Nightmare Castle movie storyline. Muriel Hampton Arrowsmith (Barbara Steele) has entered the lab of her husband Dr. Stephen Arrowsmith (Paul Muller) with a drink. He chastises her for entering without permission, commenting on her drinking. She acknowledges that he is leaving for a scientific conference where he will be with other fanatical good-for-nothings like yourself she taunts.
He tells her not to speak to him like that. She reminds him that she is his wife and would like to spend the night with him. They kiss. Muriel notices that this has been observed by Solange (Helga Liné), who is waiting to see him off on his long journey. They say their goodbyes and he tells her he will only be a couple of days gone. The carriage is brought up by David (Rik Battaglia) who asks about the new plants. He is told to water them in the greenhouse. Dr. Arrowsmith leaves.
Muriel goes to the piano and plays music. Hearing this, David drops what he is doing and heads into the house to meet her. Muriel disrobes, puts on her nightgown and perfume and begins passionate kissing with David, which progresses to the bed. She stops, suggesting they are too near Solanges room and they should go to the greenhouse. Once there, they lie down and begin passionate kissing.
Outside we see Dr. Arrowsmith waiting and watching for a signal from Solange. From an upstairs window we see a light flashing back and forth. Holding his cane, he enters the greenhouse and confronts the lovers. He strikes David in the face with his cane, then his wife. Next we see both of them strung up on a wall with Stephen whipping them. He uses a heated poker on David. Next we see Stephen pouring a glass of water from a pitcher. Both look thirsty and Muriel begs for a sip. He brings it close, then pours it out. She curses him with her hatred, but then confesses that she recently remade her will, leaving all her wealth to her step-sister Jenny.
Stephen is pouring through a book, presumably a law book, as he plans what he will do. Solange tells him he will have to keep her alive, but that Solange wants her share of the money that he has promised her. He reassures her that he will win and Solange will get what is coming to her. Then he says Jenny will inherit the money, but everyone knows Jenny is mad. She will be confined to a mental hospital and he will discover the cure.
Next we see Muriel and David in the bedroom with Muriel chained to the bed and David chained to a chair. Stephen drips acid onto Muriel from a contraption and she cries out. David cries out as well, seeing her suffer. Stephen releases him from the chair and he rises, to be pushed onto the bed with her. Still shackled on his feet with wires connected, Stephen turns on a switch which electrocutes them both in bed. They cry out.
Nightmare Castle (Italian: Amanti d’Oltretomba) is a 1965 Italian horror film directed by Mario Caiano. The film stars Paul Muller, Helga Liné and Barbara Steele in a dual role. Mario Caiano shot the film in Rome and declared it his tribute to the Gothic genre and to actress Barbara Steele. Among reviews of the film, critics and historians note Steele’s dual performance.
Director Mario Caiano stated that Nightmare Castle was born out of his passion for actress Barbara Steele and the Gothic genre, a style which he began to love between 1943 and ’44 when he first read Edgar Allan Poe’s work. Caiano said that he was not influenced by director Mario Bava, and did not remember seeing his films at the time with the possible exception of Black Sunday (1960). The initial script treatment for the film was titled Orgasmo and re-uses ideas from Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”.
Caiano’s father Carlo was the producer of the film and was given a low budget to work with. With his friend art director Bruno Cesari, Caiano found a villa to use as a shooting location. The film was shot at Villa Parisi in Frascati and at Incir-De-Paolis Studios in Rome over 18 days. The film was released in black-and-white, shot by director of photography Enzo Barboni, but it was originally planned for some scenes to be given a red tint in post production.
Nightmare Castle was released in Italy on 16 July 1965 where it was distributed by Emmeci. The film grossed a total of 154 million Italian lire on its theatrical release. The film was released by Allied Artists Pictures in the United States on 5 July 1966, shortly before the studio’s initial demise.
Nightmare Castle (1965)
Directed by: Mario Caiano
Starring: Barbara Steele, Paul Muller, Helga Liné, Marino Masé, Rik Battaglia, Giuseppe Addobbati
Screenplay by: Mario Caiano, Fabio De Agostini
Production Design by: Massimo Tavazzi
Cinematography by: Enzo Barboni
Film Editing by: Renato Cinquini
Costume Design by: Mario Giorsi
Set Decoration by: Massimo Tavazzi
Music by: Ennio Morricone
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Emmeci
Release Date: July 16, 1965 (Italy)
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