“In order to know virtue, we must first acquaint ourselves with vice.” Marquis de Sade
In the 1800s a phrenologist named Pierre (Maurice Good) robs the grave of the recently buried Marquis de Sade. He boils the head to remove the flesh. Pierre subsequently meets with a horrible death.
In Modern day London Christopher Maitland (Peter Cushing) is a writer of the occult and a somewhat collector of occult memorabilia. He is approached by Anthony Marco (Patrick Wymark). Marco is a purveyor of goods with questionable pedigree. In other words, either fake or hot. Marco has a book for sale on the Marquis de Sade. Maitland purchases the book. Marco then returns to Maitland’s home with another item for sale. A skull. He claims that it is the skull of the Marquis de Sade.
Maitland learns that the skull has been stolen from Sir Matthew Phillips (Sir Christopher Lee). Phillips is a friend and a collector of occult items. Maitland tells him about the skull; however, Phillips does not want it back. He warns Maitland the skull is dangerous and is possessed by evil. Maitland, now fully intrigued, goes to Marco’s apartment to purchase the skull and finds that Marco has mysteriously died. Maitland finds his body and contacts the police. Maitland returns to Marco’s rooms, in secret, to retrieve the skull only to run into the building super. A small scuffle ensues and the super falls to his death. Maitland leaves and takes the skull with him.
Now in full possession of the skull Maitland begins to experience hallucinations, wild dreams and ultimately madness. He goes to the house of Sir Phillips and attacks him. The skull now possesses him, and it’s telling him to kill.
“The Skull” was released in 1965 and was directed by Freddie Francis. It was based on a story by Robert Bloch called “The Skull of the Marquis de Sade”. This is a British film produced by Amicus Productions. The movie is a gothic horror story with a historical flair. The scenes from the skull perspective add to the eeriness. Cushing’s performance is quite good. There are large portions of the film where he is alone on screen. Playing to a skull is not easy, unless you are Peter Cushing. The film is good for collectors of all things Cushing and/or Lee, as well as decent gothic tales.
It seems that whenever Cushing and Lee are together in a film the comparison of whatever movie they are in to Hammer Production movies is inevitable. In some cases the comparison is justified. With “The Skull” I can understand it. It does have a Hammer feel to it with lavish sets and dark disturbing subject matter. Plus the British Amicus Production company did many films that were Hammeresque.
In real life the Marquis de Sade's body was exhumed from its grave in the grounds of the lunatic asylum at Charenton, where he died in 1814. His skull was removed for phrenological analysis. It was subsequently lost, and its fate remains unknown.