The Shuttered Room

"There are some doors that should never be opened..."

1967 1h 39m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 40

DramaMysteryHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In a small island off the American coast, the Whateleys live in an old mill where a mysterious bloody being creates an atmosphere of horror. After her parents get killed by lightning, young Susannah is sent to New York by her aunt Agatha, who wants her to avoid the family curse. Years later Susannah, now married, persuades her husband to spend a holiday in the abandoned mill. Once on the island, Susannah and Mike soon find themselves exposed to the hostility of a gang of thugs led by Ethan, Susannah's brutal cousin.

“There are some doors that should never be opened...”

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Cast

Gig Young
Mike Kelton
Carol Lynley
Susannah Whately Kelton / Sarah
Oliver Reed
Ethan
Flora Robson
Aunt Agatha
Judith Arthy
Emma
Ann Bell
Mary Whately, Susannah's Mother
William Devlin
Zebulon Whately
Charles Lloyd Pack
Barge Master

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Greene
Writers: D.B. Ledrov, Nat Tanchuck
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

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

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David Greene, shot by Ken Hodges. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gig Young and Carol Lynley and Oliver Reed carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "There are some doors that should never be opened...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0062266 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 40 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Greene directs. Ken Hodges behind the camera. Basil Kirchin scores. Brian Smedley-Aston cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

159 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by David Greene, shot by Ken Hodges. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Basil Kirchin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Brian Smedley-Aston shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Gig Young and Carol Lynley and Oliver Reed carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "There are some doors that should never be opened...".
7IMDB entry: tt0062266 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 40 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ken Hodges
Original score: Basil Kirchin
Editing: Brian Smedley-Aston
Costume design: Caroline Mott
Makeup / hair: Eileen Warwick
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Shuttered Room (1967)

Also by

David Greene

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2019-02-15
★ 8/10
Eerie mood and scenes that burn into your psyche A well-to-do man and his young wife (Gig Young and Carol Lynley) visit an island off the coast of New England, which was the childhood home of the wife. They are harassed by ruffians and learn that her now-dilapidated estate is haunted or cursed. Although warned to leave by the locals they decide to stick around. Havoc ensues. “The Shuttered Room,” aka “Blood Island” (1967), is a drama/mystery with horror elements based on a story by August Derleth and H. P. Lovecraft. I saw it as a kid and certain scenes were effectively burned into my memory, like the gravel-surfing gang and the surfer thrust into the barbed-wire fence, the old crone eerily rocking on her perch in the tower and the spooky POV shots of the unseen presence in the old mill spying on what's happening below. Other memorable elements are the awesome Crested Serpent Eagle and the offbeat jazzy score. Oliver Reed is great as the head ruffian likely because he was a drunken brawler in real life. He has that captivating Brando aura, but with a more sinister bent. Carol Lynley (from 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure") was 24 during shooting and she's breathtaking. It's strange that her character, Susannah, is married to a man played by Gig Young in the story since he was in his early 50s, but it happens. Besides, he hardly seemed “old” and could clearly handle himself. The story takes place on an island off the coast of New England but it was shot at Kent and Hardingham, England. Although these are excellent locations you can tell it's not a New England isle. Why didn't they simply change the setting to England? Some complain about the revelation of the unseen presence at the end, but it worked for me. In fact, I found it surprising; it’s also realistic. Real life is creepier than fantasy. That's all I’ll say without spoiling it. Although it may be kind of boring to modern viewers, "The Shuttered Room" works so well (for me) because it creates an eerie mood, has striking characters played by quality actors and has a handful of memorable scenes that burn into your psyche. It's a mystery/horror flick not in the sense that it's uber-scary and gory, but rather weird, creepy and disturbing in an understated way. The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes GRADE: B+/A-

Production companies