Tags
1960's, Ann Todd, Christopher Lee, Ronald Lewis, Scream of Fear, Seth Holt, Susan Strasberg, Thriller
Film Title
Scream of Fear
Director
Seth Holt
Starring
- Susan Strasberg as Penny Appleby
- Ann Todd as Jane Appleby
- Ronald Lewis as Robert
- Christopher Lee as Dr. Pierre Gerrard
An atmospheric triumph of mounting tension and shocking reveals, Scream of Fear supplies The basic idea of the plot has been done many times before, but Scream of Fear excellently plays with this formula by twisting into something unexpected and shocking. A strong thriller from Hammer indeed. If you want thrills, Scream of Fear is a guarantee to supply that need.
Penny Appleby is a pretty young woman who has been paralyzed for over ten years following an accident on a horse. She has largely lived in Switzerland, but returns to see her father( who she hasn’t seen for a long time) after a companion of hers drowns leaving her devastated. Her father now lives on the French Riviera and has married again, to a woman named Jane. Penny hasn’t met his new bride yet, but thinks Jane is fine upon arrival. The family chauffeur Robert also does his best to make her at home, while she recovers from the shocking loss of her friend. Yet Penny is also puzzled that her father has seemingly gone away from business , as she expected to reconnect with him again after so long. On her first night in the house, Penny encounters something shocking. Seeing a light on in the summer house, she ventures out to check and discovers what looks like her father’s corpse. Terrified, she exits quickly and explains her findings to Jane and Robert . Yet when Jane inspects the summer house, there is no sign of a body. She puts it down to stress and an overactive imagination, calling upon the services of the mysterious Dr Pierre Gerrard to calm the panicked Penny down. Penny is left confused yet convinced that something bad has happened to her father. After seeing his body again, before it promptly vanishes once more, Penny becomes more certain that there is a nefarious plot being undertaken to drive her mad. Penny enlists Robert to help her, mainly because he appears to be the only person who doesn’t think she’s losing her mind. But as Penny investigates, we soon find that everything is a lot different and maybe even more sinister than initially envisioned, leading to a whole host of surprises.
Seth Holt knows the exact ways to suggest something chilling and slowly reveal enough in teasing and mounting suspense. A real feeling and essence of mystery is ever-present in Scream of Fear, right from the opening to the end. As aforementioned, the basic story of someone believing others are attempting to drive the mad has been done many times, but Scream of Fear still keeps it all very riveting and startling by inserting a few tricks of its own. There really is a genuine unpredictability to Scream of Fear, so much so that even when you think you’ve got a handle on things, it completely fools you. We are left to speculate and guess what capricious machination will befall Penny, as the plot thickens considerably. A big asset in Scream of Fear is the black and white cinematography, which is suitably ghoulish and mysterious right from the opening frames, letting you know that something deeply mysterious is at work. An effective usage of close-ups and nice angles allows the suspense to rise, with a swimming pool sequence where a nasty surprise lies at the bottom is rightfully tense and well lensed as a standout scene. Sound is a key thing in Scream of Fear, and the way its employed is pretty darn impressive. Eerie silence and seeming calm of the surroundings( specifically the outside and glimpses of cliffs and the sea on the French Riviera) that prove to be anything but are captured with. The music knows exactly when to appear and not be too intrusive, letting the mystery and thrills take the biggest stage.
The beautiful Susan Strasberg is just the right person to play the emotionally besieged Penny. She possesses a resilience and alternating vulnerability that is perfect for the part. Penny may be put in danger throughout the film, but she’s intelligent and not just a mere damsel who’s depending on everyone else to help. If anything, she refuses to let her paralysis slow her down and has adjusted to it with a deep independence. Strasberg plays Penny with a self-reliance and steadfast determination to uncover what sinister acts are being committed. Ann Todd successfully stars as the stepmother ,who appears to be a reasonable person but also remarkably shifty in the long run of things. Ronald Lewis is on hand to play the square-jawed, handsome and apparently loyal chauffeur who aids Penny in her search for the truth. Christopher Lee, although not seen as much as I’d liked, is still quite good as the mysterious doctor who is hanging around whenever strange things happen.
Unpredictable and slowly adept at building tension, as well as pulling you in, Scream of Fear is a successfully creepy and unexpectedly smart thriller that really does an impressive number on you. its nothing is as it seems angles make it a fine thriller and one that deserves more attention.
Paul S said:
This is the best Hammer film I’ve seen yet: rewarding, unpredictable, and starkly shot. There’s more than an air of Hitchcock here and I just found the whole thing very enjoyable and more than a little macabre.
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vinnieh said:
Yes, I definitely got the Hitchcock vibe from it. Very twisty and cleverly executed. The black and white suited the film, can’t imagine it in colour.
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maddylovesherclassicfilms said:
I love this film so much. It’s sadly one that rarely ever gets discussed, so thanks for doing a post on it. This one deserves so much more recognition. So creepy and the reveal at the finale makes you rethink about what you have been watching. Excellent performances all round.
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vinnieh said:
I was really thinking hard about it after finishing it. The twist ending changes everything and really does a number on you.
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renxkyoko said:
Right up my alley. I wonder if Netflix has this on its roster.
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vinnieh said:
Hope you get to see it soon.
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beetleypete said:
This jogged my memory back into the late 1960s, when I first saw this film. I haven’t seen it since, and had completely forgotten it, to be honest. Something different from Hammer, and all the better for that.
Another good call, mate.
Cheers, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
I liked how different it was from the Hammer norm. It made it better abd completely unexpected.
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beetleypete said:
My comments are not appearing anywhere today This is a test.
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vinnieh said:
Just rescued this comment from spam. Hope the comment issue sorts itself out for you.
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Madame Vintage said:
I love mystery crime and thriller movies as much as I love reading them and this is a movie I am looking foward to when I can watch it. A great review to captivate my mind. ☺
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vinnieh said:
It’s so very skilled at fooling you and really getting you to reconsider things that looked ordinary at first. A fine thriller.
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Madame Vintage said:
Sounds marvellous and a movie fit for moi. I’ve finally been able to put up the tagged post too.
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vinnieh said:
I’ll check it out.
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keepsmealive said:
Wow, I’ve never seen this. Adding it to the list…
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vinnieh said:
Definitely a great Hamner thriller/mystery. Loved how surprising it ended up.
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fragglerocking said:
I wish I had the time to see all the films you make me want to see!
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vinnieh said:
Sorry about that. I too have a lost that’s grown to epic proportions now.
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John Charet said:
Great post 🙂 I love this Hammer film as well 🙂 Seth Holt was another director who did some great Hammer films along with Terence Fisher. Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂
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vinnieh said:
From what I’ve seen of his output, he was a great asset for Hammer. Thank you for commenting John.
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Cavershamragu said:
I am a big fan of this o e – glad yiu liked it too.
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vinnieh said:
I remembered you reviewing it a while back. And it more than lived up to my expectations.
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kmSalvatore said:
Hi Vman, I love the new blog setup. nice and clean, a rich style!! I honestly don’t recall this movie? great read
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vinnieh said:
Well, I like to change things up every so often. Oh this movie was a real gripping one that took a lot of twists.
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houstonphotojourney said:
Too scary or me – I get nightmare easy 🙂
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vinnieh said:
I take it you’re not the biggest horror fan then.
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houstonphotojourney said:
No, I can only watch scary movies early in the morning and only a few at that (my daughter know me enough to tell me if it’s something I’ll be ok with before I watch 😁)
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vinnieh said:
I love horror movies. But can see that they aren’t for everyone.
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houstonphotojourney said:
Don’t get me wrong as I actually love them but just not worth the very real feeling nightmares they produce! Urr!
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vinnieh said:
Haha, I can understand you. Some of them really get under your skin.
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