Don't Open the Door! | |
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Directed by | S. F. Brownrigg |
Produced by |
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Written by | |
Starring |
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Music by | Robert Farrar |
Cinematography | Robert B. Alcott |
Edited by | Jerry Caraway Lynn Leneau Calmes |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Don't Open the Door!, also known as Don't Hang Up,[2] is a 1974 American horror film, directed by S. F. Brownrigg and starring Susan Bracken, Larry O'Dwyer, and Gene Ross. Its plot follows a young woman who returns to her hometown to care for her ailing grandmother, where she is tormented by disturbing phone calls from a deranged maniac.
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Filmed in Jefferson, Texas in 1973, Don't Open the Door! was originally released regionally in Texas under the title Don't Hang Up in May 1974. It was subsequently acquired by Capital Films Corporation, who re-released it in 1979.
Plot[edit]
The crack above the door frame corner of the same door shows this too. If this has been a progressive problem that gets steadily worse despite shorter term better/worse behavior that follows the seasons then you will be eventually faced with having to do some serious repair of the building structure.
![Don Don](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126392228/430686158.jpg)
In 1962 in Allerton, Texas, young Amanda Post awakens in the middle of the night to her mother, Rita's, dying screams, as she is stabbed to death by an unseen assailant. Amanda is confronted by the killer upon finding her mother's corpse in bed, but the murderer lets Amanda go.
Thirteen years later, Amanda receives a phone call notifying her that her grandmother Harriet is on her deathbed. She returns to Allerton for the first time since her mother's murder, arriving at her grandmother's large home. There, she is met by Dr. Crawther, as well as Judge Stemple and museum owner Claude Kern, the latter of whom is hoping to acquire Amanda's grandmother's historical home after her death. Amanda wishes to have her grandmother admitted to a hospital, but Dr. Crawther explains to do so would go against her grandmother's wishes. That afternoon, in private conversation with Claude, Stemple alludes to knowing that Claude murdered Amanda's mother years prior. Later that evening, after Amanda receives several anonymous lewd phone calls, she has her doctor friend Nick come to examine her grandmother. Nick suspects that the medication Crawther administered her grandmother has kept her sedated. While Amanda takes sleeps, she is awoken by the feeling of someone touching her, but Nick dismisses it as a bad dream.
At his invitation, Amanda goes to visit Claude at the local historical society museum, where he shows her a mannequin he has styled to appear as her mother. Angered and disturbed, Amanda storms out of the museum. It soon becomes clear to Amanda that Claude and Stemple are vying for her grandmother's home after Stemple offers Amanda a lump sum for it, which she angrily denies. Stemple is persistent, telling her he will return that night after she reconsiders. Meanwhile, Crawther is summoned to meet Stemple at the historical society. Upon arriving, he is bludgeoned to death by Claude, who is cross-dressed as one of the doll-like mannequins on display in the museum.
After, Claude—who, unbeknownst to Amanda, has been responsible for the anonymous calls—phones Amanda's grandmother's house again. He makes disturbing threats during the call and alludes to her mother's murder. Shortly after, Amanda is met outside by Annie, a local woman who made the original call summoning Amanda back to Allerton. The phone rings again, and Amanda rushes back inside to receive the call; this time, Claude demands that Amanda masturbate while on the line, while he caresses a doll. Amanda soon hangs up, and calls Nick at the hospital for help, but he tells her is busy and urges her to go to sleep. Shortly after, Amanda unknowingly drinks from drugged a glass of water. As Amanda loses consciousness, Stemple returns to the house, but is bludgeoned by Claude, hiding in the home's foyer.
Amanda awakens some time later, and finds what she presumes to be Nick sleeping in the guest bedroom, only to find it is a mannequin. She also discovers a photo of Crawther's bloodied corpse pinned on the wall in the kitchen. When Amanda attempts to use the phone, she is met by Claude on the line, who continues to make threats and comment on her clothing. Amanda realizes the call is coming from in the house. Moments later, she is confronted by Stemple, who has also regained consciousness; she assumes him responsible until the phone rings again. Stemple goes upstairs to investigate, but is stabbed to death. Nick subsequently arrives, and finds Amanda in a paranoid state. He chases her into the attic, where she pushes him over a bannister to his death. In a daze, she returns downstairs, where the phone rings again. Amanda, driven mad, laughs hysterically.
Cast[edit]
- Susan Bracken as Amanda Post
- Larry O'Dwyer as Claude Kearn
- Gene Ross as Judge George Stemple
- Jim Harrell as Dr. Crawther
- Hugh Feagin as Nick Caprese
- Annabelle Weenick as Annie
- Rhea MacAdams as Harriet Post
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Filming took place at Texas' historic House of the Seasons
The film was one of two features director S. F. Brownrigg made with executive producer Martin Jurow, who had produced Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).[3] The cast consisted largely Dallas-based actors and crew members, aside from star Susan Bracken,[4] the daughter of comedian Eddie Bracken.[3]
It had the working titleSeason for Murder.[5]
Filming[edit]
The film was shot on location in Jefferson, Texas, in the late summer of 1973.[5][6] The historic House of the Seasons in Jefferson served as the primary filming location.[7]
Release[edit]
Executive producer Martin Jurow attended the film's premiere in Paris, Texas on May 3, 1974.[8] Former professional football player Langdon Viracola reissued the film in 1979 through his Capital Films Corporation, and gave himself a producer's credit on press material.[3]
Critical response[edit]
AllMovie's review was favorable, writing 'Don't Open the Door! isn't after the sheer overkill of [The Forgotten]. Instead, a festering creepiness is sustained throughout'.[9]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Jurow Suspense Movie Will Open Here May 1'. The Marshall News Messenger. Marshall, Texas. April 23, 1974. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^Brown, Don (April 28, 1974). ''Don't Hang Up!' Has Its Premiere Showing Here'. The Tyler Courier-Times. Tyler, Texas – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ abcAlbright 2012, p. 300.
- ^Montgomery, Jim. 'Film Producer Based In East Texas'. The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ abPlocheck, Debby (August 26, 1973). 'A Season for Filming'. The Marshall News Messenger. Marshall, Texas. p. 10A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^'Filming Begins'. The Marshall News Messenger. Marshall, Texas. August 26, 1973. p. 1A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^'Filming Begins'. The Marshall News Messenger. Marshall, Texas. August 26, 1973. p. 1A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^'Don't Hang Up!'. The Paris News. Paris, Texas. May 3, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^Beldin, Fred. 'Don't Open the Door (1974)'. AllMovie. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
Sources[edit]
- Albright, Brian (2012). Regional Horror Films, 1958-1990: A State-by-State Guide with Interviews. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN978-1-476-60042-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
External links[edit]
- Don't Open the Door! on IMDb
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Don%27t_Open_the_Door!&oldid=973382166'
Sealing your house can solve many in home infestations. Insects and other pests often will enter a home through an unsealed door, torn screen, crack in the foundation or walls. After entry the pest will inhabit a portion of your home and reproduce. After a pest has infested your home it can be very difficult to exterminate. To prevent these pest from entering your home specific measures can be taken to seal these entry points. In this article, we will cover all aspects of a home seal for pest prevention.
Prior to investing in sealing your house read our Post on Ways You Can Prevent Pests in Your Yard and Home. By following these tips you may be able to alleviate the need for sealing.
If you are thinking about purchasing a home be sure to read our article How To Tell if a House has Scorpions.
Home Inspections
- Nighttime pesticide-free scorpion control
- Services exterior and interior of the home and yard
- Determine the source of the scorpion infestation
- Identify pest habitats to remove
- Customized strategy to exterminate scorpions
Sealing your home can have many benefits. First and foremost the goal is to prevent pests. Other affects of home sealing are reduced energy use, prevention of water damage and making your home more secure.
By eliminating the entry points into your home pests will no longer be able to gain entry. This is the best defense you can take to prevent an indoor infestation. Sealing is also great at removing habitats for pests on the exterior of your home. These habitats and entry points can be located below ground in your foundation or on the top of your roof.
By eliminating the entry points into your home pests will no longer be able to gain entry. This is the best defense you can take to prevent an indoor infestation. Sealing is also great at removing habitats for pests on the exterior of your home. These habitats and entry points can be located below ground in your foundation or on the top of your roof.
The same way energy can escape out through an unsealed home water can enter. The smallest of cracks can let in gallons of water over an extended period of time. Once water has a way of entering your home it will become a source of hydration for any pest living in your home.
Perhaps the most overlooked advantage of sealing your house is the deterrent it can be to burglars. Gaps in your doors or windows can provide an opening for a malcontent to use to gain entry. A broken screen or damage to your fence can be an open invitation to someone with a bad idea. Sealing will fix these issues causing your home to be less appealing to a criminal.
Home sealing is a method of mechanical pest control that prevents the entry of pests into your house and or property. There are many different things that can be done to your home or land to prevent pest entry. Some of the most common approaches are sealing cracks, gaps and holes on the exterior of your home, screening vents and windows properly, sealing doors and windows and placing or repairing property walls.
Cracks, gaps and holes are the most common entry points into a home. These can located anywhere from the base of your foundation to the seam where your roof meets your wall. These tiny little spaces are perfect for species like the Little Black Ant (Monomorium minimum). These issues can be fixed by using a weatherproof silicon caulking or a patch for larger jobs.
A missing or damaged screen can open your home to a bevy of flying or crawling pests. Older homes may have screens missing from the air flow vents all around the attic. These vents are perfect openings for flying insects like Africanized Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) or Golden Paper Wasps (Polistes aurifer) to enter then build a next in your house.
Window screens are the first barrier for pests.A damaged window screen can allow pests access to your windows open or closed. Even a slight tear can be large enough for a German Cockroach (Blattella germanica) to squeeze through. These tears can be fixed by replacing the entire screen or using a screen patch.
Gaps surrounding doors and windows are an open invitation to pests. Sliding doors are a huge culprit as these are hard to seal completely. Home owners will often leave these doors open in the summer, allowing all pests to enter. Open doors or improperly sealed doors are the main way Tropical House Cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) enter a home. To ensure windows are sealed properly try using a silicon caulking, to seal doors use weather stripping. To make sure you doors close behind you use self closing hinge or kit for your sliding doors.
Having a perimeter wall can prevent many pests from entering your property. These work best for large pests like Javelinas (Pecari tajacu), Coyotes (Canis latrans), Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) and Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum). Any type of fence will suffice for large animals as long as there are no gaps at the bottom for animals to squeeze through. For small pests, a solid fence like a stucco concrete block fence should be used.
Scorpions are a huge problem in the Phoenix, Arizona area. The Arizona Bark Scorpions (Centruroides sculpturatus) is the most main abundant pest on many properties. These scorpions can be found all over a yard and home. The ability to climb and squeeze through any opening smaller than one sixteenth of an inch allows them to gain entry into many places. The best way to prevent these pests are to properly seal your home and property fence.
Don't Open The Door
The first step in preventing scorpions into your home is to seal it properly. You can do this yourself or hire a company to do this for you. If you have a serious problem a professional is your best bet. The point of sealing is to prevent entry points so be sure your home is sealed from roof to foundation.
The favorite habitat for scorpions is inside the concrete block property walls that surround many of the homes in Phoenix. The gaps where each segment meets and the space in between individual blocks provide a perfect entry point into these structures. To seal these wall use an all weather foam or caulking or cover the entire thing in stucco. Stucco works and looks the best, it is important to do both sides of the wall so it will no longer be a habitat.
Phoenix and all of Arizona has some of the most extreme weather in our nation. Due to this proper consideration needs to made to combat the high temperatures, cool winter nights and monsoon rains. Be sure that your home sealing company follows these measures when sealing your home.
Here are a list of things that most companies will do when they seal a home. Be sure that the company you choose is doing everything they can to prevent pests in your house.
Access Points
- Seal the foundation
- Seal door frames
- Seal door thresholds
- Adjust weather stripping
- Screen exhaust vents
- Seal around plumbing
Pest Prevention
- Dust cracks and crevices
- Dust attic space
- Dust block wall voids
- Dust around plumbing
- Dust exterior wall voids
- Dust window tracks
Possible Gaps
- Seal around A/C lines
- Seal around A/C boxes
- Seal electrical boxes
- Seal around cable boxes
- Seal plumbing clean outs
- Seal plumbing entry
Sealing your home can be very pricey. Most companies will charge by the square footage, while others may charge for time and materials. When evaluating the price look at what the company will be doing, how long it will take and the quality in materials they use. Some companies are cheap for a reason and others are more expensive because they use the best materials and have the most experience. This is an investment so be sure you are spending your money wisely.
The price can vary on what needs to be done. Often times sealing company will neglect to seal property walls which is one of the favorite habitats for scorpions. Be sure you understand what your home and property needs to be sealed, how it will be done and the price associated with all your needs. The company we work with starts at $750 and goes up based on the square footage.
Here are some resources I found while conducting research for this article. To find out more about bug proofing and home sealing feel free to review my sources.
Don't Open The Doors Cracked
University of Arizona – How To Bug Proof Your Home
Don't Open The Door Film
This is the best thing I found about bug proofing and home sealing. It talks about the individual prevention of different type of pests. It is very in depth and complete. It will take some time to read but it is worth it. This is the most complete bug proofing guide I have ever seen.