Theatre of Blood

"Now, let us see what that stupid cretin Mr. Meredith Merridew had to say about my Titus Andronicus. [reads] "Mr. Lionheart's rendering of the role can only be described as villainous. Laid between the delicately underplayed performances of Miss Lillywhite as Lavinia and Miss Mole as Tamora, one is irresistibly reminded of a ham sandwich." [pause] My reputation."

"So my performance of Richard III cast such a spell upon the audience that it put this reviewer into a "deep sleep from which he awoke much refreshed and relieved by the knowledge that he had been spared the ordeal of attending to the aging matinee idol's ranting and posturing." Well, we shall see if we cannot spur you to more rapt attention with today's performance. "Dive, thoughts, down to my soul. Here Clarence comes.""

"You begin to resent an actor if you always have to give him bad notices."

"[examining a note on a gift box] "I am sorry to miss the meeting, but my heart is with you. Dickman." [he opens it and it contains Dickman's bloody heart] It's him, all right. Only Lionheart would have the temerity to rewrite Shakespeare!"

"Look, Devlin, when two people have the same motive to murder and one of them is still alive, who would you arrest?"

"At your own risk"

"It's curtains for his critics!"

"Vincent Price has reserved a seat for you in the "theatre of blood.""

"He gave his critics a bloody and violent taste of their own medicine!"

"Vincent Price — Edward Lionheart"

"Diana Rigg — Edwina Lionheart"

"Ian Hendry — Peregrine Devlin"

"Harry Andrews — Trevor Dickman"

"Robert Coote — Oliver Larding"

"Michael Hordern — George Maxwell"

"Robert Morley — Meredith Merridew"

"Coral Browne — Chloe Moon"

"Jack Hawkins — Solomon Psaltery"

"Arthur Lowe — Horace Sprout"

"Dennis Price — Hector Snipe"

"Milo O'Shea — Inspector Boot"

"Eric Sykes — Sgt. Dogge"

"Diana Dors — Maisie Psaltery"

"Joan Hickson — Mrs. Sprout"

"Renée Asherson — Mrs. Maxwell"

"Madeline Smith — Rosemary"