I Bury the Living
Encyclopedia
I Bury the Living is a horror film
directed by famed B-movie director Albert Band
, father of Charles Band, and starring Richard Boone
and Theodore Bikel
.
) is the newly appointed chairman of a committee that oversees a large cemetery
. The cemetery caretaker, Andy MacKee (Theodore Bikel
), keeps a map in the cemetery office displaying the grounds and each grave site. Filled graves are marked by black pins and unoccupied but sold graves are marked with white pins. New to the position and unobservant, Kraft accidentally places a pair of black pins where they don't belong, only to discover later that the young couple who had bought the grave sites in question died in an automobile accident soon afterwards. He believes that he marked them for death.
Hoping it will give him peace of mind, Robert replaces a random white pin with a black pin. When that person dies later in the week, however, he becomes increasingly convinced that either he or the map has some kind of dark power. Repeated experiments, undertaken upon the insistence of skeptical friends and coworkers, yield the same result. Kraft slips into deep guilt and depression and believes he is cursed
.
The police
, who are initially skeptical, eventually begin to take notice and, in the hopes that it will reveal the cause of the deaths, ask Robert to place a black pin on the grave of a person who is known to be in France
. Although he does so, Robert continues his slide into despair. That same night, he decides that if black pins give him the power of death, white pins might give him the power of life. He replaces all of the recently-placed black pins with white pins. When he goes to the associated grave sites later that night, he discovers that they have all been dug up, with the bodies gone.
Upon returning to the cemetery office, Robert receives a call informing him of the passing of the man in France. As he hangs up the phone, the cemetery caretaker comes up behind him, covered in dirt. He reveals that he has been killing all of the marked people as revenge for being forced to retire. However, when Robert informs him of the passing of the man in France, the caretaker, who couldn't have killed the man, begins to lose his mind. When the police arrive, they find the caretaker dead and tell Robert that the news of the man's death was all a ruse to flush out the cemetery caretaker.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by famed B-movie director Albert Band
Albert Band
Albert Band born Alfredo Antonini , was an American film director and film producer. He was the son of artist Max Band, father of filmmaker Charles Band and of film composer Richard Band. He is the grandfather of Alex Band and Taryn Band.-Biography:Band escaped from Paris to the United States with...
, father of Charles Band, and starring Richard Boone
Richard Boone
Richard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.-Early life:...
and Theodore Bikel
Theodore Bikel
Theodore Meir Bikel is a character actor, folk singer and musician. He made his film debut in The African Queen and was nominated for an Academy award for his supporting role as Sheriff Max Muller in The Defiant Ones ....
.
Plot summary
Robert Kraft (Richard BooneRichard Boone
Richard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.-Early life:...
) is the newly appointed chairman of a committee that oversees a large cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
. The cemetery caretaker, Andy MacKee (Theodore Bikel
Theodore Bikel
Theodore Meir Bikel is a character actor, folk singer and musician. He made his film debut in The African Queen and was nominated for an Academy award for his supporting role as Sheriff Max Muller in The Defiant Ones ....
), keeps a map in the cemetery office displaying the grounds and each grave site. Filled graves are marked by black pins and unoccupied but sold graves are marked with white pins. New to the position and unobservant, Kraft accidentally places a pair of black pins where they don't belong, only to discover later that the young couple who had bought the grave sites in question died in an automobile accident soon afterwards. He believes that he marked them for death.
Hoping it will give him peace of mind, Robert replaces a random white pin with a black pin. When that person dies later in the week, however, he becomes increasingly convinced that either he or the map has some kind of dark power. Repeated experiments, undertaken upon the insistence of skeptical friends and coworkers, yield the same result. Kraft slips into deep guilt and depression and believes he is cursed
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
.
The police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, who are initially skeptical, eventually begin to take notice and, in the hopes that it will reveal the cause of the deaths, ask Robert to place a black pin on the grave of a person who is known to be in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Although he does so, Robert continues his slide into despair. That same night, he decides that if black pins give him the power of death, white pins might give him the power of life. He replaces all of the recently-placed black pins with white pins. When he goes to the associated grave sites later that night, he discovers that they have all been dug up, with the bodies gone.
Upon returning to the cemetery office, Robert receives a call informing him of the passing of the man in France. As he hangs up the phone, the cemetery caretaker comes up behind him, covered in dirt. He reveals that he has been killing all of the marked people as revenge for being forced to retire. However, when Robert informs him of the passing of the man in France, the caretaker, who couldn't have killed the man, begins to lose his mind. When the police arrive, they find the caretaker dead and tell Robert that the news of the man's death was all a ruse to flush out the cemetery caretaker.
Cast
- Richard BooneRichard BooneRichard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.-Early life:...
as Robert Kraft - Theodore BikelTheodore BikelTheodore Meir Bikel is a character actor, folk singer and musician. He made his film debut in The African Queen and was nominated for an Academy award for his supporting role as Sheriff Max Muller in The Defiant Ones ....
as Andy McKee - Peggy Maurer as Ann Craig
- Howard SmithHoward Smith (actor)Howard Smith was an American actor. An imposing presence in films of the late '40s, as well as early television shows such as The Aldrich Family , New York stage actor Howard I. Smith actually made his screen debut as far back as 1918, in Young America...
as George Kraft - Herbert AndersonHerbert AndersonHerbert Anderson was an American character actor from Oakland, California, probably best remembered for his part as Henry Mitchell in the classic television sitcom Dennis The Menace.-Career:...
as Jess Jessup - Robert Osterloh as Lt. Clayborne