Theatreofdeath

This film is set in Paris and is centered around the Theatre Du Mort (Theatre Of Death).We're introduced to some of the cast of the troupe such as Dani and young Nicole.They are roommates.We also meet Dani's boyfriend, a police surgeon named Charles Marquis(a tribute to the director Charles Marquis Warren?).
Phillipe Darvis is the director/writer for the Theatre.Darvas is very charismatic, arrogant, cruel,stuffy, egotistical ,sinister and talented.Darvas seems to have young Nicole under his spell a la Svengali via hypnotism.
At a party they stage a reading of his new play.Nicole nearly kills Dani with a hot poker while under the thrall of Darvas.
Charles stops by the morgue to chat with his boss.They discuss the fact that Paris has been rocked by three brutal murders.Each victim was stabbed in the throat and drained of blood.Charles jokingly suggests vampirism as the cause. At this time a caped, slouch hatted figure kills a wino.
Darvas and Nicole seem to have much more than a working relationship.She is readying to move in with Darvas.Dani feels that this is wrong and Nicole attributes it to jealousy.Darvas and the owner of the Theatre disagree over Nicole.While the owner feels she is inexperienced and too young, Darvas does not.He sees something more in her.Darvas is also working on a 13th play that will stun Paris.
We see a bit more about Darvas and learn that he is very strange.His father disappeared twenty years ago and was never found.Darvas' house is honeycombed with secret passages.He likes to watch slides and films about vampires.
Charles bumps into Darvas one night.Darvas is slouch hatted and wearing a cape.Charles gives him a lift home.They discuss many things.Darvas admits he has access to his father's uncompleted works.Also they talk about the vampiric tones in Darvas' works. Charles tells him a bit about the vampire murders and that the wounds could have been made from daggers from the theatre.This makes Darvas nervous.
Dani goes to confront Darvas about Nicole.Darvas really shows how cruel he can be.He makes fun of the fact that Dani was institutionalized for a breakdown and how worthless she really is.He fires her on the spot.Charles bumps into Dani as she flees from Darvas.
Darvas and his 13th play turn up missing.His hat and a bloody coat are left behind.The murders continue and Paris is in an uproar.The slouch hatted caped killer is seen prowling in the vicinity of the home of Darvas.The suspicion against Darvas grows.Is he the vampire killer of Paris?Or is he another victim?If he is neither why is he hiding?What is so special about the 13th play?
Things aren't always as clear cut as you think with this movie.It has some twists and turns that place it above average for this type of thriller.Lee plays Darvas as a stone prick that you wish the worst for.
The film suffers a bit from being pretty much set bound as it was filmed at Pinewood.Also there aren't a lot of sympathetic characters as everybody seems to have ulterior motives and skeletons in the closet.Worth a look.Coming soon to dvd.