Crawlspace is a 1972 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

and thriller directed by

John Newland John Newland (November 23, 1917 – January 10, 2000) was an American film director, actor, television producer, and screenwriter. Early life and career Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Newland began his career in vaudeville while still in his teens. ...

and

Buzz Kulik Seymour "Buzz" Kulik (July 23, 1922 – January 13, 1999) was an American film director and film producer, producer. He directed 72 films and television shows, including the landmark CBS television network anthology series ''Playhouse 90'' ...

, produced by Herbert Brodkin and Robert Berger, and written by

Ernest Kinoy Ernest Kinoy (April 1, 1925 – November 10, 2014) was an American writer, screenwriter and playwright. Early life Kinoy was born in New York City on April 1, 1925; his parents, Albert and Sarah Kinoy (formerly Forstadt), were both high-school ...

. The movie starred

Arthur Kennedy John Arthur Kennedy (February 17, 1914January 5, 1990) was an American stage and film actor known for his versatility in supporting film roles and his ability to create "an exceptional honesty and naturalness on stage", especially in the origi ...

Teresa Wright Muriel Teresa Wright (October 27, 1918 – March 6, 2005) was an American actress. She won the 1942 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Carol Beldon in ''Mrs. Miniver''. She was nominated for the same award in 1941 for her ...

, and Tom Happer. The movie aired on February 11, 1972.

Origins

The film is based on the novel ''Crawlspace'', written by Herbert Lieberman. The plot of the novel revolves around the relationship between an elderly couple, Albert and Alice Graves, and a young heating oil delivery man named Richard. When Richard comes by to refill their furnace, Alice invites the young man to stay for dinner. This innocent invitation proves to be a fateful decision for the Graves. The novel was published on January 1, 1971.

Plot

Elderly couple Albert Graves, (

) and his wife Alice (

) have just moved from the city to a small country town to help Albert recuperate from a heart attack. After they discover a problem with the furnace in their basement, they call for a repairman to come out and service it. The repair company sends a boy named Richard Atlee (Tom Happer) to the house. The couple takes an interest in Richard, so they invite him to stay for dinner. A few days later, Albert awakens to hear noise coming from under the house. To Albert's shock and bewilderment, he finds that the boy, Richard, has taken residence in the crawlspace of the house. Albert and Alice have longed for a child of their own for years, so they decide to take Richard in and more or less raise him. But Richard refuses to sleep in the main part of the house, and insists on staying in the crawlspace. Even after being warned about Richard's instability by the sheriff, Sheriff Birge (

Eugene Roche Eugene Harrison Roche (September 22, 1928 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor and the original " Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials. Personal life Roche was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Mary M. (née Finnegan ...

), the couple continue to develop a close bond with the boy. Sheriff Birge's suspicions are confirmed when Richard begins acting out violently toward the Graves and the town. Richard even resorts to crime. During one of his violent outbursts, he smashes up a section of the town's general store. The film resolves in violence and tragedy.

Cast

* Tom Happer as Richard Roy Atlee *

as Albert Graves *

as Alice Graves *

as Sheriff Emil Birge *

Matthew Cowles Matthew Cowles (September 28, 1944 – May 22, 2014) was an American actor and playwright. Early life The son of actor and theatre producer Chandler Cowles, he was born in New York City. Career In 1966 Cowles played the title role in Edward Al ...

as Dave Freeman * Dan Morgan as Dr. Harlow * Roger Serbagi as Davalos * Louise Campbell as Miz Gerard * Fleet Emerson as Wheeler

DVD release

''Crawlspace'' was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

on October 1, 2007, by Wild Eye Releasing.

References

External links

* {{Buzz Kulik 1972 television films 1972 films American horror thriller films American horror television films 1970s American films