help w/film title!!!!

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:46pm

Hi all. Can someone PLEASE help me? Years ago I saw a great black & white horror film. It was from the 1950's, possibly very early 1960's. It was American.

It was a bit campy yet eerie. Murders are being committed, in a desolate old house. In the final climax, the it is revealed that the murderer is one of the female characters, who, as it turns out is actually a man in female drag.

The entire film you believed it WAS a woman. The drag was ASTOUNDINGLY convincing. The actor essaying the role was a genteel lady in look, manner, vocal. In the final showdown, this "woman" reveals to her intended final female victim that she is really a man and is, in a Norman Bates-y way, closing in on her with either a knife, or a pair of scissors. (It has not been revealed at all until this climactic finish that this is really a man in drag.)

I recall being amazed that this was actually cranked out during the conservative 50's/early 60's. The drag aspect of it was VERY daring for the day. The "female" killer does not succeed and is killed in those final moments by the hero.

Can anyone PLEASE tell me what the title of this film was? If you know the year and the cast also, terrif. BUt I really need to know the title so that I can find a copy of it.

It was not your usual b&w "haunted mansion" flick. He/she was soooo haunting. Thanks!

[Phantom Chicken]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:48pm

Psycho

[LetMeLeave]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:50pm

I was going to say "You Got Served"

[Phantom Chicken]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:52pm

oh, i didn't bother reading the whole thing

[LetMeLeave]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:52pm

it's the one with the dance battle right?

[Justice]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:54pm

Sounds to me like "Dressed to Kill", which was horribly remade in the early 80's.

[beacon1]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:54pm

Can you remember the names of any of the characters or any of the actors?

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:55pm

huh? no, please read above carefully. it's a 1950's/early 1960's horror film.

lol given my specific description above, where in the HELL did you come up with a 2004 film about a dance battle??

no no, read my original post. it's rather specific as to the genre, plot and rough release year.

[LetMeLeave]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:56pm

whoa, listen, I was just helping....psht, see if I help ever again. So ungrateful.

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:56pm

people - no, please read carefully. it was a black and white film from the 1950's/early 1960's.

[Justice]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:57pm

DRESSED TO KILL as I stated before. I'm almost positive that is what you are describing

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:57pm

letitleave, it was sweet of you to reply, but your suggestion was 180 miles away from what i clearly describe din my original post. lol

[beacon1]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:58pm

more info needed. Why were the folks in the house? Was the hero a cop? a boarder? A love interest?

Character names? Any actor names come to mind?

[Phantom Chicken]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:58pm

FORGET HELPING YOU, snobby snobberson

[LetMeLeave]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:59pm

Suuriously! Me and Phantom over here took time out of our busy schedules to help and this is what we get. I didn't even say Lord of the Rings...which, it clearly is. Your welcome!

[Phantom Chicken]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:00pm

BSO

[LetMeLeave]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:01pm

BYOBSO

[Phantom Chicken]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:03pm

you are now on my sh*t list

congratulations!

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:05pm

guys, chill, i am not a snob. grateful you replied, it is just that u mentioned a 2004 flm about a dance battle from 2004 when i layed out that it wa sa horror film from years earlier. lol
where or WHERE did u get dance band from in my decsription??

justice, i checked IMDB and they all say that the prior versions of DRESSED TO KILL were sherlock holmes films. so that doesn't sound like thats it. hmmm. was the original under a different title?

the actors were B list. none of the names stayed with me.
i do not know why they were all in the house sadly. this was a few years ago. the hero was the final victim's beau coming to save her. but it was eerie with the guy pulling off a wig, eerie smile raising the scirros and u had no CLUE that it was a man.

[LetMeLeave]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:05pm

Measure in love.

and I'm flattered.

[Phantom Chicken]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:09pm

the original House on Haunted Hill....

If you don't get it by tues, PM me this info - my english prof is a horror movie buff

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:18pm

sadly no, i wish it was the original HOUSE, but it's not.

[musicalmjk]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:21pm

any clue about the director?

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:23pm

sorry, no. i caught this on tv a few years back. it was like a poor man's PSYCHO.

[wildcat]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 12:25am

I know it! I know it! Its HOMICIDAL, starring Glenn someone and guset starring Eugenie Leontovitch as a mute woman who gets her head lopped off. The drag character is surely an actress who is heavily made up and dubbed when playing the guy.