DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK (1973) – Episode 215 – Decades Of Horror 1970s

“When will they come? When will they come? When will they come and set us free?” Who are “they?” Who are “us?” Free from what? Sheez, so many questions. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr – as they visit the Farnham household for answers in Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973).

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 215 – Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)

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Decades of Horror 1970s is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of the podcast and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

A young couple inherits an old mansion inhabited by small demon-like creatures determined to make the wife one of their own.

 

• Directed by: John Newland
• Writer: Nigel McKeand
• Music by: Billy Goldenberg
• Cinematography by: Andrew Jackson (director of photography)
• Makeup Department: Michael Hancock (makeup artist) (as Mike Hancock); Robert Sidell (makeup artist); Bruce Jossen (hair stylist) (as Jossen);
• Selected Cast:
  • Kim Darby as Sally Farnham
  • Jim Hutton as Alex Farnham
  • Barbara Anderson as Joan Kahn
  • William Demarest as Mr. Harris
  • Pedro Armendáriz Jr. as Francisco Perez (as Pedro Armendariz Jr.)
  • Lesley Woods as Ethyl
  • Robert Cleaves as Doctor
  • Sterling Swanson as Policeman
  • Joel Lawrence as George Kahn (as J.H. Lawrence)
  • William Sylvester as Tom Henderson
  • Don Mallon as Bob
  • Celia Milius as Anne (as Celia Kaye)
  • Elizabeth St. Clair as Party Guest
  • Monika Henreid as Party Guest (as Monica Henreid)
  • Robert Priest as Party Guest
  • Ted Swanson as Bartender
  • Felix Silla as Creature
  • Tamara De Treaux as Creature (as Tamara DeTreaux)
  • Patty Maloney as Creature
  • Nigel McKeand as Demon (voice) (uncredited)

Ah, the “movie-of-the-week” in the Seventies in the States, when the family gathered around the boob tube deciding which network to watch. On occasion, the decision was to catch a scary movie, perhaps, such as this episode’s topic, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973). The film is littered with small, creepy, whispering “demons” out to get Sally (Kim Darby). Will they succeed in claiming Sally as one of their own? All the while, her husband (Jim Hutton) and their handyman (William Demarest) argue on the phone and her friend (Barbara Anderson) gets locked out of the house. How does this TV quickie hold up? Trust that the grue Crew has an opinion.

At the time of this writing, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is available to stream from archivedotorg and PPV from Google Play and YouTube, and on physical media in Blu-ray format from Warner Archives.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror two-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In two weeks, the next episode, chosen by Chad, will be The Alien Factor (1978), a science fiction, horror film shot on a micro-budget with some ringers hiding in the credits for the film’s special effects. 

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