Lock Up Your Daughters (1959 film)
A lost British horror film featuring Bela Lugosi as narrator.
Lock Up Your Daughters is a 1959 British horror film that features Bela Lugosi as its narrator. The production, overseen by E.J. Fancey, repurposes archival footage from 1940s horror films, primarily those made by Monogram Pictures and starring Lugosi. The film is said to have had a runtime of 50 minutes, with Phil Rosen credited as director. It was produced in England and was only ever exhibited there. Today, the film is considered lost, and the BFI is actively searching for it.
The film was advertised in the *Liverpool Echo* as part of a double bill with *The Neanderthal Man*, and a review appeared in *Kinematograph Weekly*. No prints or press materials have been found. In 1950, Lugosi hosted a one-hour WPIX-TV program titled "Murder and Bela Lugosi," where he was interviewed and commented on clips from his old Monogram films. Historian Gary Rhodes suggests that some of this "Lugosi as host" footage may have been reused in *Lock Up Your Daughters*.
Details about the plot are unclear. A 1959 *Kinematography Weekly* review states that Lugosi plays a "vampiric doctor who experiments on young women in order to bring back to life his lovely wife." The review notes that the film incorporates clips from earlier Lugosi films, including footage of the Bowery Boys and "some of the great favourites of yesteryear." Other reviews claim Lugosi appears as an on-screen host, narrating excerpts from his older works, and that the production offered cash prizes to audience members who could identify the original films used.
- Year
- 1959
- Country
- England
- Director
- Phil Rosen
- Producer
- E.J. Fancey
- Star
- Bela Lugosi (narrator)
- Runtime
- 50 minutes (reported)
- Status
- Lost film
Lore & Background
Lock Up Your Daughters is a 1959 British horror film that stars Bela Lugosi as narrator. The film was produced by E.J. Fancey and uses archival footage from 1940s horror films, mostly from Monogram Pictures starring Lugosi. Phil Rosen is credited as the film's director. It was made in England, which was the only country in which the film was ever shown. The film appears to be a lost film today, sought by the BFI.
Details on the film's plot are sketchy. A 1959 review in the British trade journal Kinematography Weekly claimed that Lugosi played a 'vampiric doctor who experiments on young women in order to bring back to life his lovely wife.' The review states the film incorporates clips from films made earlier in Lugosi's career, with footage featuring the Bowery Boys and 'some of the great favourites of yesteryear.' Other reviews claim that Lugosi served as an on-screen host narrating a series of excerpts from his older films, while there are also assertions that Lock Up Your Daughters offered cash prizes for audience members who could identify the original films referenced in this production.
Historian Gary Rhodes thinks that some footage from a 1950 TV program called 'Murder and Bela Lugosi' for WPIX-TV, in which Lugosi was interviewed and provided commentary about his old Monogram horror films while clips were shown, found its way into the 1959 British film Lock Up Your Daughters.
Reader's Guide
Lock Up Your Daughters is significant as a late-career vehicle for Bela Lugosi, using recycled footage from his earlier Monogram Pictures films. Its status as a lost film, sought by the BFI, adds to its mystique among horror historians. The film's uncertain plot—whether Lugosi played a vampiric doctor or served as an on-screen host—reflects the fragmentary nature of its surviving documentation. The possible inclusion of footage from Lugosi's 1950 TV appearance on 'Murder and Bela Lugosi' suggests a creative reuse of material across media. The film's limited release in England only, and its pairing with The Neanderthal Man on a double bill, underscore its low-budget, niche appeal. The lack of surviving prints or press materials makes it a tantalizing subject for film archivists and Lugosi enthusiasts.
Did You Know?
- Lock Up Your Daughters is a 1959 British horror film starring Bela Lugosi as narrator.
- The film was produced by E.J. Fancey using archival footage from 1940s Monogram Pictures horror films starring Lugosi.
- It was only ever shown in England and is now considered a lost film sought by the BFI.
- Historian Gary Rhodes thinks some footage from Lugosi's 1950 TV program 'Murder and Bela Lugosi' was used in this film.
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