The City of the Dead (1960): Cast & Plot
The City of the Dead is a 1960 mystery horror film directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, starring Patricia Jessel as Elizabeth Selwyn / Mrs. Newless, Valentine Dyall and Christopher Lee. It runs 1 hour 18 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 18m (78 min)
- Director
- John Llewellyn Moxey
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Vulcan Film
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The City of the Dead About?
The premise of The City of the Dead without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Visiting a quiet Massachusetts town to study witchcraft, a college student checks into a foreboding inn. She discovers the residents are a hidden community of 300‑year‑old beings who survive by feeding on human blood, granting them unnatural immortality. The truth forces her to confront the chilling secret lurking beneath the town’s calm facade.
The City of the Dead Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- inn
- sacrifice
- witch
- new england
- coven
- burned at the stake
- research
- innkeeper
- college student
- locket
- witch burning
- lingerie
+38 more Show fewer
- human sacrifice
- dead bird
- college lecture
- blonde
- blind priest
- animal sacrifice
- fog
- antique store
- car crash
- car hits a tree
- candlemas eve
- witchcraft
- massachusetts
- cobweb
- virgin sacrifice
- corset
- gothic horror
- knife in back
- witches' coven
- term paper
- small town
- mute
- loss of sister
- loss of girlfriend
- historian
- devil worship
- college classroom
- church
- cellar
- burned to death
- brother sister relationship
- blind man
- trapdoor
- cemetery
- hand over mouth
- jazz score
- death of sister
- grandfather granddaughter relationship
The City of the Dead Cast & Characters
Patricia Jessel leads the cast as Elizabeth Selwyn / Mrs. Newless, with Valentine Dyall as Jethrow Keane and Christopher Lee as Prof. Alan Driscoll. Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey; 12 actors are credited in all.
- Director John Llewellyn Moxey
- Patricia Jessel as Elizabeth Selwyn / Mrs. Newless
- Valentine Dyall as Jethrow Keane
-
Christopher Lee as Prof. Alan Driscoll - Venetia Stevenson as Nan Barlow
Also Starring in The City of the Dead
· 8 more- Betta St. John Patricia Russell
- Norman MacOwan Rev. Russell
- Tom Naylor Bill Maitland
- Dennis Lotis Richard Barlow
- Fred Johnson The Elder
- Ann Beach Lottie
- William Abney Policeman
- James Dyrenforth Garage Attendant
More from John Llewellyn Moxey
More films directed by John Llewellyn Moxey: Lady Mobster, Through Naked Eyes, The Cradle Will Fall and I, Desire.
The City of the Dead Plot Summary
What happens in The City of the Dead from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In 1692 in fictional Whitewood, Massachusetts, a witch named Elizabeth Selwyn is burned at the stake. Before her death, Selwyn and her accomplice, Jethrow Keane, sold their souls to Lucifer for eternal life and revenge on Whitewood in return for providing the Devil with two yearly virgin human sacrifices on the Hour of Thirteen during Candlemas Eve and the Witches’ Sabbath.
Full summary
The whole story of The City of the Dead, scene by scene
The City of the Dead Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 3 trailers.
- Trailer City of the Dead (1960) - Trailer
- Trailer The City of the Dead ≣ 1960 ≣ Trailer
How Well Do You Know The City of the Dead?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the inn where Nan stays when she arrives in Whitewood?
Cars in The City of the Dead
4 cars on screen, including the 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air and the 1957 Ford Consul MkII.
-
1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Important role -
1957 Ford Consul MkII Important role -
1956 Mercury Custom Station Wagon Important role -
1938 Ford V8 De Luxe Minor role
Seen The City of the Dead?
Movies Like The City of the Dead
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including City of the Living Dead, The Devonsville Terror and City of Blood.
The City of the Dead FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The City of the Dead, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The City of the Dead?
The City of the Dead runs 1 hour 18 minutes (78 minutes).
When was The City of the Dead released?
The City of the Dead was released on September 9, 1960.
Who directed The City of the Dead?
The City of the Dead was directed by John Llewellyn Moxey.
More films by John Llewellyn Moxey Who is in the cast of The City of the Dead?
The City of the Dead stars Patricia Jessel as Elizabeth Selwyn / Mrs. Newless, Valentine Dyall as Jethrow Keane and Christopher Lee as Prof. Alan Driscoll, among 12 credited actors.
Does The City of the Dead have a post-credit scene?
No. The City of the Dead has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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