Death at Love House

Death at Love House

Year: 1976

Runtime: 74 mins

Language: English

Director: E.W. Swackhamer

MysteryHorrorTV Movie

Donna and Joel Gregory stay at the mansion of former star Lorna Love while researching a book about the long‑dead Hollywood goddess. Joel, whose father once had a passionate affair with Lorna, becomes increasingly obsessed with her. His wife struggles to break the spell that threatens both their marriage and their very lives.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Death at Love House (1976)

Trace every key event in Death at Love House (1976) 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

Arrival at Lorna Love's mansion

Joel and Donna Gregory arrive in Hollywood to investigate the mysterious actress Lorna Love and to finish their book. They meet housekeeper Clara Josephs and agent Oscar Payne who guide their stay. The trip is driven by the revelation that Joel Sr. was Lorna's lover, tying their fates together.

Day 1 - arrival Lorna Love's mansion, Hollywood
2

First night discoveries in the garden shrine

Unsettling incidents begin soon after arrival as the couple notices Lorna's portrait and a 1930s-dressed woman near the shrine where Lorna's embalmed body rests. Donna glimpses the mysterious figure, confirming the mansion is haunted by the past. The discovery deepens the sense that something dangerous is hidden within the estate.

Night 1 Garden shrine
3

Conan Carroll's visit and death

Conan Carroll, the director who worked with Lorna, visits to air grievances and claims Lorna ruined his life. He insists Joel Sr. was the only man who walked away from her, and he wants nothing more to do with the mansion. As he leaves, a creature attacks him, he falls into the fountain, and he dies from a heart attack.

Evening Day 1 Mansion grounds
4

Revealing the locked room and witchcraft blade

Donna finds a blade used in witchcraft and a torn photograph, amplifying the occult threats surrounding Lorna. Joel discovers a locked room—the former bedroom of Joel Sr. and Lorna—suggesting a hidden history between the two lovers. Clara offers pieces of information, but the full truth remains elusive.

Day 2 Mansion
5

Visit to Denise Christian

The couple visits Denise Christian, Lorna’s former rival, who explains how Lorna sabotaged her career and how Joel Sr. left after Lorna's power played into her ego. Denise reveals that Lorna sought eternal beauty through a healer, and has never slept since. She mentions a spiritual world connected to this healer and the mysterious Father Eternal Fire.

Day 2 Denise Christian's set
6

Joel finds witchcraft book and grows obsessed

Back at the mansion, Joel finds a book about witch spells and becomes obsessed with Lorna, fantasizing about her. His fixation draws him deeper into occult lore and away from Donna. Donna watches with concern as the danger surrounding Lorna thickens.

Day 2 Mansion library
7

Attempt on Donna's life by carbon monoxide

That same night, the man who frightened Conan tries to murder Donna with carbon monoxide in a locked bathroom. Joel and Clara arrive just in time to save her, narrowly averting tragedy. The attempt confirms that those protecting Lorna's secrets will stop at nothing.

Night Day 2 Mansion bathroom
8

Donna chooses to stay with Joel

Donna initially wants to leave but chooses to stay and support Joel as they near the truth. She recognizes that abandoning him could put them both at risk. Their partnership strengthens as the mystery closes in.

After Day 2 Mansion
9

Marcella Geffenhart and Father Eternal Fire

They meet Marcella Geffenhart, Lorna's self-proclaimed best friend, who speaks in vague terms about Father Eternal Fire while withholding details about the witchcraft blade. Donna suspects Marcella may be the woman seen near Lorna's shrine on day one. The conversation widens the circle of suspects and the lore surrounding the healer.

Evening Day 2 Mansion
10

Joel's break-in and Donna's plea for help

That evening, Joel breaks into Lorna's bedroom and reads about Joel Sr.'s affair with Lorna, revealing their tangled past. Donna, meanwhile, sees the mysterious woman again and seeks Joel's help to interpret her sightings. The couple presses on, driven by a need to uncover the truth.

Evening Day 3 Lorna's bedroom
11

Morning revelations and Clara's true identity

Morning reveals that Oscar fears for Joel's safety and explains that the healer's fire rituals are part of the danger. Donna finds Marcella terrified with a blade-cut photo and discovers disguise gear—a rubber mask, a gray-hair wig, and a dress—proving Clara Josephs is alive and hiding as Lorna. Joel's susceptibility to Lorna's influence becomes more evident.

Morning Day 3 Mansion
12

Climax: fire, kiss and wax-lady reveal

Donna rescues Joel as Lorna's hold over him peaks; he kisses the disguised Clara/Lorna at the shrine. Fire erupts through the mansion, and Donna acts to save him from the spreading flames. The supposed Lorna corpse in the shrine melts away to reveal a wax figure, exposing the illusion and ending the immediate threat.

Final confrontation Shrine and mansion
13

Ending: the truth and leaving

With the wax figure proving there was no real body to Lorna, the mansion is closed for good. The Gregorys leave to return home, finishing their investigation but carrying the lasting aura of the mystery.

Aftermath Mansion

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:03

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Death at Love House Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Death at Love House, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Death at Love House Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Death at Love House

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Death at Love House

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