Here’s a turn up for the books – me talking about something on the radio that you have more than one day to listen to!
Vincent Price and The Horror of The English Blood Beast is an excellent play based around the making of Witchfinder General in 1967.
If you’ve never seen Witchfinder General, then after listening to this, you’ll almost certainly want to (indeed it’s a shame that BBC2 or BBC4 didn’t schedule a screening of the film in parallel with this play). Vincent Price crossed the Atlantic to play the title role of Matthew Hopkins, who genuinely was the Witchfinder General in the 17th century during the period of the English Civil War.
The play is set against the making of the film as the audaciously talented director Michael Reeves battled with Price who at the time was a waning force having relied on a series of hackneyed performances in cheap US films.
Nickolas Grace plays Price with gusto as he arrives on an East Anglian set and slowly begins to realise that he’s going to have to do something a bit different to his usual autopilot persona. And Kenneth Cranham is excellent as the sleazy Soho producer, Tony Tenser, who’s having to deal with his artistic and bull-headed director, his problematical star, and the sleazy expectations of the people he’s pre-sold the film to. In real life, as well as things like London in the Raw (recently released on DVD by the BFI in their Flipside series), Tenser worked on two of my favourite early Polanski films, Repulsion and Cul-de-Sac.
The film was to be Matthew Reeves’ last, and it’s a shame that he didn’t live on to make many more films.
Matthew Broughton has obviously done a fair amount of research in writing this piece. Anyway – go away and spend an hour with this terrific play.
When you’ve listened to it, you really will want to get the excellent DVD which is very reasonably priced, although at time of writing it seems to be proving very popular.
Vincent Price and The Horror of The English Blood Beast
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11 responses to “Vincent Price and The Horror of The English Blood Beast”
Yes I thought the play was good too, found out with half an hour to go only because I had just been listening to “Any Questions” – and I’m a fan of the film. I recorded the programme from Freeview. Excellent… But I cannot agree with you on that poor UK DVD, and recommend:-
The MGM Restored version with commentary by Ian Ogilvy (US Region 1, NTSC format)
http://www.amazon.com/Witchfinder-General-Vincent-Price/dp/B000RO9PUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1268105728&sr=1-1
If you must go with PAL and Region 2, then the French release has exactly the same superb print (it was actually out a few months earlier), but misses out on the commentary.
Le Grand Inquisiteur (Witchfinder General)
http://www.neopublishing.com/dvd.php?pdt_id=167&lang=0
Both show up the various UK DVD issues over the years which all feature the poor quality videotape inserts. Shocking that the latest budget re-release came out at the same time as the superb American disc. Start surfing for DVD review sites, of which there are several.
Actually – I rewatched my Witchfinder General DVD on Sunday evening, and you’re right. It is poor. At least they made the effort to track down all those elements, but it’s not fully restored, and the video inserts are glaring.
Kim Newman’s notes are worth reading though. Anyway, I shall track down the Region 1 version as hearing Ogilvy’s commentary would be well worthwhile.
I enjoyed the play but thought it could have been much better if they’d got a better and more accomplished actor to play Vincent Price. I thought Nickolas Grace’s performance was fairly poor all round – he sounded nothing like price, his American accent was unconvincing and, for me, the portrayal lacked subtlety. Of course Kenneth Cranham was – as ever – great.
Regarding the Vincent Price portrayal: there was and will only ever be one Vincent Price.
Nickolas Grace own place in history is assured as the best ever Sheriff of Nottingham (evidently – he killed Robin Hood; only to see him replaced by another… whose real-life mum played Miss Rose in “The Wicker Man”).
Not that I have anything against Alan Rickman you understand (badass on screen but hero in real life: Producer of the play “My Name Is Rachel Corrie”
Incidentally I was in a charity shop yesterday in Edinburgh when I saw and purchased Sir Christopher Lee’s autobiography (it was under £2) and the lady who had sold me the book had listened to the [“Vincent Price”] play! I’ve promised her a CD copy (it’s not what you think!)
A great radio play – Strange I thought the actor playing Price nailed him but the actor playing Oglivy was all wrong. Still and excellent radio play.
Sadly as a big Price Fan I missed the radio play, Id be very happy to buy a recording of the radio play if anyone had the foresight to record it please……
A funny and very true story (I know, ‘cos I was there)… The finest cinema in Scotland, the Cameo in Edinburgh, ran a Vincent Price Sunday matinée double-bill a few years back – “Witchfinder General” followed by “Theatre of Blood”. As a single man I invited a male friend, an intelligent geology Phd student who surprised me when he told me he hadn’t seen either, as I knew he liked old-style horror. We arranged to meet at the cinema. He arrived just in time, after I had given up and sat down on my own. Suddenly I noticed a powerful whiff of CH3CH2OH. Yes, my pal had been at an all-night houseparty. He fell asleep and snored LOUDLY throughout “Witchfinder”. Luckily there weren’t that many people in but those in front in the next row must have been disturbed during quiet moments, although no-one complained. During the interval between the films, my friend was still asleep (after Hilary Dwyer’s screams!) and so I didn’t complain but apologised to and ‘warned’ the usher, who said he would keep an eye on him. He woke up as the opening music for “Theatre of Blood” and I told my companion of the embarrassment he had caused me, as well as his disturbing the other movie-goers’ afternoon. Thankfully he stayed awake and quiet during “Theatre”, only I turned and smiled to him right after Vincent snapped at him [yes] “You slept like a drunken hog through one of my finest performances!” He apologised to staff afterwards.
I recorded the play, from Freeview (as good as today’s digitised FM and infinitely superior to the dreaded, drab DAB). It’s on my PC as a DVD-quality wav file, I haven’t bothered to downrate and transfer to audio CD yet as I’m busy trying to look for a job (Britain’s most popular pastime). If you are very patient you may eventually get it for free, as it’s no longer available from the Beeb. There are those offshore of the Carribean and others around Gallows Oak in Sherwood.
PS (he passed his Phd!)
Brian
Email me garydobbs@hotmail.co.uk – I’ll send you a copy of the recording. No Charge
Odeon Entertainment release Witchfinder General – Digitally Remastered *UK* Blu Ray Edition on Monday 13 June 2011!
http://www.odeonent.co.uk/product.asp?cid=&pid=2508
Extras include:
Audio Commentary with Michael Reeves biographer Benjamin Halligan and Director Michael Armstrong.
Documentary: The Blood Beast: The Films of Michael Reeves (24 Mins)
Documentary: Bloody Crimes: Witchcraft and Matthew Hopkins (24 Mins)
Vincent Price on Aspel & Company (10 Mins)
Intrusion: Michael Reeves Short Film with optional commentary. (Never before commercially released)
Alternate Scenes from the Export Version.
Theatrical Trailer and Stills Gallery.
Alternate US Opening and closing Credits.
Thanks for that Duncan!
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