And Now the Screaming Starts!

And Now the Screaming Starts!

Year: 1973

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

Director: Roy Ward Baker

HorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsTerrifying haunted and supernatural horrorGothic and eerie haunting horrorCreepy chilling and terrifying horror

The cursed hand that crawls, kills, and lives. In the late 18th century, newlyweds Charles and Catherine Fengriffen move into the stately family mansion. Catherine soon falls victim to a vengeance‑driven curse placed by a wronged servant on the Fengriffen line, sealing a doom that haunts each descendant.

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Timeline – And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973)

Trace every key event in And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Move to Fengriffen House

During 1795, Catherine moves to Fengriffen House with her fiancé Charles. She begins to experience visions of an undead corpse with a birthmarked face, empty eye sockets, and a severed right hand. The dark history of the estate seems to press in on her from the moment she arrives.

1795 Fengriffen House
2

Wedding night assault

On their wedding night, Catherine is attacked and raped by an evil spirit in her bedroom at Fengriffen House. The assault scars her and deepens her visions of the corpse. The house's haunting presence feels more personal than before.

1795 (wedding night) Fengriffen House
3

Meeting Silas the woodsman

Shortly after arriving, Catherine encounters Silas, a woodsman who lives in a nearby lodge and bears a birthmark identical to the corpse. The coincidence links Silas to the estate's curse and the visions. She wonders what he knows about the estate's dark history.

1795 Silas' lodge
4

Mysterious killings deter truth-tellers

Those who attempt to explain Silas's presence fall under the curse's reach. Maitland is hacked to death with an axe; Mrs Luke is thrown down the stairs; Aunt Edith is strangled by the severed hand, which then vanishes. The killings sow fear and silence within Fengriffen House.

1795 Fengriffen House
5

Pregnancy announced; silence about the past

With Catherine's pregnancy announced, Dr Whittle urges Charles to reveal the estate's past. Charles refuses, treating the tale as superstition rather than fact. Tension between science and superstition grows as Catherine seeks answers.

1795 Fengriffen House
6

Dr Pope invited to investigate

Charles instead calls in psychiatrist Dr Pope, who approaches the mystery with an open mind. He nearly draws out the truth from Whittle, but before Whittle can speak, the severed hand re-materialises and strangulates him before vanishing again. The supernatural threat becomes undeniable.

1795 Fengriffen House
7

Pope confronts the family history

Pope confronts Charles, who recounts the Fengriffen family’s crimes and old grievances surrounding Sir Henry Fengriffen. The story traces a pattern of violence and a curse tied to Silas and his son. The revelation sets the stage for a confrontation with the estate's legacy.

1795 Fengriffen House
8

The backstory of Sir Henry Fengriffen

Fifty years earlier, Sir Henry Fengriffen rapes the bride of his servant Silas. In revenge, Silas's son, the woodsman, bears a matching birthmark. Henry cuts off Silas's right hand, catalyzing a curse that targets the next virgin bride to enter Fengriffen House.

circa 1745 Fengriffen estate
9

The curse revealed

Silas's curse declares that the next virgin bride will be raped and her child tainted, and that anyone warning her will die. Henry later expresses remorse and bequeaths Silas land, but the prophecy remains active, awaiting its target. Catherine, as the first eligible bride in decades, now seems bound to become the cursed instrument.

present (late 18th century) Fengriffen House / estate
10

Pope stays through Catherine's birth

Pope agrees to stay with the Fengriffens until Catherine gives birth, providing a rational counterpoint to the estate's curse. The doctors and priests balance belief and evidence as they wait for the child. The mood remains tense, with danger lurking at every corner.

1795 Fengriffen House
11

Labor and delivery

Catherine goes into labor, and Pope sedates her to facilitate delivery. He assists in delivering the baby, whose unsettling appearance shocks Charles. The birth makes the estate's dark legacy feel all too real.

1795 (labour) Fengriffen House
12

Charles confronts Silas' lodge

Charles travels to Silas' lodge and shoots the woodsman in the face, attempting to end the threat himself. The violence marks a direct confrontation with the curse's origin. Silas dies with the same mutilation seen in Catherine's visions.

1795 (during labour) Silas' lodge
13

Pope and the revelation at the lodge

Pope follows and discovers Silas dead on the floor, shot through both eyes—matching Catherine's vision of the corpse. The parallel between dream and reality strengthens the case for the supernatural. The living and the dead seem to collide on the estate.

1795 Silas' lodge
14

Henry's grave is opened

Charles smashes open Henry's grave and destroys his remains, a desperate attempt to eradicate the source of the curse. He shoves Pope away when the doctor tries to intervene. The act shows how far the family will go to end the haunting.

1795 Fengriffen graveyard
15

The newborn and the final revelation

Pope returns to Catherine and presents the baby, who bears the birthmark and has no right hand. The child embodies the culmination of the curse and its perpetual cycle. Catherine's union with Charles has produced a tainted heir that seals Fengriffen's dark legacy.

1795 Fengriffen House

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:11

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