The Silent Scream (1979 film)
| The Silent Scream | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster, stylized as Silent Scream | |
| Directed by | Denny Harris |
| Written by |
Jim Wheat Ken Wheat Wallace E. Bennett Denny Harris |
| Starring |
Rebecca Balding Barbara Steele Cameron Mitchell Yvonne De Carlo |
| Music by | Roger Kellaway |
| Cinematography |
Michael D. Murphy David Shore |
| Edited by | Edward Salier |
| Distributed by | American Cinema Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $7.9 million (rentals)[1] |
The Silent Scream (also known as Silent Scream) is a 1979 American horror film directed by Denny Harris, and starring Rebecca Balding, Cameron Mitchell, Barbara Steele and Yvonne De Carlo.[2]
Plot
Four college students, unable to find on-campus housing, take up residence in Mrs Engels's (De Carlo) hilltop mansion, where she lives with her strange son, Mason (Reardon), and her daughter, Victoria (Steele), whom Mrs Engels secretly keeps hidden in the attic, a botched lobotomy having left her mute and homicidal. After one of the students is found dead, a police investigation is launched, which uncovers the history of the mansion and its owners, as the remaining students become endangered.[3]
Cast
- Rebecca Balding as Scotty Parker
- Cameron Mitchell as Lt. Sandy McGiver
- Avery Schreiber as Sgt. Manny Ruggin
- Barbara Steele as Victoria Engels
- Steve Doubet as Jack Towne
- Brad Rearden as Mason Engels
- John Widelock as Peter Ransom
- Juli Andelman as Doris Prichart
- Yvonne De Carlo as Mrs. Engels
- Jack Stryker as Police Chief
- Thelma Pelish as Housing Lady
- Tina Tyler as Victoria at 16
- Jason Zahler as Mason at 3
- Annabella Price as TV Rape Victim
- Joe Pronto as TV Rapist
- Joan Lemmo as Rooming House Lady
- Ernie Potvin as Boarding House Husband
- Virginia Rose as Boarding House Wife
- Ina Gould as Landlady
- Rachel Bard as Nurse in Psycho Ward
Production
The film had a tumultuous post-production process where a large portion of the film was re-shot.[4]
Some exteriors of the film were shot at the Smith Estate in Highland Park, Los Angeles, Calif..
The film marks scream queen Barbara Steele's only 1980s film appearance, and was among the early cycle of slasher films to appear after the genre was popularized by Halloween and Friday the 13th.[5]
Release
The film was released theatrically by American Cinema Releasing; it was released in limited theaters in November 23, 1979 in Victor, Texas, and in January 30, 1980 in Bismarck, North Dakota. Outside of being limited in cinemas in the United States, the film screened regionally throughout 1980.[6] It grossed an estimated $15,800,000 at the box office.[7]
The film was released on VHS by Media Home Entertainment and Video Treasures.[8]
The film was released as a special edition DVD by Scorpion Releasing Corporation.[9]
References
- ↑ Richard Nowell, Blood Money: A History of the First Teen Slasher Film Cycle Continuum, 2011 p 257
- ↑ Brantley, Ben. "Silent Scream (1980)". The New York Times: Movies. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
- ↑ New DVD Label Arrives with a Silent Scream
- ↑ "Silent Scream (1980)". dvddrive-in.com. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
- ↑ Scheib, Richard (1998). "The Silent Scream (1980)". The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
- ↑ "Company Credits for The Silent Scream". imdb.com. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
- ↑ "Silent Scream (1980)". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
- ↑ "Silent Scream (1980)". Variety. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
- ↑ "Silent Scream (DVD)". scorpionreleasing.com. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
External links
The Silent Scream at the Internet Movie Database