[Pete Jamison]

After her divorced mother’s death, Penny Appleby goes to live with her father and stepmother, but finds when she arrives at the house at Nice (French Riviera), that her father has either gone on a business trip – or disappeared. The stepmother is friendly and accommodating, however, and apparently not a suspect in any underhanded moves. Another matter complicates Penny’s stay: she begins seeing apparitions at the house that disappear or change, then she gets a phone call from her father (still away on business) and isn’t convinced it’s him.

This is a Hammer Films production, and is a departure for a studio famous for contributions to the silver age of horror. Where many of Hammer’s scripts relied upon some supernatural aspect, Scream of Fear sticks close to threatening situations caused or possibly caused by human agency. Believeability is strong here.  Characterizations are fleshed out and motivations seem consistent with them.

Reviewers often label this film the single best-quality Hammer product ever made. Christopher Lee, one of the supporting actors, has said that it was the best written film that he was ever in that was produced by Bray Studios/Hammer Films. It’s in the Hitchcock mold of mystery & psychological suspense and also offers the powerful contrast of black & white film stock, when used by those practiced in the medium. The female lead is played by Susan Strasberg, daughter of the actor and drama teacher Lee Strasberg, at a time when she was considered competition for ingenues like Audrey Hepburn.

I’ve never seen the film carried by Netflix streaming (it’s possibly available physically if they still rent DVDs), it’s listed on the Turner Classic Movies site but scheduling isn’t described anywhere I found, but several DVD sales sites and catalogs carry it. It held my attention and, rather like the TV series “Have Gun Will Travel” with Richard Boone, it helps remind me of the comparatively high quality that entertainment production houses maintained prior to the youth culture of the late 1960s.

/sb

[StephenGrossman]

Re: Pete Jamison’s post 103510 of 10/31/22

“Have Gun Will Travel” with Richard Boone

This was my favorite TV show when I was a teen. I recently saw some episodes on library DVDs and it’s still excellent drama. Paladin was almost philosophical. But weren’t his black clothes uncomfortable in those Western deserts?

/sb

[Pete Jamison]

My guess on the clothing is that the cotton and other fabrics of the day breathed well and that color had an only marginal effect.  

*sb

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