I Bury the Living

Plot synopsis:
Title and credits run over a section of granite headstone. We pull back to reveal a cemetery and are shown text, "Science has learned that man possesses powers which go beyond the boundaries of the natural. This is the story of one confronted by such strange forces within himself." Robert Kraft (Richard Boone) and the caretaker, Andy McKee (Theodore Bikel) walk to the Immortal Hills Cemetary office building. Bob Kraft has taken over the chairmanship of the cemetery and is briefed on the routine by Andy. Bob notices a map on the wall of the cemetery. Andy explains that a black pin on a plot indicates someone buried and a white pin indicates a sold plot not yet occupied. Bob asks Andy, "McKee you've been on the job now forty years, right?" Andy replies, "Aye," in his Scottish accent. Bob informs him he is to be retired and assures him he will draw the same monthly paycheck. Bob asks Andy for a replacement recommendation. Andy walks over to the desk and pulls a gun. He tells Bob it is available in case of emergencies. A young couple drive up to the office. It is Stuart Drexel (and uncredited Glen Vernon) and his new bride Elizabeth (an uncredited Lynette Bernay). A provision in Stu's inheritance is that he buy a plot for him and his wife before he can draw part of his trust from the bank. Beth is not amused by the entire situation and lets her new husband know. They drive off and Bob goes back to the office. Upon his return, Andy greets him with a shot of liquor. He explains that the previous chairman left it to sooth customers needing fortification to get through the burial process of a loved one. Bob places two pins on plots in the Drexel area of the cemetery.In his Department Store office, Bob, his Uncle George Kraft (Howard Smith) and the outgoing chairman, Henry Trowbridge (an uncredited Russ Bender) go through the formal process of swearing in Bob Kraft as the new chairman. Bob is not happy with the "honor", claiming he is far too busy to take on the role. But Uncle George insists, explaining that it is a family and company tradition and that it is his turn. While it is done pro bono, it is expected because three previous generations of Krafts did. It only entails a few hours a month of work. The caretaker takes care of day to day operations. As soon as he is sworn in he gets a telephone call from the local undertaker. He is told that Stu Drexel and his new bride, Beth, are dead.At the cemetery office, Bob and Andy are going over some paper work when the local newspaper reporter, Jess Jessup (Herbert Anderson) walks in. He tells Bob and Andy he is on the obituary detail, and complains the office is cold. When Bob tells Andy to change the Drexel pins from white to black, Andy informs Bob that they are already black. Bob dismisses it saying, "I must have picked up the wrong color," when he marked the plots. Bob mentions the mistake made him feel eerie. Andy adds, "I think he means he marked the young couple for death, sir." Jess jokes that if any more pins are used to stay away from his area of the cemetery. As Jeff leaves, Bob's fiancée, Ann Craig (Peggy Maurer) arrives. She lightly complains that she was stood up for their lunch date. Bob and Ann quickly make up. Bob goes back to the map and randomly places a black pin on a plot. He looks to see his choice. A black and white pin sits on the "W. Isham" plot. He pulls the white pin out. The phone rings and he informs the caller that the funeral is for immediate family only. Ann returns to the office and they embrace and kiss. They leave the cemetery office.William Isham (an uncredited Cyril Delevanti) is repairing a teddy bear in his shop. He finishes stitching a section. As he is installing the eyes he collapses and dies. At the cemetery, Andy is finishing the Drexel marble headstone. Bob asks Andy if he has found his replacement. No is the reply, but Andy does show some progress in another area. He has fixed the space heater. Bob reviews the paperwork and notices an invoice for the funeral of William Isham. The pair walk over to the map and Andy tells Bob that he was going to change the white pin to black, but noticed it was already black. Bob tells Andy he changed the pin. Bob calls Jessup at the newspaper office. He informs Andy he change the pin color before the man died. Jessup reassures Bob that there is nothing supernatural. It was just a coincidence.Uncle George and Bob are going over store figures when Bob blurts out that he is quitting the chairmanship. "I'm going to call Bates, Honegger and Trowbridge right now and tell them I'm quitting." He reminds his uncle that three incorrectly placed pins accounted for three deaths. Uncle George laughs out loud. He tells Bob he is going out to the cemetery to put some black pins on the map to wipe out the competition. The two drive out together. At the cemetery, George pulls out Henry Trowbridge's pin. Bob insists he actually make the exchange then places a black pin on the map. Bob has a shot of booze and the two depart.Later that evening, Bob calls Henry Trowbridge at home. His wife answers the phone. It is 11:40 p.m. and Henry's wife informs Bob that her husband is not breathing. The body count is now four. The police drive up to the cemetery office. Lt. Clayborne (Robert Osterich) talks to Bob. Incredulous, Clayborne summarizes the situation, "Let me get this straight, Mr. Kraft. You say that every time you stick a black pin in the map, people turn up dead?" Clayborne reminds Bob that the Drexel couple were killed in a traffic collision. Isham died of a cerebral hemorrhage and Henry Trowbridge had a coronary thrombosis. He investigated and found nothing to suggest foul play. Bob starts to think it isn't the map, but he may be responsible.At his store office, Bob is informed by his Uncle George that he needs a vacation and George arranges one. Bob asks the committee be assembled that night at 7:00 p.m. Ann tries to reassure Bob it is a coincidence and suggests the vacation be turned into a honeymoon. That evening the committee members meet in Bob's office. Bill Honegger (an uncredited Ken Drake) and Charlie Bates (an uncredited Matt Moore) join Uncle George and Bob Kraft. Bill has a proposal to keep Bob as chairman. The committee demands Bob go out to the cemetery that evening and change Bill, Charlie, and Uncle George's white pins to black, then go home to bed. The motion is passed, and Bob makes the changes as ordered. Andy McKee stops by the cemetery office and tells Bob to lock the office and never come back. The phone rings. It is Jess, and Bob informs him of the three exchanged pins. He tells Jess if anything happens to any of them it is his fault. His attempt to light the portable furnace is unsuccessful. He calls the police and asks for Lt. Clayborne. The Desk Sergeant gives him the number where he can reach him, but the number is always busy. He finally realizes the phone number he has been dialing is Bill Honegger's. Jess calls Bob and informs him that Clayborne is with him and that Honegger is dead. He adds that Charlie Bates was found in his apartment dead. Bob is worried about his Uncle George and is surprised when George walks into the cemetery office. George tells Bob that he has proved his point. George pulls his black pin out of the map then leaves the office. Bob calls the police and asks that a policeman be assigned to watch his uncle.Clayborne calls Bob to inform him that George can't be found. Bob exits the office and finds his uncle in his car, still on the cemetery grounds. He is dead. He drives back to the office. He informs Lt. Clayborne he found his uncle. He puts the black pin back on the map on his Uncle's plot.The next day Lt. Clayborne returns to the cemetery with Jess and Ann in tow. Clayborne asks about one Jacob Mittel. Bob tells the policeman that he is a buyer for the store and he is currently out of the country on business. At the insistence of Clayborne, Bob puts a black pin on his plot. He is informed that Mittel is not dead. He is in Paris. This is a test. The police are setting up a trap. Bob voices his objections. Clayborne suggests Bob may have some unknown power, like voodoo in the West Indies.Overworked and overtired, Bob begins to hallucinate. He blames himself for the deaths. He concludes that if he changes the black pins back to white he can return the dead to life. With the floor heater broken by his own hand, he gathers paper and kindling to light a fire on the floor to keep warm. Out in the cemetery, the graves of the recently departed are starting to unearth themselves. Bob discovers this after he awakens in the smoke filled office. He snags his overcoat on one of the headstones. Leaving it behind, he runs back to the office. He retrieves the gun from the overturned desk. Before he has a chance to commit suicide the phone rings. It is the voice of Mrs. Mittel. She tells Bob that a cable arrived informing her that her husband died in Paris, France. Andy walks in and tells Bob it must be impossible. Andy confesses to Bob that he was responsible for the deaths. Andy was upset at being dismissed after forty years of faithful service. Andy picks up the gun and explains exactly how he killed each one. Andy doesn't believe Jacob Mittel is dead. The police burst into the office after Andy drops dead. Clayborne explains that Jacob Mittel is actually alive. The call and cable were set up by the police with the assistance of Mrs. Mittel. They watched as Andy dug up all seven graves. Bob and Ann leave the cemetery office together. We close with a slow zoom in on the map. It falls off the wall.

Tags: cult

Review:
Shortly after the man discovers he has the power to kill sticking  black pins in an old cemetery grounds map.
Richard Boone ('Hombre'), best known as a star of Westerns, is solid as a businessman who is obligated to serve on the committee of a local cemetery, and inadvertently discovers that by using the map of the graves available he has the power of life and death.
The film utilises a graveyard as it's central location, and this represents one of it's major assets; as graveyards often make for intriguing horror locations, and when combined with the atmospheric cinematography and the brilliantly compelling story; I Bury the Living becomes more than it's B-movie status suggests it should be.
This cemetery has a map of it's plots on the wall, with filled ones represented by a black pin, and ones owned by people who are still alive being represented by a white one.
After accidentally inserting a black pin into the plot owned by a newly married, and very much alive, couple; the man is astonished when they turn up dead...was it merely coincidence, or can he control who lives and who dies?
By taking this kind of narrative technique, adding a bizarre and haunting score, repeating certain eerily iconic images and superimposing a decidedly downbeat and pragmatic dialogue, Albert Band created a uniquely dreamlike horror picture that broke through the cliched 50's take on the genre.Working with a cast of almost unknown character-actors, and the makeup of Jack Pearce, Band's vision finds expression through action focused almost entirely in one room, a room dominated by a map of a graveyard.
Each time Kraft suggests a thing, that thing invariably happens  just as is often the case in the best and worst of dreams.The end of the film simply makes no sense, breaks all the rules established by the narrative, falls apart into a tangled mess.
That map gives you the creeps too.The cast is led by western actor Richard Boone and is joined by Theodre Bikel, Peggie Maurer and sci-fi/horror B-movie regular Russ Bender (It Conquered the World, War of the Colossol Beast).I bury the Living is worth tracking down.
This crafty chiller is well scripted, acted and tightly directed by Albert Band.Richard Boone portrays Robert Kraft, prominent chairman of a large department store chain, who because of civic obligation reluctantly accepts the trusteeship of Immortal Hills Cemetery for a one year term.
His reluctance soon gives way to fearful belief that his insertion of black pins into the imposing cemetery map in the caretaker's office can supernaturally cause the deaths of the targeted plot owners.
The eerie musical score that highlights the scenes inside the caretaker's office and the cemetery both day and night intensifies the suspense all the way to the startling conclusion.Of interest is Boone's rather unusual role as the tormented Kraft in his only horror picture.
What happens when Richard Boone, recently put in charge of a cemetery, mistakenly puts a black pin in the hole of a map of the grounds instead of a white pin(black meaning the customer is dead and white alive)?
Band and company create some some good visual tricks and nice scene transitions as they establish a suitably creepy atmosphere.Boone plays Bob Kraft, a department store executive who as a tradition in his company assumes the duty of cemetery director for a year.
When he puts the black push pins in, the owners of those graves mysteriously perish, and he comes to feel great guilt over this horrible ability he seems to have acquired.Granted, this film could have had even more punch had the filmmakers gone with the ending as scripted, which would have been more eerie and more in tone with the rest of the film.
Boone is excellent in the lead, and receives sturdy support from a cast also including folk singer Theodore Bikel as amiable cemetery grounds keeper Andy McKee, Peggy Maurer as Bobs' girlfriend Ann Craig, Howard Smith as Bobs' concerned uncle George, Herbert Anderson as jovial reporter "Jess" Jessup, and Robert Osterloh as hard nosed police detective Lt. Clayborne.Clocking in at a trim 78 minutes, "I Bury the Living" just gets better as it goes along, with a superb climactic sequence of the weary Bob starting to succumb to guilt and terror, and discovering some nasty surprises in the cemetery.
However, there's still a very enjoyable movie here, one that thrives on an uneasy atmosphere and showcases some neat visual film noirish, touches.Shot in stark black and white to perfectly emphasise the shadowy tension in the plotting, director Band deftly lets the office cemetery map become the dominant force of the piece, marrying it up with the ever fretful Kraft's mental being.
With pins and maps replacing voodoo dolls, this, mixed with its gripping score, wonderful black and white photography and the stellar casting of Richard Boone, I Bury the Living is a psychological attack on the mind and the slow demise into despair and guilt.
Science too, has its place, with its rational reasoning that fate, through life, has simply chosen these people to die.Richard Boone's performance as the troubled Robert Kraft is the man driven to near suicide, who, having the equivalent charisma and drama as Rick Blaine in Casablanca (1942) and Jerry Connolly in Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), a cool demure set against a stern eagerness, casting Mr. Boone here has done both film and himself a world of good.See this film for what it is, an interesting B-movie of its generation that has a superb visual tone of the great days of Hitchcock and a musical drama that highlights the tension and intrigue that draws you into both the concerns and anguish of this cursed man..
Richard Boone plays Robert Kraft, the newly elected director of a cemetery who finds himself involved in a morbid mystery when people who have plots in the cemetery begin mysteriously dying, especially when Robert realizes that he mistakenly put a black pin(for dead) in place of a white pin(for living) on a big map representing all the burial plots in the cemetery, for people who subsequently died.
Theodore Bikel costars as the retiring caretaker Andy McKee. Despite a good score and direction, this film is ruined by the revelation at the end, which is simply not credible, as if it was thought of at the last minute.
First, let me state that I'm an unabashed fan of The Twilight Zone, so when I say that I Bury the Living is, indeed, much like a TZ episode, that's a compliment!Boone's performance is excellent as the cemetery man who seems to have the ability...or the curse...to cause people to die by sticking pins into a map of the cemetery.The movie has its flaws, including a tendency for anyone in the film who doubts Boone's ability (including Boone himself) to stick a pin in the map to find out if anyone dies, which is a bit like pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger to see if the gun's loaded.
Eerie little film about a cemetery caretaker (Richard Boone) who finds he can cause the deaths of people by changing their white pins in a cemetery map into black pins...or can he?
I think the last 10 minutes or so drop the overall quality of the film at least a couple of stars, and if the original ending from the story had been kept (see another poster's comments for the original ending), I would have easily voted this an 8 or 9.Bottom line: this horror flick is very well-done and extremely effective.
It would have been interesting to see what Hitchcock could have done with this material, that being said director Albert Band did a fine job, with keeping the tension near constant and creating several creepy "under your skin" moments throughout the film, as well as getting an excellent performance from the star.This one was a real team-effort, as there's obviously a good deal of talent all around, from the cast to the crew, especially the music by Gerald Fried and the sparsely used, but very effective optical effects.
Most effective Mr. Fried.The star, Richard Boone, does an excellent job of making the viewer pity him, with first his understandable reluctance to take up a position he doesn't want (that was pretty much forced upon him); as the head honcho of the local cemetery (a super-intendant I guess) and then the ultra-heavy-weight psychological torture and torment he's rung through over the course of the next few weeks.
Once you've seen this film I think you'll agree, that never has there been such prominence placed on black pins and white pins and a cemetery plot map.
This creepy old black and white is great to watch alone, late a night and if there's a thunderstorm brewing, think of that as additional atmosphere and a definite a bonus, which should only enhance the experience that is: I BURY THE LIVING.Happy Viewing..
I Bury The Living is a very entertaining little "B" chiller that benefits from a strong performance by the always reliable Richard Boone and it was Boone's only foray into the horror genre.Louis Garfinkle wrote and produced the film, and Directed by Albert Band.
If there is a weak spot in the movie it's Austrian actor Theodore Bikels attempt to play the the Scottish cemetery caretaker Andy McKee. With his heavy makeup causing him to look like Captain Kangaroo, he struggles with a Scottish burr in his voice that brings unintentional chuckles to the proceedings.
Kraft comes to believe he has been cursed with the power of live and death over the cemetery plot owners when several of them die after the white pins signifying unoccupied graves are replaced with black pins signifying occupied graves on the cemetery plot map.
This is more like a Twilight Zone episode, with Boone as a funeral director who comes to think that when he puts a black pin in a cemetary map, the owner of the selected plot dies.
"I Bury the Dead" is a cool horror tale that feels like a blown-up episode of "Tales From the Crypt".Robert Kraft (played by Western actor Richard Boone) gets a job as a caretaker of a cemetery where a detailed map provides the location of every burial plot.
A black-headed one means that the owner is now also the occupant.Kraft, by accident and on a whim, replaces some of the white pins with black ones, and begins to feel that the map has some supernatural power over life and death.I have said that the film feels like a blown up episode of a television show.
Acting: 8/10 Story: 8/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10  Character Development: 7/10 Special Effects/Make-up: 7/10  Nudity/Sexuality: 0/10 (none) Violence/Gore: 2/10 (very little  violence) Music: 6/10 Direction: 7/10  Cheesiness: 2/10 Crappiness: 0/10  Overall: 7/10  This is a great classic thriller for fans of either classic films or  thrillers..
Basic premise has Richard Boone's character discovering he literally has the power of life and death, via the implausible, but fun conceit of sticking pins into a well-worn cemetery schematic.
Robert Kraft has become the new chairman of a cemetery that the Kraft family owns when he is introduced to outgoing Scottish grounds-keeper Andy McKee. A quick tour of his new cold office brings Robert's attention to the detailed map of the funeral plots that Andy has kept pegged with black pins for those filled and white for empty ones.
I couldn't help but laugh as I watched this film because Robert is causing these deaths by replacing white pins with black ones.
Boone believes all he must do to kill is to push black pins into the map of the cemetary plots of those whom are not yet dead."I Bury the Living" might have worked as a "Twilight Zone" or even a "Richard Boone Show" repetory company episode, particularly if someone like Tony Perkins, Wally Cox or Robert Blake had played Boone's role.
Veteran player Matt Moore, primarily an actor in "silent" films, appears for the last time as the victim named Bates.***** I Bury the Living (7/58) Albert Band ~ Richard Boone, Theodore Bikel, Peggy Maurer, Howard Smith.
Up until the last fifteen minutes or so, I BURY THE LIVING makes you think there's a paranormal explanation for all the weird things going on at a cemetery where Richard Boone is put in charge.
But the whole story collapses like a house of cards when the writer couldn't figure out how to resolve the plot.In the meantime, you'll be reminded of a "Twilight Zone" similarity between the plot that does exist and you'll certainly expect an ending that is more satisfying than the twist supplied here.Richard Boone hasn't much of a characterization to build on but does a passable job of acting as the man who feels he's being manipulated by a board that shows the layout of the cemetery and its white and black pins for designating life and death.As a Scottish caretaker who is facing retirement, Theodore Bikel is hardly recognizable behind some heavy age make-up that has an artificial look.
Through a series of macabre "coincidences", the newly-elected director of a cemetery (Richard Boone) begins to believe that he can cause the deaths of living owners of burial plots by merely changing the push-pin color from white (living) to black (dead) on a large wall map of the cemetery that notes those plots.When you think of the name Albert Band, what you might first think of is the man who sired the hack director and producer Charles Band and hack composer Richard Band.
And Boone starts really believing that he's got a power of life and death working here that he really doesn't want.Fans of his will be surprised at Theodore Bikel who plays the cemetery caretaker, a man who loves his work.
A chairman over a cemetery, Robert Kraft(Richard Boone)is overcome with fear and paranoia when odd occurrences that seem to supernaturally happen from changing a white pin to a black pin on a board map of the grounds displaying all the lots occupied and unoccupied by their owners.
Yes it does look a little cheap, but it helps that the film is so imaginative, and creepy, plus just the fact that you can determine how long a man will live by a bunch of black pins just gave me the Creeps!.
I also thought comparisons to a map of the brain were quite apt.I was quite intrigued by an earlier comment that claims the ending as written in the original script has Boone's character locked inside the caretaker's shed with the re- animated corpses of his victims (caused by his switching the black pins with white) calling for him from outside, causing him to die of fright.
However the idea of Robert Kraft's (Richard Boone) black pin voodoo exercise resulting in the deaths of seven victims goes well beyond the realm of coincidence.
(Almost.) Directed by Albert Band (father of Charles Band, who is known for quite a few B movies himself), it was referenced as a favorite of Stephen King's back in his 1981 non-fiction book Danse Macabre, though even he criticized the ending.Robert Kraft (played by Richard Boone, who was primarily known for his roles in Westerns at the time) is to take over as chairman of a committee that oversees Immortal Hills Cemetery, much to his chagrin.
As he is learning the ins and outs of operations from the caretaker, Andy (Theodore Bikel), he is shown the cemetery's map, where pins are used to mark the plots — white for the living and black for the dead.
The idea is certainly interesting, but at feature length the story feels padded and repetitive; after the third black pin and the third death we have already accepted the film's premise but Richard Boone keeps sticking the pins on the map, which would make more sense if his character turned evil, but he doesn't.
More on this in a moment....In the film, the viewer meets the head of the Kraft Department Store, Robert Kraft (extremely well played by Richard Boone), who has just received a piece of bad news from his board of directors: It is his turn, at least for the next year, to be the manager of the town of Milford's Immortal Hills Cemetery.
Convinced now that either he or the map harbors some kind of supernatural power, Kraft soon realizes that he might have an opposite ability, as well; i.e., using white pins, he might be able to bring the dead back to life....Intelligently scripted and increasingly suspenseful, "I Bury the Living" benefits from an immensely likable performance from the charismatic Richard Boone.
Things get creepy when Kraft inexplainably changes push-pins on a map of the cemetery plots.
Kraft discovers that he can cause the deaths of living owners of funeral plots by simply changing the push-pin color from white to black on a large wall map of the graveyard.
Reluctant new managing director of a cemetery (an itchy, uncomfortable-seeming Richard Boone) finds business curiously booming after he sticks black pins in the plot-directory map in his office.
I wanted to see this film for many years thinking that the combination of a lurid plot device (a man who can decide who lives and dies by placing pins on a map), a great old actor (Richard Boone), and the cheesiness of the wave of 1950's horror genre would create a classic.
Richard Boone is the new director of the cemetery and as soon as he takes over, the bodies of the board members begin to pile up as the pins on the maps change from "white" (available) to "black" (unavailable), even though the grave plots for the board members have already been purchased.
However, he discovers that when he puts black pins into the plots on a sinister map, people end up croaking.
Richard Boone stars as a newly appointed cemetery caretaker who has a giant map of the cemetery with all its plots marked by pins.