Blood and Lace is a 1971 American exploitation horror film directed by Philip Gilbert, written by Gil Lasky, and starring Gloria Grahame, Melody Patterson, Len Lesser, and Milton Selzer.

The film follows an orphaned teenager (Patterson) who arrives at a remote orphanage run by a madwoman (Grahame) and her handyman, both sadists and child murderers.

Shot in Los Angeles in 1970 and released theatrically in early 1971, Blood and Lace became a frequent billing on the drive-in theater circuit throughout the 1970s.

The day before Ellie arrives, one of the orphans, Ernest, attempts to escape, and is chased by Kredge, who cuts off his hand and leaves him to bleed to death.

After arriving at the orphanage, Ellie soon finds that Mrs. Deere runs it like a workhouse, and the children are forced to complete incessant physical tasks while she and Kredge split the monthly welfare checks.

Harold Mullins, a social worker responsible for overseeing the orphanage, is easily swayed by Mrs. Deere and overlooks inconsistencies he observes in the house.

Mullins arrives at the house to inquire about the missing children and threatens to involve the police, prompting Kredge and Mrs. Deere to murder him and bring his body to the freezer.

[6] Louise Sherrill, who appears in the opening sequence as Ellie's mother, was a horror film enthusiast who had previously directed The Ghosts of Hanley House (1968).

Given the film's minuscule budget, the filmmakers utilized music and sound effects from free library archives, resulting in compositions and sonic elements reminiscent of 1950s and 1960s horror and monster movies.

"[26] Ann Guarino of the New York Daily News said: "The cast tries to bring believability to the plot, but the audience couldn't help laughing in the wrong places.

"[27] The Motion Picture Guide gave the film a middling review, stating that it "manage to keep some tension despite murky photography and muddy sound.

[28] A review published in Variety was also mixed, noting: "Director Gilbert settles for fast pace to cover actors' inadequacies, [and] does manage to work up [a] nail-chewer climax... Miss Grahame makes some brave stabs at cutting through the silliness, but eventually succumbs to the uneven style of acting supplied by the remaining cast members.

"[29][30] Although largely decried by critics upon its release, Blood and Lace developed a cult following through its presence as a regular drive-in bill as well as through television syndication in the late 1970s.