1962 telefilm adaptation of the classic American play about a deranged family and the string of murders they flippantly commit
Tony Randall
Mortimer Brewster
Boris Karloff
Jonathan Brewster
Dorothy Stickney
Abby Brewster
Mildred Natwick
Martha Brewster
Tom Bosley
Teddy Brewster
George Voskovec
Dr. Herman Einstein
Farrell Pelly
Rev. Dr. Harper
Dort Clark
Officer Brophy
Nathaniel Frey
Officer Klein
Dodie Heath
Elaine Harper
Alan MacAteer
Mr. Gibbs
Ralph Dunn
Lt. Rooney
Edward F. Cullen
Mr. Witherspoon
Director
George Schaefer
Writer
Joseph Kesselring
November 19, 2024
7
Tony Randall ("Mortimer") is great as the nephew who returns to his family home, and to his two maiden aunts "Abby" (Dorothy Stickney") and "Martha" (Mildred Natwick) who look very much the refined, gracious, butter-wouldn't-melt type. Shortly afterwards, however, he discovers that these two elderly spinsters have a grisly secret in their basement and when his long-lost brother "Jonathan" (Boris Karloff) arrives; he discovers that this runs in the family! It hasn't quite the charm of the 1944 iteration, and the theatrical staging - and frequently annoying interventions of "Teddy" (Tom Bosley) do detract a bit from the comedy, but the principals are on good form and all in all it's quite a charming outing for Karloff, especially, who plays his menacing, comedic, part as much to camera as to his partners on the "stage". Luckily, I've never been partial to elderberry wine...
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00