Dementia 13 (1963)

Dementia 13 is a 1963 horror thriller released by American International Pictures, starring William Campbell, Patrick Magee, and Luana Anders. The film was written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Roger Corman. Dementia 13 served as his first mainstream, legitimate directorial effort.

The plot follows a scheming young woman who, after having inadvertently caused the heart attack death of her husband, attempts to have herself written into her rich mother-in-law's will. She pays a surprise visit to her late husband's family castle in Ireland, but her plans become permanently interrupted by an axe-wielding lunatic who begins to stalk and murderously hack away at members of the family.

Corman offered Coppola the chance to direct a low-budget horror movie in Ireland with funds left over from Corman's recently completed The Young Racers, on which Coppola had worked as a sound technician. The producer wanted a cheap Psycho-copy, complete with gothic atmosphere and brutal killings, and Coppola quickly wrote a screenplay in accordance with Corman's requirements.

Coppola wrote a brief draft story idea in one night. The next morning, he described to Corman the most vividly detailed sequence: a half naked woman ties several dolls to the bottom of a lake, then surfaces to find herself at the feet of an axe murderer -"Axed to death!" Coppola exclaimed." Corman was impressed enough to immediately provide Coppola with the $22,000 for the film. The young director was able to arrange an additional $20,000 in financing himself by pre-selling the European rights to a producer named Raymond Stross. Coppola did not inform Corman of the production's additional funding, and quickly moved the initial $22,000 into a bank account in case an angry Corman ever attempted to reclaim his original investment.

Although he was given total directorial freedom during production, Coppola found himself fighting with Corman after the film was completed. The producer declared the movie unreleasable and demanded several changes be made. Corman eventually brought in another director, Jack Hill, to film additional sequences.

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Produced by: Roger Corman
Written by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Luana Anders, Patrick Magee, William Campbell
Crew: Al Locatelli, Charles Hannawalt, Eleanor Coppola, Jack Hill, Morton Tubor, Richard Dalton, Ronald Stein, Stuart O Brien
Copyright: Public Domain
Format: Colour
Duration: 80 mins
Year: 1963
Tags: Axe, Axe Murder, Blow Torch, Castle, Death Of Child, Decapitation, Doll, Drowning, Guilt, Heart Attack, Hunter, Independent Film, Ireland, Meat Hook, Poacher, Pond, Rowboat, Tiara, Wedding, Will

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