carabid beetles of the genus '' Amara'' *Celia, the last natural-born Pyrenean Ibex * Celia (virtual assistant), AI virtual assistant by Huawei *, a number of ships with ...

as Aunt Sarah *

Robert Cawdron Robert Cawdron (29 December 1921 – 14 September 1997) was a French-born British film and television actor. Often cast as police officers, he had a long-running role on '' Dixon of Dock Green'' as Detective Inspector Cherry.The Guinness Book of ...

as Luther Whately *

Murray Evans Murray Charles Evans (June 23, 1919 – March 10, 2004) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Hardin–Simmons University from 1952 to 1954, compiling a record of 15–14–2. Evans died on March 10, 2 ...

as gang member *

Clifford Diggins Clifford may refer to: People *Clifford (name), an English given name and surname, includes a list of people with that name *William Kingdon Clifford *Baron Clifford *Baron Clifford of Chudleigh *Baron de Clifford *Clifford baronets * Clifford fam ...

as gang member *

Peter Porteous Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

as gang member *

Anita Anderson Anita or ANITA may refer to: Arts * ''Anita'' (1967 film), an Indian film * ''Anita'' (2009 film), an Argentine film * ''Anita'' (2021 film), a Hong Kong film *'' Anita: Swedish Nymphet'', a 1973 erotic film People * Anita (given name), people ...

as Susannah as a child

Production

The script was originally written by

Alexander Jacobs Alexander Jacobs (1927 – 26 October 1979) was a screenwriter best known for his work in the action field. His writing style for '' Point Blank'' was very influential on Walter Hill. Biography Jacobs was born in London. He entered the British fi ...

and Nathaniel Tanchuck. Filming began in April 1966. Sam Peckinpah's '' Straw Dogs'' (1971) would have many similarities. Hollowshore Boatyard and The Shipwright's Arms in

Faversham Faversham is a market town in Kent, England, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2, which follows an ancient Briti ...

feature throughout the film, doubling as the town of Dunwich,

South Foreland Lighthouse South Foreland Lighthouses are a pair of Victorian lighthouses on the South Foreland in St. Margaret's Bay, Dover, Kent, England, used to warn ships approaching the nearby Goodwin Sands. There has been a pair of lighthouses at South Forelan ...

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maids ...

also features as the exterior of Aunt Agatha's home. The film features a large half-brick, half-timber

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production ...

, which is destroyed by fire in the closing scenes. The building used was Hardingham, Hardingham Mill on the River Yare in Norfolk.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shuttered Room, The 1967 films 1967 horror films British horror films 1960s English-language films Films based on short fiction Films based on works by H. P. Lovecraft Films directed by David Greene Films scored by Basil Kirchin Films set in Massachusetts Films set on islands Films shot in England 1967 directorial debut films 1960s British films