The Mephisto Waltz (1971)
Genre: Horror
Duration: 115 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Paul Wendkos
Stars: Alan Alda, Jacqueline Bisset and Curd Jürgens
IMDb score:
6,1 (3.595)
Releasedate: 9 April 1971
The Mephisto Waltz plot
"...The Sound of Terror"
Myles Clarkson (Alan Alda) is a journalist and an emerging young classical pianist. He is therefore happy to combine these two loves for a long-awaited interview with the legendary - and ailing - concert pianist Duncan Ely (Curd Jürgens). However, Clarkson is in for a nasty surprise. The elderly Ely is in fact a practicing Satanist and performs a ritual whereby his soul transfers to the body of Myles at the moment of his death. Ely is now young again and can continue playing the piano. Problems arise, however, when Myles' wife Paula (Jacqueline Bisset) notices the changes in her husband's behavior. As she tries to uncover the truth of the strange happenings, she finds herself in Ely's horrific world and becomes embroiled in even more soul-changing devil's affairs, demonic possession and terrible family secrets.
Actors and actresses
Myles Clarkson
Paula Clarkson
Roxanne Delancey
Bill Delancey
Dr. Roger West
Duncan Mowbray
Maggie West
Abby Clarkson
Conductor
Reviews & comments
wendyvortex
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- 5196 messages
- 7279 votes
Very nice classy 70's horror in which music journalist Alan Alda befriends a pianist who suffers from leukemia and who is also involved in some Satanism.
After his death, Alda can suddenly play the piano brilliantly and his wife Jacqueline Bisset notices strange changes in his behavior.
Reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby, but without the somewhat hysterical acting from that film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
mrklm
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- 11629 messages
- 10041 votes
Atmospheric psychological thriller with horror elements in which the mind and body of a music journalist [Alan Alda], who once studied piano at the conservatory, are taken over by top pianist Duncan Mowbray Ely [Curd Jürgens]. However, this is accompanied by gradual changes in his personality that only his wife [Jacqueline Bisset] notices. A series of mysterious deaths, as well as terrifying nightmares, convince her that her husband has turned into a murderous monster.
Alan Alda, who would become world famous a year later as Hawkeye in the TV series MASH, cleverly portrays the gradual transformation of his personality. Jürgens is pleasantly sinister and under the stylish direction of Paul Wendkos, especially in the nightmares, Bisset also delivers a strong performance in a fine example of uneasy horror.
Translated from Dutch · View original
james_cameron
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- 7060 messages
- 9827 votes
Crazy melodramatic situations in this messily told story about a terminally ill famous pianist (Curd Jürgens) who sells his soul to the devil in order to continue living in the body of a young music journalist (Alan Alda). The film initially doesn't start that bad and the plot and characters do have some potential, but things gradually slip off the rails. The right tone is not struck anywhere and visually it all looks very cheap. The dream scenes in particular are very kitschy. And then you have a beautiful woman like Jacqueline Bisset in the cast and you ruin almost all the shots by lighting her very ugly.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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