Reviewed by Richard Chatten
When acclaimed Shakespearean actor Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price) is humiliated by London’s leading theatre critics and believed dead after a failed suicide attempt, he returns to exact a series of elaborate murders inspired by Shakespeare’s plays. Assisted by his devoted daughter Edwina (Diana Rigg), Lionheart transforms revenge into grand theatrical spectacle, staging each killing with a flourish worthy of the Bard himself.
The mood is established from the outset with scenes from German silent films featuring Werner Krauss as Othello and Shylock before moving forward half a century to a London that now itself feels like another era, where the police drive Austin Westminsters and distinguished actors such as Denis Price and Arthur Lowe were still in their prime.
Unlike his previous incarnation as Anton Phibes—able only to speak through a microphone in his neck—Vincent Price is given free rein as Edward Lionheart, and he seizes the opportunity with obvious relish.
Delivering Shakespearean verse with booming conviction and gleeful theatricality, Price gives one of the finest performances of his career, effortlessly balancing menace, pathos and wicked humour. It is impossible not to enjoy watching him inhabit each disguise and savour every poetic act of revenge.
He is magnificently partnered by Diana Rigg as his fiercely loyal daughter Edwina. Rigg proves to be far more than an accomplice, matching Price’s exuberance while bringing charm, intelligence and wit to the role. Whether dressed as a police officer, a fashionable young woman in mini-skirt and boots, or one of her many other disguises, she is endlessly captivating, her unmistakable voice instantly recognisable throughout. The father-and-daughter dynamic gives the film much of its warmth and humour, making their murderous campaign oddly endearing.
The supporting cast is equally impressive, with Coral Browne, Harry Andrews, Robert Morley, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern, Ian Hendry, Denis Price and Arthur Lowe forming a wonderfully distinguished gallery of critics whose pompous self-importance makes them ideal targets. Browne is especially memorable as one of Lionheart’s unfortunate victims and, given that she was Vincent Price’s wife in real life, her appearance adds an extra layer of interest.
Blending horror, black comedy and a genuine affection for Shakespeare, Theater of Blood remains one of British cinema’s most inventive and entertaining horror films. With ingenious set-piece murders, razor-sharp satire and a career-best performance from Vincent Price superbly complemented by Diana Rigg, it stands as a richly deserved cult classic.
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