Summaries

Synopsis

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

Grandmother (Sarah Brackett) is gathering kindling. The Man in Red (John Westbrook) calls to her, sitting under a tree. Causing a white rose to turn red, he gives it to her, telling her to take it to her village with the message that the day of their deliverance is at hand. She takes it and bows in honor.

A royal carriage enters the village of Catania. Prince Prospero (Vincent Price) is making a personal appearance to invite the villagers to a feast. Gino (David Weston) pulls a baby out of the way just in time to keep it from being run over by the horses and carriage. Prospero gets out and begins inviting people to his feast. Gino sarcastically mouths that they will only receive scraps from his table like dogs. Gino tells Prospero that a holy man told an old woman that they would be delivered from his reign of terror. His father-in-law Ludovico (Nigel Green) comes up beside him. Prospero suggests that they should be on their knees thanking him. With a signal to his guards, the two men are lowered to their knees and strong-armed. Francesca (Jane Asher) runs up and begs for mercy. Prospero questions her and tells her that she must decide whether her father or her husband will die. Alfredo (Patrick Magee) comes up, remarking what entertainment this is for him and how innocent the girl is. Prospero promises that soon he will corrupt her and calls for Francesca to make a decision.

A scream is heard and a guard sent to see about it. When the scream continues, Prospero goes himself. In a hut the guard is stunned. Prospero asks what it is, and the guard can only point and tell him to look. The old Grandmother has broken out with the Red Death (red spots on her face).

Returning to the others, Prospero questions whether the three had any contact with the woman. When he determines they did not, he tells the guards to take the two men to the castle and he will take the girl. They are loaded up and Prospero tells the guards to burn the village. Gino questions why and Prospero tells him it is his deliverance.

At the palace Prospero orders invitations to those whom he wants to attend his feast. Francesca is stripped by maidens and thrown into a hot bath. Prospero enters with Juliana (Hazel Court) and orders the maidens out. Francesca covers herself in modesty. Prospero questions why and asks whether the cross she wears is ornamental or symbolic of her faith. She attests to being a true believer and he orders her to remove it and never wear it again in the castle. He tells Juliana that after her bath to clothe Francesca in her finest gowns. Francesca asks about her father and Gino and is told they are being quartered. Prospero leaves and Juliana assures Francesca that she has not made a good impression on him. Francesca asks if Juliana will do as Prospero has told her. She replies that she will do as he says, as they all must.

At the feast, Alfredo tells a woman he will tell her about terror. Prospero, overhearing, asks what he knows of terror. He calls him away into another room. Everyone follows. He questions whether terror is hearing the sounds of time ticking away as he walks past an antiquated clock. He suggests terror may be the sound of a heartbeat in fear or the sound of footsteps approaching.

He introduces dancers Esmeralda (Verina Greenlaw) and Hop Toad (Skip Martin) who will entertain. Musicians enter playing and a dwarf, a young girl and a long-haired dog. As Esmeralda dances, Alfredo approaches Prospero, asking about her. Suddenly the girl knocks over a wine drink. Alfredo slaps her and she falls. Hop Toad begins to draw his knife, but upon seeing the anger of Prospero and Alfredo, he instead comes to raise up Esmeralda. Prospero leads Alfredo away, claiming the first act has disappointed but then throws wine in the face of Alfredo, who threatens him. Prospero then tells everyone they are lucky to be in the palace and safe from the Red Death which will spread the countryside.

He invites everyone to a masquerade ball the following day at midnight, offering costumes to everyones use. He advises them not to wear red.

Francesca enters in a white gown and is introduced to everyone by Prospero. First she is introduced to Señor Veronese (Julian Burton), who is told to act like a pig. He gets on the floor and rolls around as everyone laughs at him. Next Prospero calls for Señor Lampredi (Brian Hewlitt) to become a worm on the floor. He crawls around to everyones amusement. Prospero calls for Señora Escobar (Gaye Brown) to play a braying jackass. Señor Rivoli (Harvey Hall) is told to ride the jackass. Prospero tells everyone else to act like animals. Francesca is horrified.

As Francesca is led away by Prospero into private quarters, Alfredo looks on with desire. In a yellow room Prospero tells her that his father once imprisoned a man there for three years. When the man was freed, he no longer could look at the sun or a daffodil. Prospero tells her that it was a test to control a mans mind.

In a purple room he tells her that he doesnt believe in God; if God existed He must have died long ago. He believes someone or something exists in His place. Francesca believes in love and the goodness of God.

Before they go into another room Prospero tells her she is not ready to enter that room. He tells her to rest from her long day. He promises her that the next day she will see Gino and her father.

Prospero, roaming the castle later, is confronted by Juliana, who tells him she is ready to enter the deeper ceremonies which he believes in. He laughingly suggests that she is only ready because she wants to secure her position.

In her room Francesca is awakened by the sound of wind. She goes over to a sconce that has gone out. As she turns back, she sees blood on a book and screams. Next she hears Prospero chanting in Latin. Putting on her robe, she goes out to investigate. She goes downstairs, following the sound of his voice. Entering the yellow room, she goes through the purple room and finds the door open to the next room. She goes through it into a black room where she sees Juliana and a raven cawing. Seeing Prospero lying in a coffin looking dead, she goes to touch his face. At that moment he opens his eyes and she screams and runs away. She is startled by Alfredo who is wearing a mask.

The next day Prospero shows Francesca a falcon which kills another bird. He tells her it is trained by blinding its eyes until it becomes a slave to its master. He says that God blinded people with the cross and that he serves a different master. She begins to say that he forced her to remove her cross because it offended him. He interrupts her, saying that it offends no one following his master. He felt that it was discourteous to wear the symbol of a dead God. He confesses his master is Satan, Lord of Flies, the Fallen Angel and the Devil.

Hearing a horn blowing, he tells her to come. Going to the battlement, he looks down as a carriage arrives. Scarlatti (Paul Whitsun-Jones) demands entrance to the castle as an invited guest. Prospero tells him he is no longer welcome due to the Red Death. He begs for sanctuary and offers up his wife to the Prince. Prospero informs him he has already had that doubtful pleasure. Begging for Prospero to spare him from the Red Death in the name of friendship, Scarlatti receives an arrow below the throat. Prospero throws down a dagger for the wife to kill herself with.

In the dungeon, a sword is thrown down before Gino, who is told to learn to fight. He refuses to fight his friend. A swordfight ensues. Prospero and Francesca enter and witness the fight. When Gino wins, he tells Prospero that he will not fight his friend. Prospero promises torture, but Gino tells him that that would be considered losing. Intrigued, Prospero promises that after some thinking he will match the two together in a death fight.

Walking through the dungeon, Prospero tells Francesca that sometimes life is cruel. She winces at the sound of a man in pain. She asks if Satan requires torture in his worship. He tells her of a Christian monk many years ago who tortured men, women and children in order to save their souls. He blames this on God. He promises to lead her into the ways of Satan. She refuses.

Juliana prays and offers herself to Satan, branding her chest with an upside-down cross and asks to be made into a demon.

Alfredo has a conversation with Hop Toad, who desires to serve someone other than Prospero. He promises his talents if Alfredo will take him in. Hop Toad persuades him to come to the ball in the costume of an ape which he will provide. Alfredo is pleased.

Francesca hears someone trying to get into her bedroom door. She rises and stands aside as the door opens. Juliana comes in and Francesca sees the brand on her chest, asking if Prospero did it. Juliana admits she did it herself, marking her as a handmaiden of Satan. She tells Francesca that there is one more ceremony where she gives her soul to the devil to be immortal. She is hoping to be bound to Prospero and that Francesca would be out of the way. When Francesca tells her she would love to escape, Juliana gives her a key to the cell and urges her to free Gino and her father and escape.

Francesca wanders through the dungeon, passing several men in the throes of torture. Finding the cell with Gino and her father, she frees them. As they pass the guard room, one of the guards sees someone go by and goes to check. A fight ensues with Gino, Ludovico and two guards. Coming out onto the battlement, Gino calls to a guard who turns to face him. It is Prospero, who calls out his guards. Francesca tells him that Juliana betrayed them. Prospero tells her Juliana betrayed him and that one of the two men must die for their sins.

At the party, people are seated at long tables as waiters bring platters of food. Dancers and musicians perform. Prospero stands and calls for their attention. He announces that at midnight the masks will go on. He states that some among them still harbor good thoughts. He calls for the next entertainment to come in. Gino and Ludovico come in and stand before him. He throws down five daggers, one of which he says contains a poison that kills in five seconds. He tells them to each cut themselves with one of the daggers. Ludovico goes first, followed by Gino, then Ludovico again and Gino. The final dagger is taken by Ludovico, who tries to stab Prospero across the table with it. Ludovico is stabbed by a sword and falls dead. Prospero calls for them both to be killed since the game was not done correctly. Francesca begs for Ginos life. Prospero announces that he will not kill Gino, but release him so that he can die of the Red Death. Taunting Gino about his God, Prospero asks where his God is now. Gino says he will meet Him in paradise. The command is given to release him and Gino swears he will somehow return for Francesca.

Francesca tells Prospero to allow her to go with Gino, which he refuses. Then she says bring him back and she will submit herself to whatever he wishes. At this point Juliana calls from across the room, telling the Prince that she is ready for the final ceremony.

Gino is cast out of the castle and runs through the forest. The sounds of Prosperos fiendish laughter and the screams of Francesca are heard on the wind. As he stumbles on, he sees the Man in Red sitting under a tree, playing Tarot cards. Asking how it is going, Gino confesses that he has killed and that he is afraid for Francesca and afraid of Prosperos castle. The Man in Red gives Gino one of his cards as a sign. Gino takes it and returns to the castle.

Meanwhile Alfredo is trying on the ape costume. Hop Toad directs him as how to walk slumped over and swinging his arms. He tells Alfredo that he can remove the costume once the unmasking is done.

Gino finds a group of villagers heading for the castle to ask forgiveness and receive sanctuary. One woman is carried on a stretcher with the Red Death. Gino tries to stop them but is pushed aside.

Juliana begins her ceremony, chanting at the altar. She drinks ceremonial wine drugged with hallucinogens. In the dreams she runs through hazy corridors and then finds herself on an altar. She is horrified to see five different men who wield weapons over her.

When she comes to, she hears the laughter of Prospero and calls out to him. Searching from room to room, she tells him that she is now betrothed to the devil. He says there are more horrors to come. In the main room, she approaches the swinging pendulum and hears the voice of Prospero telling her that her fears have just begun. At this point she is attacked by one or more ravens that leave her dead and bloodied on the floor.

One woman finds her and cries out. Prospero approaches with the other guests and tells the woman not to grieve for Juliana, for she has wed the devil. He calls for the masquerade to begin.

Outside, the villagers arrive and call for mercy. They are told to return to Catania. One guard is sent to fetch Prospero. Gino tries to dissuade the elders from groveling before the Prince. They refuse. Prospero comes out and tells them to go back where they came. When they refuse, he commands his archers to slay them.

Inside, Prospero throws jewels down to the people, who scramble to gather them. He tells Francesca that all of these rich people suffer from greed and are desperate for more riches. Then he tells them to rejoice because the remaining villagers are now dead. He has promised all inside his castle will be safe from the Red Death. He tells Francesca that soon she will be initiated into understanding. Prospero and Francesca are seen dancing with the others.

Gino climbs the castle walls with a makeshift rope he has made from vines. At the battlement he sees the Man in Red, who tells him to wait until one oclock at which time Francesca will be sent out to him. Gino is anxious to rescue her but is told to be wise. When he is shown a dead guard, he looks back and the Man in Red has vanished.

Hop Toad enters the room of Esmeralda and tells her to be ready to leave the castle later when he comes for her. She tells him that she trusts him.

At the party, Hop Toad and the ape make their appearance. Hop Toad cracks his whip, telling everyone that he controls the ape. As the ape seizes a woman and falls to the floor with her, Hop Toad unties a rope holding up a light fixture of candles and lowers it just above them. Citing that the ape is out of control, Hop Toad ties him to the candle fixture and lifts him up in the air. Alfredo complains and demands to be released but Hop Toad tells him he has insulted Esmeralda too much and deserves to pay. Dousing the ape with brandy, Hop Toad sets him on fire. As the party goers look on, their laughter changes to screams as the ape burns. The fixture collapses and Prospero calls for the guards to remove it. Hop Toad leaves the room and Prospero calls for a reward to be given to him.

Across the crowded dance floor, Prospero sees the Man in Red. Telling Francesca that he commanded that no one should wear red, he follows through the different rooms. In the black room, he is confronted by the Man in Red (whose face is covered). Prospero tries to guess who it is, saying the voice is familiar. Suspecting that it is the devil himself, he makes Francesca bow down. Prospero calls for the man to show his face but is told that he will only see it upon his own death. He tells Prospero that the unmasking will reveal everyones faces soon.

Leaving the room, the Man in Red calls for a new dance to begin. Prospero follows. With each wave of his hands, the Man in Red spreads the Red Death to those at the party. Prospero is pleased and remarks that he led all these friends to Satan and corrupted them for him. He asks that Francesca be spared and the Man in Red tells her to go to the battlements. Prospero tells her that he will join her when this is over.

Prospero addresses the Man in Red, who denies being the devil. He says that he is death. Prospero insists that his own pact with Satan will save him. The Man in Red says that it will not. Prospero removes the mask to see his face. He is horrified to see his own face, made red from the Red Death. Prospero is then taken by all the guests who jostle him around the room. As the people begin to collapse from the Red Death, Prospero is the only one left standing. He retreats to the black room, hoping to escape from a horrible death. In that room he finds the red-cloaked figure, who strikes him with the Red Death.

The Man in Red is seen playing cards with the young girl from the village. Several other men arrive and give reports of the deaths of many. The Man in Red tells them that only six survived: one man and woman, a dwarf and small lady and the girl from the village.