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The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971) movie poster

Timeline

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1971 · 102 mins · Italian
JustWatch #28,246 6
Directed by
Emilio P. Miraglia
Starring
Enzo Tarascio, Erika Blanc, Anthony Steffen, Umberto Raho, Maria Teresa Tofano, Brizio Montinaro

A wealthy but mentally unstable man obsessed with recreating his dead wife forces women who resemble her into deadly S&M role‑plays. When he remarries, his twisted games spark a night of bizarre, macabre events that spiral into lethal chaos.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971)

Where can you watch The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on ARROW, Bloodstream and Midnight Pulp: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Alan is released from the asylum

    Alan, a wealthy aristocrat, has just been released from a mental institution following his wife's death. He mourns Evelyn and his fragile state sets the stage for his later obsessively cruel behavior. He returns to his mansion, already displaying a thirst for revenge.

    When
    shortly after release
    Where
    Alan's mansion
  2. Alan begins preying on red-haired prostitutes

    In his grief, Alan lures red-haired strippers and prostitutes to his home, where he tortures and kills them as a way to cope with his loss. These killings reveal his unrestrained psychosis and set the film's dark tone. His mansion becomes a crime scene of his own making.

    When
    early after release
    Where
    Alan's mansion
  3. A séance reveals Evelyn's specter

    Alan attends a séance and the medium contacts Evelyn from beyond the grave, causing him to faint. The experience deepens his paranoia and drives his subsequent actions. The séance foreshadows Evelyn's lingering influence.

    When
    early after release
    Where
    Seance venue
  4. George Harriman moves in to help

    George Harriman, Alan's cousin and heir, offers to move into the mansion to care for him. His arrival introduces a calculating influence behind the scenes. The two form an uneasy alliance as Alan's guard against his own instability weakens.

    When
    shortly after séance
    Where
    Alan's mansion
  5. Strip club visit and Susan encounter

    George takes Alan to a strip club, and Alan brings home Susan, a dancer who escapes. Susan disappears afterward. The episode signals the dangerous underlying manipulation around the household.

    When
    soon after George moves in
    Where
    Strip club; Alan's home
  6. Plan to replace Evelyn with a new bride and move to London

    George suggests replacing Evelyn with a new bride resembling her as a cure; the plan leads Alan to move to London to begin anew. The scheme marks the start of impersonation and deception.

    When
    after Susan incident
    Where
    London
  7. Alan marries Gladys in London

    Alan marries Gladys, a blonde, hoping she will stand in for Evelyn. Gladys senses the strange happenings in the house and grows uneasy. The marriage ties Alan to a new, fragile partner in the plan.

    When
    after marriage
    Where
    London
  8. Gladys is haunted and shunned

    Gladys experiences haunting phenomena and is ostracized by Evelyn's brother and Alan's invalid aunt. The chilly reception and supernatural hints widen the sense of danger in the mansion. The house becomes a pressure cooker for paranoia.

    When
    early after marriage
    Where
    London mansion
  9. Suspicions of Evelyn’s faked death grow

    Gladys suspects Evelyn faked her death to escape Alan and run away with her lover. Around this time, Evelyn's brother and Alan's aunt are killed by a mysterious killer. The killings escalate the mystery surrounding the estate.

    When
    after suspicions
    Where
    London mansion
  10. Alan encounters a zombified Evelyn at her tomb

    Alan glimpses a zombified Evelyn beckoning from her tomb, marking a breakdown. He realizes the figure still controls his fate and his mind unravels. This vision solidifies his plan for a drastic action.

    When
    following the murders
    Where
    cemetery
  11. Alan is institutionalized again

    Overwhelmed by the events, Alan is taken away for permanent institutionalization. Gladys and George believe they have cemented their control or victory over him. The showdown seems resolved, though the conspiracy lingers.

    When
    after tomb vision
    Where
    Institution
  12. Susan's impersonation and champagne poisoning reveal

    George has been impersonating Evelyn with Susan, planning to gain control of the fortune. The plan seems to succeed until Susan appears and is revealed as the imposter. Gladys drinks champagne that has been poisoned, triggering the next, deadly confrontation.

    When
    during the settlement
    Where
    Mansion
  13. Gladys kills Susan; George's plan continues

    After the reveal, Gladys attacks Susan, killing her as George watches. George then succumbs to the poison he planned for others. The moment twists the power dynamics in the mansion.

    When
    immediately after reveal
    Where
    Mansion
  14. Timberlane returns and the conspiracy is unmasked

    Alan returns with Dr. Richard Timberlane, the physician who treated him previously, and reveals he suspected manipulation all along. He admits he faked the breakdown to draw out the conspirators. The confrontation climaxes in a chaotic chase by the pool.

    When
    after the reveal
    Where
    Mansion
  15. Final confrontation by the pool and escape

    A bag of sulfur-based fertilizer spills into the pool, turning the water acidic and burning George as he tries to escape. He is arrested, while Alan slips away with his crimes having survived the ordeal. The film ends with a grim sense of justice and ongoing freedom for Alan.

    When
    final confrontation
    Where
    Pool area

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:40

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Timeline questions answered

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Alan Cunningham kill red-haired women?

Alan kills red-haired women because he associates them with his dead wife Evelyn, who had red hair and was unfaithful to him. After being released from the mental institution, his grief transformed into a twisted desire for revenge against women who resemble his unfaithful wife, leading him to lure prostitutes and strippers to his mansion where he tortures and kills them.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Alan's obsession with Evelyn from the beginning, and his downward spiral into murder is foreshadowed by his release from the asylum shortly after her death.

  • alan cunningham
  • red-haired women
  • killing
  • motivation
  • evelyn
Q2

Why does George suggest Alan marry someone who resembles Evelyn?

George, Alan's cousin and heir to his fortune, manipulates Alan into finding a replacement bride as part of a scheme to gain control of the inheritance. By encouraging Alan to move to London and marry Gladys, George sets events in motion that allow him and his accomplice Susie to impersonate Evelyn and seize the fortune for themselves.

Foreshadowing: George's offer to move in and care for Alan appears helpful but is actually a calculated move to get close to the inheritance.

  • george harriman
  • marriage
  • replacement
  • evelyn
  • inheritance
Q3

Who is impersonating Evelyn in the film?

Susie, the stripper Alan previously brought home, is the one impersonating Evelyn throughout the film. She was recruited by George to pose as Evelyn's ghost and terrifying presence, which drives Alan deeper into madness and allows George to manipulate the situation for his own financial gain.

Foreshadowing: Susie's mysterious disappearance after escaping from Alan's mansion foreshadows her later involvement in the conspiracy.

  • susie
  • impersonation
  • evelyn
  • ghost
  • george
Q4

Why does George poison the champagne?

George poisons the champagne to eliminate Gladys and make her death appear as a suicide or accident, thus clearing the way for him to inherit the fortune. He intends to frame Alan for the murders while he walks away with the money, using Susie's appearance as 'Evelyn' to support his scheme.

Foreshadowing: George's careful planning and manipulation of events throughout the film hint at his willingness to resort to murder to achieve his goals.

  • champagne
  • poisoning
  • george
  • gladys
  • murder
Q5

Why does Alan return at the end after being institutionalized?

Alan feigned his second breakdown to lure out the conspirators he suspected were manipulating him. Dr. Richard Timberlane, who had treated him before, helped Alan uncover the truth behind the conspiracy. Alan returns with the doctor to confront George and Gladys, exposing their scheme while allowing himself to escape justice for his own murders.

Foreshadowing: Alan's moments of clarity and suspicion toward those around him, particularly after the séance, hint that his madness may be partially performed.

  • alan
  • insanity
  • institutionalized
  • return
  • timberlane
Q6

What causes Alan to see zombified Evelyn at her tomb?

Alan's mental state deteriorates when he sees what appears to be a zombified Evelyn beckoning from her grave. This vision shatters his remaining grip on reality, representing the culmination of his guilt, grief, and paranoia. The appearance is likely orchestrated by George and Susie to further destabilize Alan, though Alan interprets it as a supernatural visitation.

Foreshadowing: The séance earlier in the film, where a medium contacts Evelyn, foreshadows her lingering presence and influence over Alan.

  • zombified evelyn
  • tomb
  • vision
  • breakdown
  • cemetery
Q7

Why does Gladys suspect Evelyn faked her death?

Gladys suspects Evelyn faked her death because she observes strange events that seem orchestrated by someone pretending to be Evelyn's ghost. She believes the 'haunting' is actually a scheme by Evelyn to escape her marriage to Alan and run away with a lover, rather than a genuine supernatural occurrence.

Foreshadowing: The suspicious nature of the ghostly appearances and the timing of the 'hauntings' after Alan remarries support Gladys's theory of deception.

  • gladys
  • evelyn
  • faked death
  • suspicion
  • conspiracy
Q8

Who kills Evelyn's brother and Aunt Agatha?

Evelyn's brother and Aunt Agatha are killed by Susie, who is impersonating Evelyn as part of George Harriman's conspiracy. These murders are designed to make it appear as if the 'revenge' from beyond the grave is targeting those who wronged Alan, while in reality, the conspirators are eliminating obstacles and framing the situation as supernatural.

Foreshadowing: The mysterious killer's selective targeting of those connected to Alan and Evelyn hints at human orchestration rather than ghostly vengeance.

  • evelyn brother
  • aunt agatha
  • killer
  • murder
  • susie
Q9

How does Alan escape at the end despite being caught?

During the final confrontation by the pool, a bag of sulfur-based fertilizer spills into the water, creating acidic liquid that burns George as he tries to escape. While George is apprehended, Alan uses the chaos to slip away. The acid burns prevent George from chasing Alan, allowing the protagonist to flee with his crimes unpunished despite the exposure of the conspiracy.

Foreshadowing: The pool area is established earlier as a location on the estate, making it a logical setting for the climactic confrontation.

  • sulfur
  • fertilizer
  • pool
  • acid
  • escape
  • arrest

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Gothic psychological thrillers like The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave

Unraveling sanity and sinister secrets in a decadent, claustrophobic atmosphere. If you liked the twisted psychology and gothic setting of 'The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave,' explore more movies like it. This collection features similar suspenseful horror stories with psychological manipulation, obsession, and eerie, aristocratic atmospheres that amplify the sense of dread and deception.

  • gothic
  • psychological
  • suspenseful
  • macabre
  • unsettling
  • claustrophobic
  • Tone: dark, macabre, suspenseful
  • Pacing: steady, methodical build
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread often follow a tormented protagonist, often of high social standing, whose grief, obsession, or guilt manifests in destructive behaviors. A web of secrets, often involving a deceased loved one or a conspiracy for inheritance, slowly unravels, forcing characters and viewers to question what is real. The story structure builds methodically towards a violent climax that reveals shocking truths.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared fusion of gothic aesthetics with intense psychological drama. They create a cohesive experience through a dark tone, steady pacing that builds unease, and a focus on the horrific potential of the human mind within decadent, isolating settings.

Movies with complex revenge plots like The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave

Stories where elaborate schemes of vengeance blur the lines between victim and villain. Fans of the intricate revenge scheme and psychological manipulation in 'The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave' will find more movies like it here. These films share complex narratives where characters feign insanity or orchestrate deceptive plots, leading to morally ambiguous and intense confrontations.

  • deceptive
  • twisted
  • suspenseful
  • revenge
  • manipulation
  • unsettling
  • Tone: dark, tense, morally ambiguous
  • Pacing: steady, intricate plot development
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern revolves around a central conspiracy or revenge plot, frequently involving feigned identities or mental states. The story is structured to keep the audience guessing about who is manipulating whom, often employing flashbacks or reveals to recontextualize previous events. The journey is morally complex, frequently leaving the viewer with a mixed or bleak feeling about the outcome, as the pursuit of revenge corrupts all involved.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their focus on revenge as a narrative engine, executed through psychological manipulation and complex, deceptive plotting. They share a high level of narrative complexity, a dark tone devoid of humor, and an emotionally heavy weight that explores the destructive nature of vengeance.

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Every angle

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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