Long Hair of Death
a.k.a. I lunghi capelli della morte
1964 · Directed by Antonio Margheriti · Italy
Long Hair of Death (1964), directed by Antonio Margheriti, is a gothic horror set in medieval Italy. It concerns a woman burned as a witch and the curse that hangs over the ruling family responsible for her execution.
British actress Barbara Steele, once described as “the only girl in films whose eyelids can snarl,” plays a dual role: first as Helen Karnstein, eldest daughter of the murdered woman. She is thrown to her death by Count Humboldt, the patriarch of the family, and returns reincarnated as the mysterious stranger Mary to seek revenge on them. Alongside her younger sister, Lizabeth, who has been forced to marry the cruel Kurt, she plots that revenge.
Margheriti piles on the dread and rotting corpses to good effect. Steele shines as always, and Italian actor George Ardisson plays the unhinged Kurt Humboldt with increasing paranoia. He meets his fiery fate at the hands of the put-upon Lizabeth, who finally gets revenge for her mother.
Margheriti made Castle of Blood earlier that year, with another standout performance from Steele. Long Hair of Death pales by comparison, but it’s a notable footnote in the early-60s Italian gothic horror canon, where Barbara and her extraordinary eyebrows were a regular feature. She would go on to appear in many horror films across her long career, including Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968), Shivers (1975) and Piranha (1978).
Gallery
Trailer
From the score
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Carlo Rustichelli – I Lunghi Capelli della Morte (1964)
