Line #34 Film/Madhouse1974


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/madhouse_1974.jpg]]
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3	''Madhouse'' is a 1974 British horror film directed by Jim Clark for Creator/AmicusProductions in association with Creator/AmericanInternationalPictures. It stars Creator/VincentPrice, Natasha Pyne, Creator/PeterCushing, Robert Quarry, Adrienne Corri and Creator/LindaHayden.
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5	This semi-serious horror film represented the first on-screen pairing of icons Vincent Price and Peter Cushing, who play, respectively, aging former horror star Paul Toombes and actor-turned-writer Herbert Flay, who unite in an effort to revive the popularity of Toombes' screen character "Dr. Death" for a TV series. Having recently recovered from a nervous breakdown caused by the murder of his fiancee, Toombes comes under suspicion when several members of the show's cast and crew are murdered in grisly reenactments of Dr. Death's greatest movie moments (as depicted in numerous colorful clips from some of Price's AIP films for Creator/RogerCorman).
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7	Not to be confused with [[Film/Madhouse2004 the 2004 film of the same name]] or the 1981 film ''Film/ThereWasALittleGirl'', also known as ''Madhouse''.
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10	!!Tropes used in ''Madhouse'' include:
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12	* ActorAllusion:
13	** Paul Toombes could almost be considered an {{expy}} for Price himself, though with a much messier personal life. See StockFootage below for more. Likewise, he and Creator/PeterCushing's characters are supposed to be very old friends and colleagues, which they very much were in real life..
14	** At a costume party, Robert Quarry's character is seen dressed as Film/CountYorga, from the vampire films starring... Robert Quarry. This might also qualify as a CelebrityParadox.
15	** There's also a bit of RealitySubtext at work: the movie was made at a time when AIP was considering ending its involvement with Price, considering him too old to be a big star, and a lot of the higher-ups were banking on Quarry as the exciting new up-and-comer. In the movie, Quarry's studio exec character is trying to force Price's character into retirement and install a new, younger actor as his replacement.
16	* BigBad: [[spoiler:Herbert Flay]] is the killer.
17	* {{Blackmail}}: Elizabeth Peters' foster parents attempt to blackmail Toombes for 10,000 pounds, claiming to have proof that he seduced and murdered her.
18	* CoatHatMask: The murderer dresses as Dr. Death in a black cloak, hat and white skull mask.
19	* CrazyCatLady: Faye has become a crazy spider lady: dwelling in Herbert's cellar, breeding spiders and shunning all human contact.
20	* CurtainCamouflage: The killer lurks behind the curtains in Ellen's bedroom, before lunging out to kill her.
21	* DeadPersonImpersonation: At the end of the film, [[spoiler:Paul is shown using makeup to make himself look like Herbert[[note]][[FridgeLogic No idea how he's going to make himself 4 inches shorter!]][[/note]], with the implication that he is going to take over Herbert's life]]. It's a very good effect for a '70s movie, and there are moments where you're not sure which actor you're looking at.
22	* DescendingCeiling: The [[ShackleSeatTrap shackle bed trap]]. Shackles clamp the victim to the bed, and the weighted canopy drops on top of them, crushing them to death.
23	* DistinguishedGentlemansPipe: Inspector Harper smokes one. He is the only character in the film to smoke a pipe.
24	* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler: Paul Toombes locks himself on the ''Dr. Death'' set, and sets both the set and and himself on fire to convince authorities that he is dead, while he escapes to extract vengeance on the real killer.]]
25	* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler:Flay's motive behind his villain. He had written the title role of Dr. Death for himself, but was passed down in favor of Toombes, so he decided to murder Ellen in the hopes of ruining Toombes' career, but when this didn't work, he decided to give in to the studio's request to bring Toombes back for the Dr. Death TV series, on the contract-written condition that he get the role of Dr. Death in the event something happened to Toombes.]]
26	* GardeningVarietyWeapon: Elizabeth Peters is stabbed through the throat with a pitchfork.
27	* GreenEyedMonster: [[spoiler:Herbert Flay]]
28	* HandOfDeath: The murderer is shown as a pair of hands in black leather gloves.
29	* HateSink: Elizabeth Peters' foster parents literally only talk about how they lined Elizabeth to be a famous actress and make them rich. When she's murdered they decide to blackmail Paul Toombs, who they think killed her, showing they never cared about her at all.
30	* HorrorDoesntSettleForSimpleTuesday: The first murder takes place on New Year's Eve.
31	* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: The killer murders Elizabeth's foster parents by stabbing them with a sword with a single thrust so hard that it impales both of them.
32	* ItsAllAboutMe: [[spoiler: This is Herbert Flay's motive. He wrote the part of Dr. Death for himself but got passed up in favor of Toombes. His murders are in an attempt to get the part for himself.]]
33	* LiteralMetaphor: During the climactic battle between [[spoiler: Toombes and Flay, Faye rushes in and stabs Flay in the back repeatedly, causing him to fall into her tank of spiders]].
34	* NotSoFakePropWeapon: The [[ShackleSeatTrap shackle bed trap]]. The shackles are supposed to be breakaway, and the [[DescendingCeiling descending canopy]] has a cutoff switch, but both of these safety features have been disabled.
35	* OffWithHerHead: Paul discovers that Ellen has been decapitated when he shakes her shoulder and her head falls off.
36	* OneWordTitle: ''Madhouse''.
37	* PeekabooCorpse: Faye is startled and shrieks in horror when she opens Paul's closet and two bodies fall out.
38	* SelfImmolation: When Toombes loses his mind after Julia is murdered, he carries her corpse onto the ''Dr. Death'' set, and then sets the set on fire, before dousing himself in alcohol and setting himself alight. [[spoiler:It is actually part of his plan for FakingTheDead.]]
39	* ShackleSeatTrap: Features a shackle ''bed'' trap. When the victim lies upon it, shackles lock around his wrists and hold him in place as he is crushed to death by the descending canopy.
40	* StockFootage: The ''Dr. Death'' films the ThemeSerialKiller is emulating are represented by clips from earlier films Creator/VincentPrice had made for Creator/AmericanInternationalPictures.
41	* SwordCane: When Toombes confronts the real murderer, [[spoiler:Herbert Flay]], he reveals he is carrying a sword cane and draws the blade and attacks Toombes.
42	* ThemeSerialKiller: The murderer uses the murders in the ''Dr. Death'' films of actor Paul Toombes as the theme for their killings.
43	* TheseGlovesAreMadeForKillin: Prior to every murder, a scene of the killer donning black leather gloves is shown.
44	* TragicKeepsake: Paul has the pocket watch his fiancee Ellen gave him on the night she was murdered. It is stolen from him and used in an attempt to blackmail him.
45	* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: The film studio who [[spoiler: passed the role of [[VillainProtagonist Dr. Death]] from [[GreenEyedMonster Herbert Flay]] to [[EccentricArtist Paul Toombes]].]]
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Context Film / Madhouse1974