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''Homicidal'' is a 1961 American horror-
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
produced and directed by
William Castle William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for the horror film, horror and thriller film, thriller B movie, B-movies he directed durin ...
, and starring
Glenn Corbett Glenn Corbett (born Glenn Edwin Rothenburg; August 17, 1933 – January 16, 1993)"CORBETT Obituary — Corbett, 59, starred in 'Route 66,' Wayne films." ''San Antonio Express-News'' January 18, 1993. Web. May 29, 2012. Document #0F22314D ...
, Patricia Breslin, Eugenie Leontovich,
Alan Bunce Alan Coe Bunce (June 28, 1900 – April 27, 1965) was an American radio and television actor. Bunce was best remembered for playing the role of Albert Arbuckle alongside Peg Lynch on the sitcom '' Ethel and Albert'' from 1944 to 1950 on radi ...
and Jean Arless. The film follows a murderous woman in a small California town whose presence unearths secrets concerning a prominent local family. As with many of Castle's films, the film was released with a promotional
gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out ...
—in this case, a "fright break," that allowed patrons to receive a refund if they were too scared to stay for the climax of the film. While a few reviews upon its release were mixed, it has since gained a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
and is considered one of Castle's best films.


Plot

A mysterious woman named Emily convinces the bellboy at a local hotel in
Ventura, California Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for "Saint Bonaventure"), is a city in and the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States. It is a coastal city located northwest of Los Angeles. The population was 110,763 at the ...
to meet her later that day at a local justice of the peace to get married, offering him two thousand dollars in compensation. Baffled by the request, he agrees. The two arrive at the justice of the peace's home late in the night, and pay him to marry them. Emily then savagely murders the justice of the peace during the ceremony, and flees. She later gloats to a mute, elderly invalid named Helga (for whom Emily is a nurse and works for a wealthy family) of her deed. The police investigate the crime and learn that the nurse was given the name of a local flower shop owner Miriam Webster, who has an alibi of the night of the murder. It is revealed that Miriam and her brother Warren, who has recently returned from
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
after the death of his last surviving parent, are heirs to Warren's father's estate. The two talk about how Warren's father was abusive to Warren growing up and the details of the will. Miriam stands to inherit the estate if Warren dies before marrying, as Warren's father was a misogynist who went out of his way to make Warren his sole heir so that only a male child of his could inherit. Miriam also confesses to Warren good news of her own, that she is engaged to be married to her boyfriend Karl. That evening, Emily breaks into Miriam's flower shop and wrecks the store. She is interrupted by Karl, who comes to the store because he did not know that Miriam had left early that evening. Miriam and Karl arrive at Warren's house the next day to visit Helga and confront Emily. Helga frantically tries to communicate with Miriam, who later finds out from Warren that Emily is actually his wife; he had hired her to take care of Helga and ultimately married her. Miriam later overhears Warren and Emily talking in the next room but does not see them together. Karl learns of the murdered justice of the peace and that Emily resembles the suspect. Miriam ultimately goes to visit Warren and Emily, having realized that Emily is a murderer. She enters the house and sees Helga descending the staircase on the
stairlift A stair lift is a mechanical device for lifting people, typically those with disabilities, up and down stairs. For sufficiently wide stairs, a rail is mounted to the treads of the stairs. A chair or lifting platform is attached to the rail. A per ...
. As she nears the bottom of the stairs, Miriam witnesses Helga's severed head fall off her body. She is then attacked by Emily; the two fight, and Emily removes her wig and prosthetic teeth, revealing herself to be Warren. Warren then tries to kill Miriam but is distracted when a police officer enters. While Warren tries to kill the officer, Miriam shoots Warren dead. Afterward, the police talk to Miriam as the truth about Warren is revealed: Warren was really a girl. The secret of the child's gender was known only to the child's mother, Helga the housekeeper, and the county clerk (who later became a justice of the peace), who had been bribed to enter the birth of a boy. This was done mainly to avoid the murderous wrath of Warren's father, who wanted a boy and would have harmed the child. "Emily" was an alternate identity Warren had created overseas to be able to live as a woman away from those who knew him. When Warren's father died and he learned of the clause in the will that would have denied him his inheritance if it was known he was a female, he resumed the alter ego of Emily in order to kill and silence those who would know the truth about him.


Cast

*
Glenn Corbett Glenn Corbett (born Glenn Edwin Rothenburg; August 17, 1933 – January 16, 1993)"CORBETT Obituary — Corbett, 59, starred in 'Route 66,' Wayne films." ''San Antonio Express-News'' January 18, 1993. Web. May 29, 2012. Document #0F22314D ...
as Karl * Patricia Breslin as Miriam Webster *
Joan Marshall Joan Marshall (born Joan Schrepferman; June 6, 1931 – June 28, 1992) was an American film and television actress. She is best known for her appearances in ''The Twilight Zone's'' " Dead Man's Shoes", and ''Star Trek's'' "Court Martial" alo ...
as Emily and Warren (credited as Jean Arless) * Eugenie Leontovich as Helga *
Alan Bunce Alan Coe Bunce (June 28, 1900 – April 27, 1965) was an American radio and television actor. Bunce was best remembered for playing the role of Albert Arbuckle alongside Peg Lynch on the sitcom '' Ethel and Albert'' from 1944 to 1950 on radi ...
as Dr. Jonas * Richard Rust as Jim Nesbitt *
James Westerfield James A. Westerfield (March 22, 1913 – September 20, 1971) was an American character actor of stage, film, and television. Early life Westerfield was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to candy-maker Brasher Omier Westerfield and his wife Do ...
as Mr. Adrims *Gilbert Green as Lieutenant Miller *Wolfe Barzell as Olie *
Hope Summers Sarah Hope Summers (June 7, 1902 – June 22, 1979) was an American actress known for her work on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and '' Mayberry R.F.D.'', portraying Clara Edwards. Early life Hope Summers was born in Mattoon, Illinois, the daugh ...
as Mrs. Adrims *Teri Brooks as Mrs. Forest * Ralph Moody as First clerk *Joe Forte as Second clerk


Production


Conception

After fifteen years directing a string of
B movies A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, ...
for Columbia,
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...
, and
Monogram A monogram is a motif (visual arts), motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbo ...
, William Castle mortgaged his house and formed William Castle Productions in 1958. His first release, ''
Macabre In works of art, the adjective macabre ( or ; ) means "having the quality of having a grim or ghastly atmosphere". The macabre works to emphasize the details and symbols of death. The term also refers to works particularly gruesome in natu ...
'', was a modest thriller. To draw attention to the film, he offered every audience member a $1,000 life insurance policy from
Lloyd's of London Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is a insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gover ...
against death by fright during the film. Castle promoted the film with TV commercials and previews that focused more on the life insurance policy than the film. The public bought it and the film was a financial, if not critical, success. William Castle added a gimmick to most of his films over the next ten years.


Casting

Actress
Joan Marshall Joan Marshall (born Joan Schrepferman; June 6, 1931 – June 28, 1992) was an American film and television actress. She is best known for her appearances in ''The Twilight Zone's'' " Dead Man's Shoes", and ''Star Trek's'' "Court Martial" alo ...
was cast in the dual role of Emily/Warren, credited under the stage name Jean Arless. This led some publications to erroneously assume the part was her first credit. Originally, Castle had intended to cast two different actors for the roles of Emily and Warren. After auditioning for the role of Emily, Marshall returned to visit Castle at his office dressed as a man to audition for the part of Warren: "My secretary, not recognizing her, asked the man his name," Castle recalled. "The transformation was indeed astonishing." Marshall's effective auditions for both parts convinced Castle to cast her in the dual role.


Filming

Principal photography for ''Homicidal'' began on November 1, 1960, in Ventura and
Solvang, California Solvang (; Danish for "sunny field") is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Located in the Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang was founded in 1911 and incorporated as a city on May 1, 1985. The population was 6,126 at the 2020 ...
. For her scenes playing Warren, star Marshall had her hair cut like a man's and dyed brown, wore brown contact lenses and had prosthetic appliances made to alter the shape of her nose, mouth and hands.


Release

''Homicidal'' was released theatrically in the United States on June 28, 1961. It received a theatrical run in New York City beginning on July 26, 1962.


The "Fright Break"

Based on the success of Castle's previous films,
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
agreed to implement his concept for a "Fright Break." This entails a 45-second timer which overlays the film's climax as the heroine approached the house harboring a sadistic killer. A voice-over advised the audience of the time remaining in which they could leave the theater and receive a full refund if they were too frightened to see the remainder of the film. To ensure the more wily patrons did not simply stay for a second showing and leave during the finale, Castle had both numbered and different colored tickets printed for each show. About 1% of patrons still demanded refunds, and in response Castle decided to spotlight the people who chose to leave by creating a "Coward's Corner." Print ads promoting the film emphasized this "Fright Break" gimmick. The "Coward's Corner" was a table with a nurse holding a blood pressure cuff.
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
described it in his book ''Crackpot''. According to Castle, the gimmick worked "great," and that theaters earned an average of $20,000 weekly in box office sales, with only $100 in refunds.


Critical response


Contemporaneous

Multiple critics drew comparisons between ''Homicidal'' and
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...
's '' Psycho'', released the year prior. ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine said: "Made in imitation of Hitchcock's ''Psycho'', it surpasses its model in structure, suspense and sheer nervous drive." and placed it on its list of top ten films of the year for 1962. Other critics were not so kind. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' said "Near the end of ''Homicidal'', yesterday's horror entry at neighborhood theaters, the disembodied voice of William Castle, the producer-director, announces a 'fright break', during which the economy-minded viewers may return their tickets for a refund ... If the reprieve had come before the opening of this dismal imitation of ''Psycho'' and
Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, called the "king of pulp fiction". His stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 ...
, it would have been a better idea." ''
New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the '' New York Tribune'' acquired the '' New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and compet ...
'' wrote that "Castle's shock effects are not so much of the weird or 'horror' as of the gruesome or blood-on-the-cummerbund variety."


Retrospective

Though many critics were dismissive of ''Homicidal'' upon its release, the film has since garnered a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
, and is regarded as one of Castle's best films. In ''The Psychotronic Video Guide'' (1996), Michael Weldon referred to the film as an "incredible experience," and it has also been championed by filmmaker John Waters. Film scholar David Hogan wrote: "In a psychosexual sense, ''Homicidal'' was perhaps the most distressing Hollywood film until
William Friedkin William David Friedkin (; August 29, 1935 – August 7, 2023) was an American film, television and opera director, producer, and screenwriter who was closely identified with the "New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in doc ...
's numbing and misunderstood '' Cruising'' (1980)." Hogan also cited it as Castle's best film despite being his "most derivative." Douglas Brode echoed similar sentiments, remarking the film's "marvelous" pacing and sustainment of suspense. However, Glenn Erickson from ''DVD Savant'' wrote that the film was "a perfectly wretched movie, bad enough to make Castle's other hits seem like flukes".


Home media

''Homicidal'' 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 ...
in North America by Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment in 2002. It was made available again on DVD pressed on-demand by Sony Choice Collection on September 3, 2013. On July 19, 2016, Mill Creek Entertainment released the film on
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
as a double feature alongside Castle's '' Mr. Sardonicus''. In 2021 Powerhouse/Indicator Films released a high definition remaster Blu-ray, accompanied by special features.


See also

*
List of American films of 1961 A list of American films released in 1961. __TOC__ Top-grossing films (U.S.) A–B C–I J–R S–Z See also * 1961 in the United States External links 1961 filmsat the Internet Movie Database * List of 1961 box office number-on ...
* Sleepaway Camp, another horror film with uncommon depictions of gender presentation


References


Works cited

* * * * *


External links

* * {{William Castle 1961 films 1961 horror films 1960s horror thriller films American horror thriller films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films Cross-dressing in American films 1960s English-language films Films directed by William Castle Films scored by Hugo Friedhofer Films set in California Films shot in California Transgender-related films Films with screenplays by Robb White 1960s American films English-language horror thriller films