This little gem was released to theaters in the USA in 1964, however it wasn’t until it was re-released in 1968 that ‘Grand National Pictures’ (GNP) got around to releasing it in the UK. Over the years the film has developed a cult following due to its gruesome, if somewhat primitive, special effects, including some memorably bloody deaths! Derek was a regular visitor to the offices of GNP and was on very good terms with its Managing Director Maurice Wilson, who had founded the company in 1938 and had also built ‘Highbury Studios’, where he had produced a number of prewar features.
There has been a great deal of space given to the ‘colour’ climax of the film, but as far as I recall this wasn’t present when I saw this on the big screen at the Gaumont cinema in Wolverhampton in 1968, so GNP probably didn’t spend their money to produce the tinted sequence (was it tinted or colour?)
The lable was quickly put together by Derek, from publicity material from GNP and looking at what I have, may be missing an overlay. It was only used for the standard 8 release of the feature.
Label courtesy of Peter Brooke at ‘SPROCKETS’ .
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