S.F. Brownrigg, a Texas regional independent filmmaker, left an indelible mark on the low-budget horror exploitation genre with his distinctive and peculiar filmography, despite only producing a handful of movies. His cinematic work is characterized by a bleak and brooding tone, convoluted plots, shocking twist endings, impressive acting from non-professional casts, graphic violence, and a strong sense of down-home atmosphere.
Born on September 30, 1937, in El Dorado, Arkansas, as Sherald Brownrigg, he served in the army as a combat photographer and worked on numerous military training films during his tour of duty. It was during this time that he met fellow regional independent filmmaker Larry Buchanan in 1955, with whom he collaborated on several projects, including editing "The Eye Creatures" and providing sound for films such as "The Naked Witch," "Mars Needs Women," "Zontar, the Thing from Venus," "High Yellow," and "It's Alive!".
Brownrigg later worked as the head of the sound department at the Jameson Film Company, a motion picture lab, before achieving his greatest cult popularity with his debut feature film "Don't Look in the Basement," a gritty and claustrophobic horror psycho film that became a major drive-in hit in the early 1970s.
He followed this success with the sleazy "Scum of the Earth," the moody "Don't Open the Door," and the grim "Keep My Grave Open." His final film was the low-brow comedy "Thinkin' Big." Brownrigg had also planned to make a sequel to Tod Browning's "Freaks," but unfortunately, this project never progressed beyond the planning stage.
After his film career came to a close in the mid-1980s, Brownrigg worked in television, producing shows such as golf programs for ESPN and hunting and fishing TV programs. He was also the president of the Dallas production facility Century Studios. His sons, Tony and Stacy, followed in his footsteps, with Tony becoming an actor, writer, director, special effects artist, soundman, and cinematographer, and Stacy becoming a professional soundman.
S.F. Brownrigg passed away on September 20, 1996, at the age of 58, in Dallas, Texas.
