''Corruption'' is a 1968 British

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apo ...

directed by

Robert Hartford-Davis Robert Hartford-Davis (born William Henry Davis, 23 July 1923 – 12 June 1977) was a British born producer, director and writer, who worked on film and television in both in the United Kingdom and United States. He is also sometimes credited as ...

from a screenplay by Derek Ford and Donald Ford, and featuring

Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...

Sue Lloyd Sue or SUE may refer to: Music * Sue Records, an American record label * ''Sue'' (album), an album by Frazier Chorus * " Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)", a song by David Bowie Places * Sue Islet (Queensland), one of the Torres Straits isla ...

, Noel Trevarthen,

Kate O'Mara Kate O'Mara (born Francesca Meredith Carroll;Michael CoveneObituary: Kate O'Mara ''The Guardian'', 30 March 2014 10 August 1939 – 30 March 2014) was an English film, stage and television actress, and writer. O'Mara made her stage debut in a ...

, David Lodge, and Antony Booth. The film is a loose riff on the plot of the 1960 French horror film ''

Eyes Without a Face Eyes Without a Face can refer to: * ''Eyes Without a Face'' (film), (French: ''Les yeux sans visage''), 1960 French-language horror film * "Eyes Without a Face" (song), 1984 Billy Idol song {{dab ...

'' and is notable for its atypical contemporary setting (most of Cushing's

Gothic horror Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

films were set in the past) and its extreme (for the time) gore and violence. Fangoria "Exclusive Grindhouse Blu-ray/DVD art: Peter Cushing’s ‘CORRUPTION’" by Michael Gingold, 17 July 2013
/ref>

Plot

Sir John Rowan (Peter Cushing) is a prominent plastic surgeon with a beautiful and youthful fiancée named Lynn (Sue Lloyd), who works as a fashion model. At a raucous party, Rowan—much older than any of the other attendees, and clearly uncomfortable around the

countercultural A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...

excess of the late 1960s—gets into a physical altercation with a sleazy photographer, and during the scuffle, a hot lamp falls on Lynn, severely scarring her face. Rowan pledges to reverse Lynn's disfigurement, experimenting with laser technology to revive her skin and eventually coming up with a cure-all: a

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific exp ...

ian transplant of pituitary glands. Driven by a combination of guilt and love, Rowan goes on a murder spree, killing young women in order to use their pituitary glands to restore his fiancée’s beauty. The procedure is successful, and the couple go on holiday to a seaside cottage, where all is fine for now, but they know that her face will soon start to show signs of deterioration. In need of more surgery and a new "donor", the couple tries to entice a young girl Terry (Wendy Varnals) whom Rowan contrives to meet at the beach and take back to their cottage. Complications ensue because Rowan does not want to commit another murder and because this girl is not what she seems to be. In fact, she is part of a gang of robbers who break into the house and hold Rowan and Lynn hostage. Soon they discover evidence of the murders and begin to menace the couple. After a short confrontation, everyone is killed when Rowan's surgical laser goes out of control. The ending of the film is ambiguous. One possible interpretation is that everything from the disfigurement onward was a dream experienced by Rowan — either at the party or just prior to the party.

Cast

as Sir John Rowan *

as Lynn Nolan * Noel Trevarthen as Steve Harris *

as Val Nolan * David Lodge as Groper * Antony Booth as Mike Orme * Wendy Varnals as Terry * Billy Murray as Rik * Vanessa Howard as Kate *

Jan Waters Jan Waters (born ) is an English actress of the theatre, television, and film. She was particularly active in the London theatre scene during the 1960s and 1970s, notably appearing in the original West End productions of Jule Styne's '' Do Re M ...

as Girl in the Flat (U.K. / U.S. version) * Marianne Morris as Girl in the Flat (Continental version) * Phillip Manikum as Georgie *

Alexandra Dane Alexandra Dane (born ''c''. 1940
''London Evening Standard'' (17 November 2011). Retrieved ...

as Sandy *

Valerie Van Ost Valerie Van Ost (25 July 1944 – 10 September 2019) was an English actress. Acting career At school, Van Ost became the youngest adult dancer at the London Palladium before moving into films and television at age 18. She appeared in four Ca ...

as Girl on the Train

Production

The film was shot at

Isleworth Studios Isleworth Studios is the common name of two former film studios in Great Britain. __TOC__ Worton Hall Studios 1913–1952 Worton Hall Studios were based on Worton Hall, in Isleworth. This house was built in 1783 and rebuilt and extended in the ea ...

, and on location at Hope Gap Beach in Seaford, East Sussex. Due to the strong graphic content of the film, different markets around the world received different versions of key scenes, most notably the murder of a prostitute who appears topless in some markets (Scandinavia, South America, and East Asia), but is clothed in the version which played in the U.K. and U.S. The two versions feature different actresses in the role as well as different dialogue. Cushing later said "It was gratuitously violent, fearfully sick. But it was a good script, which just goes to show how important the presentation is. The company that made the film split up halfway through as certain individuals could not agree on what should and should not appear in the final print. What you saw was the final result of their bickering. Audiences did not get the idea that it was supposed to be based on a dream, which in fact did not justify some of the scenes that were presented. With any film you participate in, the company, if they so wish, can destroy your original interpretation of the role."

Reception

The film was negatively received at the time of its release;

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death i ...

of ''The New York Times'' noted that "Peter Cushing...brings a certain seedy grandeur to the role," but dismissed the film as "silly," particularly due to the contemporary setting. A review in ''Variety'' called it a "Fair horror picture ...

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...

suffers from poor writing, plus often sluggish direction." The film has been better received in recent years as a

cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage i ...

, sometimes enjoyed for its camp value. Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com wrote in his 2013 review: "This 1968 film is set during the Swinging London period of gaudy liberation, where colors exploded, hair was uncomfortably cut, and free love was rampant. The image of Cushing, with his gentlemanly manner and impeccable style, is a potent one in the midst of all the youthful madness, with the opening of the effort traveling to a boisterous party where John is cornered by a picky hippie while Lynn's photographer guru goads her into nude shots. ''Corruption'' quickly moves away from the freak-out showdown, but its period fashion sense remains, lending the movie a distinct look that's almost as entertaining to study as the murder spree...''Corruption'' finds a pitch of cinematic madness and holds there for most of the picture, remaining taut, with a pinch of sleaze for seasoning."BluRay.com "Corruption" Review by Brian Orndorf, 12 October 2013
/ref> Critic Paul Chambers wrote: "Silly, but entertaining. That’s the best way to describe ''Corruption'', the story of a wealthy surgeon during the swinging 1960s who would do anything to keep his young girlfriend happy...''Corruption'' is a hoot. It was made in the late 1960s and authentically depicts London’s free love and hip culture that was later lampooned in the Austin Powers comedies. Only this film was intended to be a serious horror flick and the costumes and sets are all that more enjoyable because...well, just because. Peter Cushing is over-the-top crazy in this grindhouse-style goreathon. It’s hard to imagine the filmmakers didn’t know the end product would be campy. But, that makes little difference to today’s audience. I see ''Corruption'' as a time capsule, of sorts."Blu-Ray Review "Corruption" by Paul Chambers – Movie Chambers – 28 October 2013
/ref> Critic John Beifuss wrote: "Probably the imperfect jewel of British director Robert Hartford-Davis's oddball filmography...''Corruption'' had been perhaps the rarest of horror superstar Peter Cushing's many, many genre movies until the October appearance of this beautifully remastered and restored edition from

Grindhouse Releasing Grindhouse Releasing is a Hollywood-based independent cult film distribution company led by film editor Bob Murawski and co-founded by Sage Stallone. Grindhouse digitally remasters, restores, and produces bonus materials and video documentaries ...

, a company that exceeds even the Criterion Collection in its determination to create the definitive editions of the titles it licenses...A truly wacked-out work of art," ."'Corruption,' or Saving Face, the Horror Way" by John Beifuss, The Bloodshot Eye, 28 December 2013

References

External links