Dementia (1955 film)
Dementia is a 1955 American black-and-white experimental horror film produced, written, and directed by John Parker, and starring Adrienne Barrett and Bruno Ve Sota. The film, which contains no dialogue, follows a young woman's nightmarish experiences during a single night in Los Angeles's skid row. Stylistically, it incorporates elements of horror, film noir, and expressionist film.
Dementia | |
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2001 Kino Video DVD artwork | |
Directed by | John Parker |
Written by | John Parker |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | William C. Thompson |
Edited by | Joseph Gluck |
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Distributed by | Exploitation Pictures |
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Running time | 58 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Dementia was conceived as a short film by writer-director Parker and was based on a dream relayed to him by his secretary, Barrett. He cast Barrett in the film, along with Ve Sota, and ultimately decided to expand it into a longer feature. The film received a troubled release, being banned in 1953 by the New York State Film Board before finally being released in December 1955. It was later acquired by Jack H. Harris, who edited it and incorporated voice over narration by Ed McMahon before re-releasing it in 1957 under the alternate title Daughter of Horror.