On this day in movie history – The Maze (1953 movie & novel):

The Maze

directed by William Cameron Menzies,

written by Daniel B. Ullman,

based on the novel The Maze by Maurice Sandoz,

released in the United States on June 24, 1953.

Music by Marlin Skiles.

Cast: Richard Carlson, Veronica Hurst, Katherine Emery, Michael Pate, John Dodsworth, Hillary Brooke, Stanley Fraser, Lilian Bond, Owen McGiveney, Robin Hughes, Jack Chefe, Clyde Cook, Bess Flowers, Kenner G. Kemp, Harold Miller, Bert Stevens.

Recommended reading:

The Maze

By Maurice Sandoz.

Illustrated by Salvador Dali.

ASIN: B0007E8F6K

Published by Doubleday Doran.

First published 1945.

Description:

The maze at Craven was built of yew trees in the eighteenth century, when such things were popular in Scotland. There were few people who could find their way through it, and when Mrs. Murray attempted the passage, she got a little closer to understanding the mysterious doings on the McTeam estate.

Sir Gerald’s hospitality was excellent as far as it went, but gusts had to be in their rooms at a certain hour and couldn’t leave them again until the next morning. Through the still, dark halls strange sounds echoed, oddly shaped spots of moisture appeared on the carpets, curious torchlight processions passed by outside the locked windows. Most of the guests left early; few ever returned. Through it all, some unknown power could be felt at work, directing the destinies of the Scotch family and their estates.

This macabre tale is interpreted by the fantastic drawings of the famous surrealist artist, Salvador Dali, which have enhanced the spirit of the tale as effectively as the clear and simple style of Mr. Sandoz. The two artists have collaborated to produce a masterpiece of the supernatural which should please the most discriminating collector.