Which 1963 horror film inspired Black Sabbath's band name?

The 1963 horror film that inspired Black Sabbath’s band name was Black Sabbath.

Directed by Italian filmmaker Mario Bava, Black Sabbath is a horror anthology built from three separate stories. Boris Karloff introduces the segments, which include “The Telephone,” “The Wurdulak,” and “The Drop of Water.” The film was released in Italy and France and later circulated in a substantially altered English-language version.

Before adopting the film’s title, the heavy metal group was known as Earth. The musicians wanted a new name because another band was using Earth, and they were struck by the sight of a cinema showing Bava’s film. The idea that audiences would pay to be frightened suggested a suitably ominous identity for their music.

The band’s name therefore came from a film title, not from The Omen, The Exorcist, or Dracula. The connection also helped establish the group’s early image of occult atmosphere and cinematic menace, although the film itself predates the band’s debut album by several years.