HOLLYWOOD HILLS, Calif., May. 10 (UPI) -- Curtis Harrington, an experimental filmmaker who earned a reputation as a master of the morbid, died in his Hollywood Hills, Calif.
, home. He was 80. Known for his experimental film shorts in the 1940s and '50s, Harrington, who never fully recovered from a 2005 stroke, died Sunday.
Harrington was an associate producer at 20th Century Fox when he directed his first feature film, "Night Tide," a 1961 release starring Dennis Hopper in his first leading role, The Los Angeles Times said. "He's always been a dear friend through the years," Hopper told the Times, who "allowed me all the freedom that I wanted; he was very gracious." Among Harrington's films are "Games," a psychological thriller with Simone Signoret, James Caan and Katharine Ross; "What's the Matter With Helen?
," a horror film featuring Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters, and "The Killing Kind," which explored a psychopath's mind starring Ann Sothern and John Savage. Harrington also directed for the small screen, overseeing episodes for the popular TV series and made-for-TV movies. In 2002, Harrington directed and starred in "Usher," a 38-minute film based on the Edgar Allen Poe story.
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