"The Mangler" is a short story by
Stephen King, first published in the December 1972 issue of ''
Cavalier
The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ) ...
'' magazine, and later collected in King's 1978 collection ''
Night Shift''.
Setting
"The Mangler" is set in an American town, and the action largely takes place in an industrial laundry. Stephen King has stated that, among the many jobs he took to support his family before he became famous, he worked in an industrial laundry.
Plot summary
John Hunton, a police detective investigating a sudden rash of grisly deaths caused by an industrial laundry press called a
mangle, discovers that a series of unfortunate coincidences involving the machine have inadvertently replicated a demon-summoning ritual. Due to various ingredients (including medicine containing extract of nightshade, a live bat, and the fresh blood of a virgin getting into the machine) being combined, the machine itself has become
possessed by a
demon. The story ends after the detective and his friend underestimate the demon's power, and in seeking to exorcise the machine, instead goad it into ripping free of its moorings and prowling the streets in search of fresh prey.
Adaptations
This story was adapted for the screenplay of a 1995 film (directed by
Tobe Hooper
Willard Tobe Hooper (; January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work in the horror genre. The British Film Institute cited Hooper as one of the most influential horror fi ...
)
of the same title, though the brevity of the source material required significant additions not present in the original tale. The film, starring
Robert Englund
Robert Barton Englund (born June 6, 1947) is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger in the '' Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. Classically trained at the Royal Academy o ...
(of
Freddy Krueger
Freddy Krueger () is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. He was created by Wes Craven and made his debut in Craven's '' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit ...
fame), was followed by two sequels, ''
The Mangler 2'' and ''
The Mangler Reborn''. Both are alternating sequels to the first film.
See also
*
Stephen King short fiction bibliography
References
External links
*
*
*
1972 short stories
Short stories by Stephen King
Fantasy short stories
Horror short stories
Works originally published in Cavalier (magazine)
Short stories adapted into films
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