Malpertuis (film)

Malpertuis
Film poster
Directed byHarry Kümel
Written byJean Ferry
Based onMalpertuis
by Jean Ray
Produced byPaul Laffargue
Ritta Laffargue
Pierre Levie
Starring
CinematographyGerry Fisher
Edited byRichard Marden
Music byGeorges Delerue
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 10 May 1972 (1972-05-10) (Cannes)
  • 17 September 1972 (1972-09-17) (Stratford International Film Festival)
Running time
119 minutes
Countries
  • Belgium
  • France
  • West Germany
Languages
  • Dutch
  • French
  • English

Malpertuis (released in the United States as The Legend of Doom House) is a 1972 fantasy horror film directed by Harry Kümel, and starring Orson Welles, Susan Hampshire, Michel Bouquet, Mathieu Carrière, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Daniel Pilon, and Sylvie Vartan. It follows a young sailor who, upon returning to land, awakens to find himself trapped in Malpertuis, his family's isolated labyrinthine estate. It is based on the 1943 novel of the same name by Jean Ray.

Malpertuis was selected for the official selection and was presented "in competition" at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened in a truncated cut at the request of its distributor, United Artists.

A Flemish "director's cut" version was released in 1973.