critic, flamboyant gourmand Meredith Merridew, is force-fed pies made from the flesh of his two toy poodles until he chokes to death, replicating the demise of Queen Tamora in Titus Andronicus. It is revealed early in the film that Lionheart is being aided by his adoring daughter Edwina. Eventually, she is arrested as the prime suspect in the murders, forcing Lionheart to reveal himself to Devlin. Lionheart tells Devlin to give him the award or be killed. Devlin refuses, and Lionheart plans to put out his eyes with red-hot daggers, as happens to Gloucester in King Lear. However, his contraption gets stuck just as the police arrive to save Devlin. Lionheart sets fire to the theatre. In the confusion, one of the vagrants kills Edwina by striking her on the head with the award statuette, unwittingly casting her in the role of Cordelia, Lear's youngest daughter. Lionheart retreats, carrying her body to the roof and delivering Lear's final monologue before the roof caves in, sending him to his death. Devlin, a critic even in the face of death, then gives Lionheart's performance a positive if mixed review. Cast Vincent Price ... Edward Lionheart Diana Rigg ... Edwina Lionheart Ian Hendry ... Peregrine Devlin Harry Andrews ... Trevor Dickman Robert Coote ... Oliver Larding Michael Hordern ... George Maxwell Robert Morley ... Meredith Merridew Coral Browne ... Chloe Moon Jack Hawkins ... Solomon Psaltery Arthur Lowe ... Horace Sprout Dennis Price ... Hector Snipe Milo O'Shea ... Inspector Boot Eric Sykes ... Sgt. Dogge Diana Dors ... Maisie Psaltery Joan Hickson ... Mrs. Sprout Renée Asherson ... Mrs. Maxwell Madeline Smith ... Rosemary Brigid Erin Bates ... Agnes Charles Sinnickson ... Vicar Tutte Lemkow ... Meths Drinker Declan Mulholland ... Meths Drinker Stanley Bates ... Meths Drinker John Gilpin ... Meths Drinker Like other movies in the last years of his life, Hawkins was dubbed by his friend Charles Gray. Both Hawkins and Dennis Price died within a few months of the film's release. Production The film was originally to be titled Much Ado About Murder. Robert Fuest, director of The Abominable Dr. Phibes, was originally offered this film to direct, but turned it down on the grounds of not wishing to be typed as "the guy who makes Vincent Price theme killing movies." Director Douglas Hickox was quite enamored of the cast he'd assembled portraying the doomed critics, saying: "The