Craze

The area around the antiques shop where much of the action takes place is a set built on the backlot at Shepperton Studios, included here for completeness. After a gory sacrificial ritual, the film opens with a postman doing his rounds.

Neal Mottram's antique shop, part of the set at Shepperton which was also used in 'The Creeping Flesh' and 'Fright'.

Neal (Jack Palance) heads into Soho to search for a sacrificial victim. He passes the London Casino Cinema in Old Compton Street W1 which was showing The Great Waltz at the time of filming. Subsequently it became the Prince Edward Theatre.

Facing the theatre fifty years later. PW

After picking up a hostess and murdering her, Neal and his assistant Ronnie drive off to dispose of the body.

Neal takes a drive. High Street, Taplow, Buckinghamshire.

Slightly off angle, due to the addition of a tall hedge.

He turns right at St Nicholas House, Rectory Road, Taplow...

Virtually unchanged after 49 years

...and leaves his van in the car park of the Oak and Saw Pub, Taplow.

Now with wider entrance to the car park, and writing on the wall.

Neal buys a secondhand car with which to do his dirty work.

He drives down Squire's Bridge Road, turning into Ash Road, Shepperton, Surrey.

Elaborate walls now frame the junction.

Neal leaves his car outside 3 Ash Road, Shepperton. A house now replaces the shop here.

Smart house replaces jaded shop.

Neal walks to the station. Taplow Station, Buckinghamshire, in reality 15 miles away.

It's still a nightmare to park here.

He boards a train for London at Taplow Station...

...and arrives in "London", in reality Windsor & Eton Central Station, looking much as it did as Much Snogging-on-the-Green in 'Carry On Loving'.

After visiting his workshop to prepare his tools for the next murder, Neal returns to Taplow. Taplow Station also appears in 'Girdle of Gold', 'Impulse', 'Tiger by the Tail', 'Before I Wake', 'No Trace' and 'Highly Dangerous'.

At Taplow station Neal heads for the village pub car park, where he disables his van and calls the garage to tow it away.

The scene today.

He visits Dolly, an amorous old flame who has a Bed & Breakfast. 11 Boyn Hill Avenue, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

At ground level, with a mature tree.

After being welcomed in by Dolly (Diana Dors) he drugs her and leaves her in bed, to provide an alibi. He leaves in the car he parked nearby. 11 Boyn Hill Avenue, Maidenhead.

Who needs a front lawn when you have a car to park?

Neal carries the body of his Aunt Louise whom he has murdered. Thorpe House, Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Surrey, also seen in 'Behind the Mask' and 'The Creeping Flesh'.

Neal drives his car into London. Old Compton Street at the junction with Greek Street. The location appears in many other productions including 'The Small World of Sammy Lee', 'Beat Girl', 'Womaneater' and 'Appointment with Crime'.

Vans unloading at the kerb necessitated a step into the road. PW

He abandons the car outside 19 Old Compton Street, now a Pizza Bar.

Roughly about here. PW

Neal walks from the street into a station entrance.

Returning to Dolly's B & B he finds her still out cold and gets into bed until she comes round. We get a view of the next door house. 13 Boyn Hill Avenue, Maidenhead, Berkshire, now an Indian restaurant.

The greenery in front has flourished.

Neal attends his Aunt Louise's funeral. Recognised by Stephen Dean as St Mary Magdalene Church, Squire's Bridge Road, Littleton, Shepperton, Surrey, which features in many British films including 'The Horror of It All', 'The Dock Brief', 'A Jolly Bad Fellow', 'Once in a New Moon' and 1971's 'Dad's Army'.

The weeping angel appears more sinister in Nick Boorman's view.

The churchyard of St Mary Magdalene Church, Littleton, located by Stephen Dean.

Nick Boorman found the area a little overgrown which partially obscures the horizontal cross,

After being hassled by the police, Neal's assistant Ronnie (Martin Potter) visits the local pub to get drunk. The George Inn, 77 High Street, Eton, Berkshire, also seen in 'The Hireling'.

Now simply known as The George, newly painted for the summer season. (SR)

Escaping from the police, who are keeping watch over his shop, Neal emerges next to The Cockpit at 47 High Street, Eton, Berkshire, also seen in 'Penny Gold'. It is the oldest surviving structure in the area, and in 2023 is undergoing a major restoration.