Deathmaster

{{Infobox film | name = Deathmaster | image = | alt = The Deathmaster | caption = | native_name =  | director = Ray Danton | writer = R.L. Grove | screenplay = | story = | based_on =  | producer = Fred Sadoff James H. Nicholson Robert Quarry | starring = Robert Quarry Bill Ewing Brenda Dickson John Fiedler Betty Ann Rees William Jordan Le Sesne Hilton John Lassell | narrator = | cinematography = Wilmer C. Butler | editing = Harold Lime | music = Bill Marx | studio = | distributor = American International Pictures | released = {{Film date|1972}} | runtime = 88 mins | country = United States | language = English | budget = $120,000 | gross = }}

'''''Deathmaster''''' aka '''''The Deathmaster''''' is a 1972 American vampire horror film starring Robert Quarry.

==Background== ''Deathmaster'' was directed by Ray Danton and produced by Fred Sadoff. Robert Quarry and James H. Nicholson were also involved in the production. It stars Robert Quarry as Khorda, Bill Ewing as Pico, Brenda Dickson as Rona, John Fiedler as Pop, Betty Ann Rees as Esslin, William Jordan as Monk Reynolds, Le Sesne Hilton as Barbado and John Lassell as the Detective.<ref>''The Horror Film Handbook'', By Alan G. Frank · 1982 - {{ISBN|978-0-389-20260-8}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Horror_Film_Handbook/WqYqAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22The+Deathmaster%22&dq=%22The+Deathmaster%22&printsec=frontcover Page 43 ''THE DEATHMASTER'']</ref>

With the Manson Murders being quite recent, Quarry wanted to make a Charles Manson-type vampire.<ref>''Screening the Undead'' ''Vampires and Zombies in Film and Television'', Edited by Leon Hunt, Sharon Lockyer and Milly Williamson, 2014 - {{ISBN|978-1-84885-924-1}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Screening_the_Undead/iBupDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Deathmaster%22Robert+Quarry%22&pg=PA26&printsec=frontcover Page 26]</ref>

Part of the film was shot in a house on the Hollywood Hills. In many of the film's scenes, real hippies were used and according to the book, ''What's His Name? John Fiedler'' by Elizabeth Messina, many of the hippies were on drugs.<ref>''What's His Name? John Fiedler'', ''The Man the Face the Voice'', By Elizabeth Messina · 2012 - {{ISBN|978-1-4685-5857-9}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/What_s_His_Name_John_Fiedler/XqaWtV6Om1sC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Deathmaster+Robert+Quarry&pg=PA99&printsec=frontcover Pages 98 - 99]</ref>

This film also was the feature film debut for television actress Brenda Dickson.<ref>American Film Institute - [https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/54451 The Deathmaster (1972)]</ref> Both Bobby Pickett who played Kirkwood and LeSesne Hilton who played Barbado<ref>American Film Institute - [https://catalog.afi.com/Film/54451-THE-DEATHMASTER?sid=c8ab96bd-a973-4ef7-a507-39cbb8dc582b&sr=3.4116473&cp=1&pos=2 The Deathmaster (1972), CREDITS]</ref> were musicians.<ref>''Behind the Screams at Spookyworld'', By David Bertolino · 2026 - {{ISBN|978-1-57715-917-9}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Behind_the_Screams_at_Spookyworld/7HbBEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Bobby+Boris+Pickett%22&pg=PA71&printsec=frontcover Page 71]</ref><ref>Colnect - [https://colnect.com/da/music_records/music_record/8323950-Le_Sesne_Hilton_Alone_In_A_Crowded_Room_Goodbye_Love Musikoptagelser katalog : Musikoptagelse › Le Sesne Hilton: Alone In A Crowded Room / Goodbye Love]</ref> Pickett was known for the hit "Monster Mash".<ref>Billboard, 10/30/2018 - [https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/bobby-boris-pickett-monster-mash-song-8482404/ Rock, How Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett Turned ‘Monster Mash’ Into a Graveyard Smash By Fred Bronson]</ref> Hilton was one of the featured performers at the 1963 Pasadena Folk Festival<ref> Bruno Ceriotti Rock Historian - [https://brunoceriotti.weebly.com/david-lindley--chris-darrow-1944-1966-pre-kaleidoscope.html Sunday, August 18, 1963: ‘Pasadena 1st Annual Folk Festival]</ref> and had provided music for Robert M. Quittner's 1966 film, ''Dropouts Anonymous''.<ref>''Film Composers in America'' ''A Filmography 1911 - 1970'' Second Edition, Clifford McCarty - {{ISBN|978-0-19-511473-7}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Film_Composers_in_America/IK7tuydSUpQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Robert+M.+Quittner+Dropouts+Anonymous&pg=PA138&printsec=frontcover Page 138 HILTON, LESESNE 1965 ''Dropouts Anonymous'' (doc. short) ROBERT M. QUITTNER]</ref><ref>''Bibliography on the Urban Crisis'', By Jon K. Meyer, M.D. 1969 - Public Heath Service Publication No. 1948 - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Public_Health_Service_Publication/ttPwKHmwafwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Robert+M.+Quittner+Dropouts+Anonymous&pg=PA56&printsec=frontcover Page 56 AUDIO-VISUAL, 1366 ''Dropouts Anonymous'']</ref> According to Robert Quarry, Hilton was the easiest to cast. They were looking for someone to play his mysterious and evil servant. They put out a casting call but didn't get a lot of people coming in due to them paying the bare minimum wage. Hilton walked through the door, and Quarry said "there's the first casting". Quarry said that Hilton was a nice fellow, very mysterious looking and very tall.<ref>''Deathmaster'' DVD, Retromedia, UPC 0802993103894, 2002, Commentry 1:01 - 1:41</ref>

According to ''Psychotronic Video'', the film cost $120,000 and was completed two days ahead of time.<ref>''Psychotronic Video'', 33 - [https://archive.org/details/Psychotronic_Video_33/page/n35/mode/2up?q=Deathmaster Page 35 Sadoff and Danton shot DEATHMASTER for $120,000]</ref>

The film had a run in the theaters but due to lack of promotion, it was brief, and it was licensed for television quite quickly, ending up in the late-night slot.<ref>''Art! Trash! Terror!'', By Chris Alexander · 2025 - {{ISBN|978-1-915316-44-8}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Art_Trash_Terror/mYVBEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22The+Deathmaster%22&pg=PT195&printsec=frontcover THE DEATHMASTER 1972]</ref>

According to the book ''Horror Film Stars, 3d Ed.'' by Michael R. Pitts, the film was originally called ''Khorda''.<ref>''Horror Film Stars, 3d Ed.'', By Michael R. Pitts · 2024 - {{ISBN|978-1-4766-1034-4}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Horror_Film_Stars_3d_ed/6ZIuEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Deathmaster+Robert+Quarry&pg=PA386&printsec=frontcover Page 386]</ref>

==Story== A coffin washes ashore and it is retrieved by Barbado, a mute manservant. Inside the coffin is Khorda, a vampire. He soon positions himself as a charismatic guru-like figure amongst a community of hippies, where he manages to exert an influence over them. Little do they suspect that his motives are sinister.

==Reception== The film was given one out of four stars by reviewer Roger Ebert.<ref>Roger Ebert.com - [https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-deathmaster-1972 Reviews, The Deathmaster]</ref>

In Jon Kitley's 30 April 2016 review, Robert Quarry's character Khorda was described as a kind of cross between Yorga and Charles Manson with long hair and a goatee, and Quarry was said to be excellent in his role as a vampire. He also wrote that while the rest of the cast weren't that great, it was worth mentioning that John Fiedler who everyone would recognize, was in the film as well as Betty Anne Rees and Bobby Boris Pickett of "The Monster Mash" fame in an uncredited role as a hippie. On the visual quality of the film, he wrote that it was excellent and mentioned the extras; the 35mm theatrical trailer, trailers for ''Yorga, Vampire'' and ''Sugar Hill'', as well as four different still galleries, radio spots, TV commercials. And there was also the audio commentary by Quarry himself, along with Fred Olen Ray, with a lot of interesting information about making the film.<ref>Kitley's Krypt, April 30, 2016 - [https://kitleyskrypt.com/2016/04/30/movie-review-deathmaster/ Movie Review: Deathmaster By John Kitley]</ref>

The film was given two-and-a-half stars by Moria Reviews in May 2016.<ref>Moira Reviews, 18 May 2016 - [https://moriareviews.com/horror/deathmaster-1972.htm Deathmaster Deathmaster (1972)]</ref>

The reviewer for Horror and Sons wasn't positive but wrote "It’s a harmless way to kill 90 minutes".<ref>Horror and Sons, February 1, 2017 - [https://horrorandsons.com/2017/02/01/the-deathmaster-1972-movie-review/ 70's, Movie Review, The Deathmaster (1972) Movie Review]</ref>

The reviewer for Rue Morgue (pub. 23 Feb. 2019) wrote that the film carries over from the Yorga movies in an eerie and effective way of portraying vampires on screen. The reviewer also wrote that the end image in the film seemed to be a deliberate nod to the psychedelic film, ''The Trip'' by Roger Corman.<ref>Rue Morgue, Saturday, February 23, 2019 - [https://rue-morgue.com/retrospective-peace-love-the-undead-the-hippie-vampires-of-deathmaster-1972/ RETROSPECTIVE: PEACE, LOVE & THE UNDEAD – THE HIPPIE VAMPIRES OF “DEATHMASTER” (1972)]</ref>

In the 2019 book, ''American International Pictures, A Comprehensive Filmography'' by Rob Craig, there was said to be more than a passing similarity between the hypnotic appeal of Khorda and the charisma of Charles Manson.<ref>''American International Pictures'' ''A Comprehensive Filmography'', By Rob Craig · 2019 - {{ISBN|978-1-4766-6631-0}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/American_International_Pictures/e0CIDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22The+Deathmaster%22&pg=PA116&printsec=frontcover Pages 115-116 ''The Deathmaster'']</ref>

In his 2025 book, ''Art! Trash! Terror!'', Chris Alexander writes that the film is "beautiful, arch, lyrical and weird and Quarry is simply amazing in it.".<ref>''Art! Trash! Terror!'', By Chris Alexander · 2025 - {{ISBN|978-1-915316-44-8}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Art_Trash_Terror/mYVBEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22The+Deathmaster%22&pg=PT195&printsec=frontcover THE DEATHMASTER 1972]</ref>

==Later years== For decades the film was almost forgotten until one day filmmaker Fred Olen Ray who was a fan of the film got hold of the 35mm negative and released it on DVD via his own Retromdedia label.<ref>''Art! Trash! Terror!'', By Chris Alexander · 2025 - {{ISBN|978-1-915316-44-8}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Art_Trash_Terror/mYVBEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22The+Deathmaster%22&pg=PT195&printsec=frontcover THE DEATHMASTER 1972]</ref> It is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and has a Dolby Digital 5.1 option.<ref>Blu-ray Authority, January 28, 2012 - [https://blurayauthority.com/standard-dvd/the-deathmaster/ The Deathmaster]</ref> The bonus feature includes commentary by himself and Robert Quarry.<ref>''Art! Trash! Terror!'', By Chris Alexander · 2025 - {{ISBN|978-1-915316-44-8}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Art_Trash_Terror/mYVBEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22The+Deathmaster%22&pg=PT195&printsec=frontcover THE DEATHMASTER 1972]</ref>

==Cast== * Robert Quarry - Khorda * Bill Ewing - Pico * Brenda Dickson - Rona * John Fiedler - Pop * Bob Pickett - Kirkwood * Betty Anne Rees - Esslin * William Jordan - Monk * Le Sesne Hilton - Barbado * John Lasell - Detective * Freda T. Vanterpool - Dancer <ref>American Film Institute - [https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/54451 The Deathmaster (1972), Cast]</ref> ==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb title}} * {{Letterboxd title}} * SudioMars channel on YouTube, Oct 4, 2025 - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om9CLhsfztc Deathmaster (1972) Official Trailer HD (video)] * Rotten Tomatoes - [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deathmaster The Deathmaster] * Horror & Sci-Fi Fun Facts channel, Aug 31, 2025 - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlK5oUjuJtc Deathmaster 1972 Production Facts You Won't Believe!]

Category:1972 films Category:1972 horror films Category:American independent films Category:Films shot in Los Angeles Category:1972 English-language films Category:American vampire films Category:1970s vampire films Category:English-language horror films