Crescendo (film)

Plot

Drawn to the spectacular south of France to research the late composer Henry Ryman, music student Susan Roberts (Stefanie Powers) encounters his son, drug-addicted Georges (James Olson) and his eccentric family. Investigating the haunting strains of an unfinished Ryman concerto leads Susan to discover an empty piano… and a brutally savaged mannequin! Georges tells her she’s the lookalike of his lost love. But Susan may not be the only one at the villa with an eerie doppelgänger.

Cast

Production

Alfred Shaughnessy wrote the script in the mid 60s. In 1966, Michael Reeves approached Hammer Films with the script. James Carreras tried for two years to make it with Joan Crawford but could not get financing. In 1969, the project was reactivated, with Jimmy Sangster hired to rewrite the script and Alan Gibson to direct.

Release

The film was released in the United States theatrically in the fall of 1972. In American theaters, it was paired with the Hammer vampire film Dracula A.D. 1972 starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

Its performance at the box office was disappointing.

The film was released to DVD by the Warner Archive Collection in March 2009.