LA CASA DE LAS SOMBRAS DEL PASADO

A creepy Welsh manor with Price, Lee and Cushing

A popular American author (Desi Arnaz Jr.) opts to write his next novel at a spooky mansion in Wales that’s supposed to be vacant… but it’s not.

The selling point of the curiously obscure "House of the Long Shadows" (1983) is the teaming of horror legends Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, not to mention John Carradine. You can’t go wrong if you’re in the mood for a mystery/horror that takes place in a huge Gothic manor or castle and the eerie happenings thereof. It’s like a live-action version of Scooby-Doo without the dog, teens or Mystery Machine.

Desi Arnaz Jr. (the son of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, naturally) makes for a great protagonist and it’s a shame he didn’t go on to greater success as a starring actor. Meanwhile blonde Julie Peasgood is effective enough as his potential gal, Mary, while brunette Louise English is worth a mention as Diana.

I’m not going to give anything away, but the well-done ending was borrowed for future, better movies. While it’s seemingly innovative, Shakespeare used the plot device 380 years earlier. Another interesting element of the film was borrowed by a slasher flick three years later. Speaking of borrowing, “Clue” was obviously inspired by it, not to mention much more successful, but don’t look for any goofiness here.

The movie runs 1 hour, 42 minutes, and was shot Rotherfield Park, East Tisted, Alton, Hampshire, which is about 55 miles southwest of London.

GRADE: B-