By Richard Harland Smith
Two on a Guillotine
Brief Synopsis
A magician's estranged daughter must stay in his mansion for seven nights alone to inherit his fortune.
Cast & Crew
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William Conrad
Director
Connie Stevens
Melinda Duquesne/Cassie Duquesne
Dean Jones
Val Henderson
Cesar Romero
"Duke" Duquesne
Parley Baer
"Buzz" Sheridan
Virginia Gregg
Dolly Bast
Film Details
Genre
Horror/Science-Fiction
Horror
Thriller
Release Date
Jan
1965
Premiere Information
New York opening: 13 Jan 1965
Production Company
Warner Bros. Pictures
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 47m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1
Synopsis
Cassie Duquesne, daughter of magician "Duke" Duquesne, whose wife, Melinda, was accidentally beheaded during their act in 1944, returns to Los Angeles 20 years later to attend her father's funeral. She learns that his will stipulates that, in order to receive her inheritance, she must spend seven consecutive nights in his old mansion. Duquesne claimed that he would make his presence known to her on one of those nights. Reporter Val Henderson arrives and is allowed to stay at the old house with her until Cassie learns that he is planning a story on her vigil. That night, after Val has left, Duquesne appears, alive and insane, and attempts his guillotine routine on her. Val returns with the police, however, in time to save her.
Director
William Conrad
Director
Cast
Connie Stevens
Melinda Duquesne/Cassie Duquesne
Dean Jones
Val Henderson
Cesar Romero
"Duke" Duquesne
Parley Baer
"Buzz" Sheridan
Virginia Gregg
Dolly Bast
Connie Gilchrist
Ramona Ryerdon
John Hoyt
Carl Vickers
Russell Thorson
Carmichael
Crew
Gordon Bau
Makeup Supervisor
William Conrad
Producer
Murray Cutter
Orch Conductor
John Kneubuhl
Screenwriter
Sam Leavitt
Director of Photography
Art Loel
Art Director
Phil Rawlins
Assistant Director
Jean Burt Reilly
Supervisor hairstyles
Henry Slesar
Screenwriter
Henry Slesar
Story
Francis E. Stahl
Sound
Max Steiner
Music
William Wallace
Set Decoration
William Ziegler
Film Editor
Film Details
Genre
Horror/Science-Fiction
Horror
Thriller
Release Date
Jan
1965
Premiere Information
New York opening: 13 Jan 1965
Production Company
Warner Bros. Pictures
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 47m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1
Articles
Two on a Guillotine -
The success of William Castle's low budget/high impact shockers for Columbia and Universal Pictures spawned a host of imitators looking for the maximum yield from the minimum investment. At Warner Bros., veteran Hollywood actor turned producer/director William Conrad was entrusted with a trio of genre titles making economical use of contract players and standing sets. Two on a Guillotine (1965) was Conrad's second feature as a director-for-hire and tells the story of the orphan daughter (Connie Stevens) of a famed magician (Cesar Romero) who is obliged, in order to collect her inheritance, to spend a week in her dead father's creepy mansion. Fresh from his brief run as TV's Ensign O'Toole and prior to signing on as a regular leading man for Walt Disney, Dean Jones costars as a reporter who keeps Stevens company through her ordeal but who is always out of eye and earshot when things (not the least of which, a severed head) go bump in the night. With the majority of the film confined to the Warners backlot, Conrad maximizes his production value by shooting exteriors at eye-catching area locations, including Riverside, California's Benedict Castle, the Hollywood Bowl, and Santa Monica's Pacific Ocean Amusement Park (where Conrad contributes a Hitchcock-style cameo during a walk through the Mirror Maze). A throwback to the Old Dark House thrillers of the pre-Code era, Two on a Guillotine marked the final feature film credit for three-time Academy Award-winning composer Max Steiner.
By Richard Harland Smith
By Richard Harland Smith
Two on a Guillotine -
The success of William Castle's low budget/high impact shockers for Columbia and Universal Pictures spawned a host of imitators looking for the maximum yield from the minimum investment. At Warner Bros., veteran Hollywood actor turned producer/director William Conrad was entrusted with a trio of genre titles making economical use of contract players and standing sets. Two on a Guillotine (1965) was Conrad's second feature as a director-for-hire and tells the story of the orphan daughter (Connie Stevens) of a famed magician (Cesar Romero) who is obliged, in order to collect her inheritance, to spend a week in her dead father's creepy mansion. Fresh from his brief run as TV's Ensign O'Toole and prior to signing on as a regular leading man for Walt Disney, Dean Jones costars as a reporter who keeps Stevens company through her ordeal but who is always out of eye and earshot when things (not the least of which, a severed head) go bump in the night. With the majority of the film confined to the Warners backlot, Conrad maximizes his production value by shooting exteriors at eye-catching area locations, including Riverside, California's Benedict Castle, the Hollywood Bowl, and Santa Monica's Pacific Ocean Amusement Park (where Conrad contributes a Hitchcock-style cameo during a walk through the Mirror Maze). A throwback to the Old Dark House thrillers of the pre-Code era, Two on a Guillotine marked the final feature film credit for three-time Academy Award-winning composer Max Steiner.
By Richard Harland Smith
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States Winter January 1, 1965
Released in United States Winter January 1, 1965
