Baron Blood

"He sought the ultimate in HUMAN AGONY... with instruments of TORTURE ghastly beyond belief!"

1972 1h 38m IT

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 152

Horror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young man, Peter, returns to Austria in search of his heritage. There he visits the castle of an ancestor, a sadistic Baron who was cursed to a violent death by a witch whom the Baron had burned at the stake. Peter reads aloud the incantation that causes Baron Blood to return and continue his murderous tortures.

“He sought the ultimate in HUMAN AGONY... with instruments of TORTURE ghastly beyond belief!”

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Cast

Joseph Cotten
Baron Otto von Kleist / Alfred Becker
Elke Sommer
Eva Arnold
Massimo Girotti
Dr. Karl Hummel
Antonio Cantafora
Peter Kleist
Umberto Raho
Inspector
Luciano Pigozzi
Fritz
Nicoletta Elmi
Gretchen Hummel
Dieter Tressler
Mayor Dortmundt

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mario Bava
Writers: Vincent Fotre, Willibald Eser, Mario Bava
Languages: Italian
Countries: Germany, Italy

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

ERA

Did you know

54 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Germany, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mario Bava, shot by Mario Bava. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Stelvio Cipriani. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Joseph Cotten and Elke Sommer and Massimo Girotti carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He sought the ultimate in HUMAN AGONY... with instruments of TORTURE ghastly beyond belief!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mario Bava directs. Mario Bava behind the camera. Stelvio Cipriani scores. Carlo Reali cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany, Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

154 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 2 countries: Germany, Italy.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Mario Bava, shot by Mario Bava. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Stelvio Cipriani. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Carlo Reali shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Joseph Cotten and Elke Sommer and Massimo Girotti carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "He sought the ultimate in HUMAN AGONY... with instruments of TORTURE ghastly beyond belief!".
9IMDB entry: tt0069048 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Mario Bava
Original score: Stelvio Cipriani
Editing: Carlo Reali
Makeup / hair: Silvana Petri
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: IT
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Baron Blood (1972)

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Mario Bava

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2019-11-18
★ 6/10
Gothic horror at an Austrian castle Taking a break from his college studies, Peter Kleist (Antonio Cantafora) flies to Austria to get in touch with his heritage. He learns that his notorious ancestor was nicknamed "Baron Blood,” a sadist cursed by a witch he burned to death. After meeting Eva (Elke Sommer) they playfully read an incantation at his family’s castle and inadvertently bring the infamous Baron back to life, which is when people start dying. Joseph Cotton is on hand as a mysterious wheelchair-bound man who purchases the chateau at auction. The original Italian title of Mario Bava’s “Baron Blood” (1972) is “The horrors of Castle Nuremberg” (translated), which describes the film in a nutshell. In style & content it places just between Hammer gothic horror and the soon-to-come slashers. The best thing about the flick is its spooky castle ambiance, which brings to mind hallowed horror like “The Terror” (1963), “Bloody Pit of Horror” (1965) and “The Devil’s Nightmare” (1971). It’s superior to the hammy “Bloody Pit,” but pretty much on par with the other two, although I prefer them for various reasons. This one's marred by nonsensical script elements concerning the witch's curious curse & the Baron's unexplained abilities. Nevertheless, it’s a top contender for gothic horror atmosphere. Antonio Cantafora looks like the Euro version of Peter Fonda, albeit less formidable (physically). Meanwhile feminine charms are limited to Elke Sommer, unless you favor witchy women like Christina/Elizabeth (both played by Rada Rassimov, who resembles Celine Dion). Little redhead Nicoletta Elmi (Gretchen) would grow up to be a striking minor actress. The film runs about 1 hour, 37 minutes, and was shot at Burg Kreuzenstein (castle) and Klosterneuburg (street scenes) & Korneuburg in Lower Austria, as well as Vienna. Writer Vincent G. Fotre was a professional tennis player who dabbled in scriptwriting. GRADE: B-/B

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