''Blood Legacy'' (also called ''Legacy of Blood'' and ''Will to Die'') is a 1971

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

directed by Carl Monson, starring Rodolfo Acosta, Merry Anders, Norman Bartold, John Carradine, and

Faith Domergue Faith Marie Domergue (; June 16, 1924 or 1925 – April 4, 1999) was an American film and television actress. Discovered at age sixteen by media and aircraft mogul Howard Hughes, she was signed to a contract with Hughes' RKO Radio Pictur ...

. There is a 1978 film with the same name and a similar plot, but it should not be confused with this one.

Synopsis

In this 1971 effort, Christopher Dean (John Carradine) has died. His four adult children—Greg, Veronica, Johnnie, and Leslie—along with their spouses, as well as Christopher's longtime three servants, have been summoned to the mansion to listen to Christopher's previously recorded last will. The servants are entitled to a monthly salary of $500 as long as they remain in service. The children, on the other hand, are to inherit equal portions of the $136 million balance of the estate. However, in the event of any child's demise, the remaining share will be distributed among the surviving siblings. If all the children perish, the servants become the heirs to whatever is left. A peculiar condition in the will requires the children to stay in the deceased's house for one week to qualify for their inheritance. Christopher, in his recorded message, explicitly expresses his lack of affection or respect for his four offspring. He advises them to decline his offer if they possess any virtue. The narrative takes a dark turn as the killings commence with the murder of Mrs. Greg Dean's dog. The violence escalates to the decapitation of the police officer summoned to address the incident, continuing until only one individual remains alive. The terms of the will create an atmosphere of suspicion among all present parties. The surprise, and seemingly illogical, twist lies in the revelation of the perpetrator and the motive behind the killings.

Cast

* Rodolfo Acosta: Sheriff Dan Garcia * Merry Anders: Laura Dean * Norman Bartold: Tom Drake *Ivy Bethune: Elga * John Carradine: Christopher Dean *

Richard Davalos Richard Davalos (November 5, 1930 – March 8, 2016) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early life Davalos was born in New York City of Spanish and Finnish descent. At age six, he acted in a school performance of ''Cinderel ...

: Johnny Dean *

: Veronica Dean * Buck Kartalian: Igor Garin *Brooke Mills: Leslie Dean * Jeff Morrow: Gregory Dean * John Russell: Frank Mantee * John Smith: Dr. Carl Isenburg *Mr. Chin: Chin

Presentations

Horror hostess Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (

Cassandra Peterson Cassandra Peterson (born September 17, 1951) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Peterson gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV in her stage ...

) presented ''Blood Legacy'' as part of her ''Movie Macabre'' series. The film was also riffed by the cast of ''

Cinematic Titanic Cinematic Titanic was a project by ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''MST3K'') creator and original host, Joel Hodgson. The project involved "riffing" B-movies, in a manner similar to that of ''MST3K''. Joining Hodgson were some of the original '' ...

.''

External links

* 1971 films American horror films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films {{1970s-US-film-stub