The Bloody Brood Explained

The Bloody Brood
Director:Julian Roffman
Producer:Julian Roffman
Music:Harry Freedman
Cinematography:Eugen Schüfftan
Editing:Robert Johnson
Production Companies:Meridian Studios
Julian Roffman Productions
Distributor:Allied Artists Pictures
Runtime:80 minutes
Country:Canada
Language:English
Budget:$87,000-90,000

The Bloody Brood is a 1959 Canadian thriller film directed by Julian Roffman.

Premise

A man begins to investigate on his own the death of his brother, who died from eating a hamburger laced with ground glass. With the police case stalled because of ineptness, the man's own investigation leads him toward a beatnik hang-out frequented by Nico (Peter Falk), a shady character who supplies drugs to the patrons and philosophizes about the ills of the world.

Production

Julian Roffman and Ralph Foster formed Meridian Films in 1954, and Roffman chose to direct its first feature film, The Bloody Brood.[1] The film was shot over the course of sixteen days in May 1959, on a budget of $87,000-90,000, with financial backing from Roffman and Nat Taylor. It was made as the top picture for a double feature. Taylor's wife, Yvonne, was an associated producer. Roffman and Taylor later worked together on The Mask.

The production interiors were lensed at the Community Theatre, on Woodbine Avenue, in Toronto, a cinema that had been earlier retrofitted for use as a TV studio after 1955.[2] [3] [4] [5] Ralph Foster and Julian Roffman founded Meridian Studios in 1954.[6] [7] [8]

Release

The film was distributed by Allied Artists and premiered on 26 October 1959, in Toronto. It was banned by the Alberta Censorship Board and the ban was upheld on appeal.[9] [10] It was financially unsuccessful. The National Legion of Decency listed the film in class B as morally objectionable in part for all.[11] The MPAA's censorship board called for the film to be edited before its American release.[12]

Reception

Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film two out of four stars, calling it "[A] laughable, thoroughly cynical depiction of the Beat Generation."[13] Gerald Pratley, writing in Variety, stated that "Only Roffman's virile direction and deft editing, together with the convincing portrayals of the cast, prevent the entire production from collapsing into comic absurdity".

Works cited

Notes and References

  1. News: 27 September 1958 . Studio and Screen . 44 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230612160947/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-journal/126281547/ . 12 June 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  2. Web site: Community Theatre in Toronto, CA . . 25 April 2022.
  3. Web site: Toronto's old Community Theatre on Woodbine Avenue . Historic Toronto . 25 April 2022 . 22 July 2015.
  4. Web site: Bloody Brood (1959) . KQEK . 25 April 2022 . 9 February 2018.
  5. Web site: Reel Beach: Director Sidney J. Furie, the Community Theatre on Woodbine, Meridian Films and Peter Falk . Beach Metro Community News . 25 April 2022 . 13 November 2018.
  6. https://worldradiohistory.com/CANADA/Archive-Broadcaster-Canada/60s/60/BCC-1960-01-21.pdf BCC 1960 Canada
  7. Web site: Sidney Furie and A Dangerous Age . Torontoist . 25 April 2022 . 4 April 2015.
  8. Web site: Community Theatre . TorontoJourney416 . 25 April 2022 . en-CA . 20 March 2022.
  9. News: 9 March 1960 . Censors Ban Only 4 Films . 1 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230612161904/https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald/126282038/ . 12 June 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  10. News: 27 August 1964 . Alberta Bans "The Blood Brood" . 11 . Calgary Albertan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230614194238/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-calgary-albertan/126364070/ . 14 June 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  11. News: 30 June 1962 . Censors Ban Only 4 Films . 19 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230613223619/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tablet/126359931/ . 13 June 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  12. News: 28 October 1960 . US Censor Calls Cuts In 'Brood' . 10 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230614194830/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette/126282328/ . 14 June 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  13. Book: Leonard Maltin. Spencer Green. Rob Edelman. Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide. January 2010. Plume. 978-0-452-29577-3. 69.