Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968)

Costume Design by Michael Southgate

A loose adaptation of a H. P. Lovecraft's 'The Dreams in the Witch House' that just keeps the 'dreams' and 'witch house' part and not much else!

I do not know if any of the principal cast members' costumes were custom-made or stock, though this PropstoreAuction listing of what is supposedly Christopher Lee's jacket from the film would have us believe it was made at the M. Berman Ltd costume house.

Perhaps that was the case, that the men's suits were made? But then again, the PropstoreAuction jacket could easily be a vintage jacket with a tag altered on after the fact; it's impossible to know without any costume sketches turning up for the film!

As for the costumes we know were made for the film, it's mostly on the evil cult, making this film aligned perfectly with the likes of Hammer's The Witches and The Devil Rides Out. All the extras in the dream sequences are just in reused period stock clothing - judge robes, monk habits - with custom-made masks.

However, the costumes that had to have definitely been made for the film are, ironically, not really much 'costumes' - as they are skimpy, kinky leather outfits! An unnamed female and make executioner both wear studded bracelets and vinyl skirts, with the male executioner wearing an ornate antler helmet. Perhaps a homage to deities such as Cernunnos and Pan?

The swirly nipple pasties are hysterical.

The witch Lavinia, played by Barbara Steele in the dream sequences, is the costume highlight though. Steel sports a brown dress with golden mesh sleeves and blue gems stuck on the chest, completed with a ram horn headpiece that is itself fitted with feathers. It is a tragedy that there isn't more information on this film's costume design, especially as this seems to be costume designer Michael Southgate only film credit!