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Shanks

Play trailer Poster for Shanks PG,  1974,  1h 35m,  Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist - - 3 Reviews Tomatometer 33% 100+ Ratings Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 3 Reviews 33% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Despite his inability to speak or hear, Malcolm Shanks (Marcel Marceau) has a talent for puppetry, which earns him a job assisting scientist Walker (also Marceau), who, by connecting wires to corpses and manipulating them as a puppet master would, is investigating how to revive the dead. When Walker himself dies, Shanks successfully takes over the operation. He decides to use his godlike power to kill the many people who have wronged him, then bring them back to life as his servants.

Critics Reviews

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Brian Orndorf Blu-ray.com Mar 9, 2025
B
It's certainly a memorable viewing experience, hitting a few peaks of insanity while highlighting outstanding mime work from the cast, making for a supremely bizarre effort for more adventurous audiences. Go to Full Review
Steve Warren The Barb (Atlanta) May 5, 2023
It's a delightful, macabre fairytale with a brilliant performance by Marcel Marceau in a dual role. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Aug 2, 2010
B
A grim fairy-tale. Go to Full Review
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Shanks

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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William Castle

Director

Marcel Marceau

Malcolm Shanks

Tsilla Chelton

Mrs. Barton

Phillippe Clay

Mr. Barton

Cynthia Eilbacher

Celia

Helena Kallianiotes

Mata Hari

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Shanks

Shanks (1974) Shanks (1974) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Despite his inability to speak or hear, Malcolm Shanks (Marcel Marceau) has a talent for puppetry, which earns him a job assisting scientist Walker (also Marceau), who, by connecting wires to corpses and manipulating them as a puppet master would, is investigating how to revive the dead. When Walker himself dies, Shanks successfully takes over the operation. He decides to use his godlike power to kill the many people who have wronged him, then bring them back to life as his servants.
Director
William Castle
Producer
Steven North
Screenwriter
Ranald Graham
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures, William Castle Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 9, 1974, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 28, 2017
Runtime
1h 35m
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