
1962 telefilm adaptation of the classic American play about a deranged family and the string of murders they flippantly commit
Release Date: 2/5/1962
Runtime: 76 minutes
Languages: English
Director: George Schaefer
00CinemaSerf
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...
Martha Brewster

Tony Randall
Mortimer Brewster

Dorothy Stickney
Abby Brewster

Mildred Natwick
Martha Brewster

Tom Bosley
Teddy Brewster

George Voskovec
Dr. Einstein

Boris Karloff
Jonathan Brewster
Farrell Pelly
Dr. Harper

Dort Clark
Officer Brophy

Nathaniel Frey
Officer Klein

Dodie Heath
Elaine Harper
Alan MacAteer
Mr. Gibbs

Ralph Dunn
Lieutenant Rooney