The Legacy

"It is a birthright of living death..."

1978 1h 42m EN

😐

5.4

MID

★5.4TMDB · 81

HorrorThrillerMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A couple attempts to unravel a sinister plot within the English countryside estate of a dying man who has gathered an eclectic and notable group of house guests.

“It is a birthright of living death...”

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Cast

Katharine Ross
Margaret Walsh
Sam Elliott
Pete Danner
Roger Daltrey
Clive Jackson
John Standing
Jason Mountolive
Ian Hogg
Harry
Margaret Tyzack
Nurse Adams
Charles Gray
Karl Liebnecht
Lee Montague
Jacques Grandier

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Marquand
Writers: Jimmy Sangster, Paul Wheeler, Jimmy Sangster
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Marquand, shot by Dick Bush. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael J. Lewis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Anne V. Coates shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Marquand directs. Dick Bush behind the camera. Michael J. Lewis scores. Anne V. Coates cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.
348 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Richard Marquand, shot by Dick Bush. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Michael J. Lewis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Anne V. Coates shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott and Roger Daltrey carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "It is a birthright of living death...".
11IMDB entry: tt0079450 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Only 81 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
13Classified under 11 themes, including "cat", "broken mirror", "shocking", "hostile".