Dominique (1978 film)

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For the unrelated French film, see Dominique (1950 film).

Dominique
File:Dominique FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed byMichael Anderson
Written by
  • Edward Abraham (writer)
  • Valerie Abraham (writer)
  • Harold Lawlor (story)
Produced byAndrew Donally
Milton Subotsky
Starring
CinematographyTed Moore
Edited byRichard Best
Music byDavid Whitaker
Production
companies
Sword and Scorcery Productions
Distributed byScotia-Barber
Release date
March 1979
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.2 million[1][2]

Dominique (also known as Dominique Is Dead) is a 1979 British horror film starring Cliff Robertson and directed by Michael Anderson.[3][4] The film is based on the 1948 short story "What Beckoning Ghost" by Harold Lawlor.[5]

Plot

David Ballard, a struggling businessman in desperate need of money, devises a plan to use psychological manipulation to drive his rich wife, Dominique, to suicide so he can inherit her fortune. His plan seemingly works when Dominique's body is found hanging in her greenhouse, but David soon finds himself being haunted by what he believes is Dominque's vengeful ghost. His sanity gradually crumbles as he finds himself unable to rid himself of his wife's spirit, until he finally falls to his death while trying to escape from her.

In a twist ending, the "ghost" turns out to be his half-sister, Ann; with the help of her lover, Tony Calvert, Ann had used prosthetic makeup to impersonate Dominique, get rid of David, and claim Dominque's fortune for herself and Tony. However, Tony then shows her an audio recording that reveals that the real Dominque is still alive, and that Ann had helped her fake her death without Tony's knowledge. Tony admits that he intends to use the recording to force Dominque to give him full control of her money, and Ann murders him with a revolver the couple had previously used as part of their deception, with the movie ending on an ambiguous note as Ann stands over Tony's corpse.

Cast

Production

Filming started in England during September 1977 and lasted six weeks. It was initially meant to be filmed in Canada, but this was changed after an offer was made to shoot the film in England with a higher budget.[1]

Release

Dominique was initially released in March 1979. Vinegar Syndrome later released the film on home video in 2019.[6]

Reception

Martyn Auty criticized the film in the Monthly Film Bulletin as "heavy handed".[7] Pop Matters reviewed the film in 2019, writing that it "won’t raise the hackles of anyone looking for deep scares, but it is an absorbing suspense-drama that will at least keep you in your seat, if not the edge of it."[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Ed. Allan Bryce, Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood, Stray Cat Publishing, 2000 p 159
  2. ^ Childs, Mike; Jones, Alan (Spring 1978). "Dominique". p. 52. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  3. ^ Smith, Gary A. (2000). Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films, 1956-1976. McFarland. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7864-0604-3.
  4. ^ "Undercover Battles as seven". Evening Post (Newspapers.com). 9 June 1979.
  5. ^ ""What Beckoning Ghost?" by Harold Lawlor, Weird Tales, July 1948". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ a b "Gothic Mystery 'Dominique' Indulges in Mood, PopMatters". PopMatters. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  7. ^ Auty, Martyn (1 January 1979). "DOMINIQUE (review)". Monthly Film Bulletin. 46 (540): 120. ProQuest 1305828100.

External links


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