The City of the Dead

 

(1960) Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey; Written by George Baxt; Story by Milton Subotsky; Starring: Patricia Jessel, Dennis Lotis, Christopher Lee, Venetia Stevenson, Tom Naylor, Valentine Dyall, Betta St. John and Norman MacOwan; Available on Blu-ray and DVD. 

Rating: ***½

“People have said, ‘When you made these sort of films, did you think of Hammer?’ …To tell you the truth, when I directed City of the Dead, I hadn’t seen a Hammer film. I knew about them and what sort of films they made, but I hadn’t really seen one. So, when people say, ‘Did Hammer influence your style?’ I can honestly say no, because I had not seen a Hammer film before I directed City of the Dead.” – John Llewellyn Moxey (from DVD interview)

When we think of gothic horror films, Hammer is the name most people associate with the subgenre, but Hammer was far from the only game in town. Business partners Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky formed rival company Amicus Productions* to muscle in on Hammer’s territory. While not an official Amicus film, The City of the Dead would help set the tone for future projects from Rosenberg and Subotsky. Produced for the miserly sum of £45,000 and directed by John Llewellyn Moxey** (in his feature film debut), The City of the Dead was shot at Shepperton Studios, featuring a cast and crew predominately from the UK (with the notable exception of American actors Venetia Stevenson, Betta St. John, and James Dyrenforth). 

* Fun Fact #1: Subotsky created a production company, Vulcan Productions, specifically for this film. Even after Amicus was founded, Vulcan Productions lingered around for almost a dozen years before it was eventually dissolved. 

** Fun Fact #2: Among Moxey’s many directorial credits is the landmark TV movie, The Night Stalker (1972).

In the prologue, set in Whitewood, Massachusetts (circa 1692), Elizabeth Selwyn (Patricia Jessel) is sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft. Even as she burns at the stake, she mocks the jeering crowd of onlookers, while her cohort Jethro Keane (Valentine Dyall) invokes Lucifer to protect her. The story shifts to the present day, with Professor Alan Driscoll (Christopher Lee) recounting the events depicted in the opening scene. Captivated by his lecture, Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson)* is eager to learn more about Whitewood (coincidentally, Driscoll’s hometown) and its curse. Driscoll encourages her desire to continue her studies independently, referring her to the Raven’s Inn. Her boyfriend Bill Maitland** (Tom Naylor) doesn’t share her enthusiasm for the subject, attempting to discourage her from leaving. When his efforts fail to dissuade Nan, Bill appeals to her brother, Richard Barlow (Dennis Lotis), but to no avail. Nan heads off without their blessing, probably relieved to leave them behind for a few days. she picks up a ghostly hitchhiker (Valentine Dyall, again) along the way to the perpetually fog-immersed village of Whitewood. Despite an ominous warning from a blind reverend (Norman MacOwan) to leave while she can, she checks in at Raven’s Inn, where she meets the proprietor, Mrs. Newless, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Elizabeth Selwyn. The fact that it’s Candlemas Eve (February 1^st) doesn’t bode well for her, as she soon discovers. When she fails to return home after a couple of weeks, Bill and Richard spring into action to retrace her steps (Okay, in all fairness her brother and boyfriend’s misgivings prove to be correct, but did they have to be such chauvinistic jerks about it?). Can the curse of Whitewood be stopped? I’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to find out. 

* Fun Fact #3: While correctly listed in the end credits, Venetia Stevenson’s name was misspelled in the opening credits as “Venetia Stephenson.” 

** Fun Fact #4: The surname “Maitland” became an in-joke for Subotsky, recycling it in seven subsequent Amicus productions.

Surprisingly, neither Patricia Jessel nor Christopher Lee was considered the main draw for City of the Dead. Dennis Lotis, a successful recording artist of the time, who played Nan’s brother Richard was the big star of the moment. While Lotis does a serviceable job, he’s overshadowed by the formidable acting talents of Jessel and Lee. As Selwyn/Newless, Jessel is appropriately imperious and intimidating, with a sardonic sense of humor that suggests she just heard the funniest joke but is forbidden to tell it. Lee doesn’t have a great deal of screen time as Professor Driscoll, but (always the consummate professional) he makes the minutes count.* After he’s introduced early in the film, he disappears for a significant period, but rest assured, we’ll see more of him. We can feel his barely contained irritation, bristling at Bill for mocking his lecture, and Richard, an empiricist, who questions the veracity of his statements. 

* Fun Fact #5: Lee was fond of repeating Konstantin Stanislavski’s adage, “There are no small parts, only small actors.”

The film’s atmosphere qualifies as its own character, enhanced immeasurably by, the perpetual fog that blankets the village like a death shroud.* The fog helps to conceal the limited sets, depicting a town that seems to consist of a few decrepit buildings and an old church. The Raven’s Inn, shadowy inside and out, is Whitewood’s black heart, harboring an accumulated centuries’ worth of secrets (sure, it’s quaint and all, but perhaps Nan should have checked to see if the hotel had an Automobile Club rating). Desmond Dickinson’s moody black and white cinematography alternately conceals and reveals the details of Whitewood and its shadowy denizens.   

* Fun Fact #6: According to Moxey, the extensive use of heated paraffin for the fog had the unfortunate side effect of making some of the cast and crew vomit.

Reviews for The City of the Dead in its native UK were tepid, at best. The distributor didn’t have much faith in the film, placing it on a second bill with Roger Corman’s The Mobster (1959). The City of the Dead didn’t fare much better in the U.S., where distributor Trans-Lux trimmed six minutes from its 78-minute running time, retitling it as Horror Hotel. Time has looked favorably upon the film as an atmospheric, tightly paced gothic horror, which has outlived the negative, short-sighted reception of the time. Christopher Lee described The City of the Dead as “an American gothic with a Lovecraftian flavor.” I can think of no finer endorsement.

 

Sources for this article: DVD commentary by Christopher Lee; DVD commentary by Jonathan Rigby; Interview with John Llewellyn Moxey