Theatre Of Blood (1973)

Starring Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne
Directed by Douglas Hickox
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A Shakespearean actor, after surviving his apparent suicide, plots revenge on the critics who denied him his chance at a prestigious award.

One of Price's most praised films of the 1970s, it follows a similar plot line to the actor's Dr. Phibes movies, with Price again masterminding a series of murders of those he blames for a tragic event, but this time affords the actor the opportunity to play many of the great scenes from Shakespeare's plays, while enacting his revenge.  I wouldn't put it ahead of The Abominable Dr. Phibes on my list, but it's certainly well-acted and staged, with some of the more grotesque murders in any Price film.  The supporting cast is one of Price's finest, with the elegant Rigg playing his daughter, Robert Morley adding welcome comedy, and Ian Hendry, Coral Browne, Dennis Price, Jack Hawkins, and others rounding out the list of victims.  Highlights include a rousing fencing duel between Price and Hendry, Morley's disgusting but apropos demise, and the grisly death trap staged in an abandoned theatre at the climax.