(1972)
Reviewed By-Kit Gavin Directed by Jimmy Sangster Starring: Judy Geeson, Joan Collins, Peter Cushing, Ralph Bates Released through: Anchor Bay Entertainment Region: 0 NTSC
The film opens with various scenic views of a boy’s public school before we see a pair of legs, seemingly hanging in mid air from a tree or post. The film then cuts to Peggy (played by the young and pretty Judy Geeson), a newly wed is recovering from a nervous breakdown which happened just prior to her courtship and marriage to Robert (Ralph Bates). Robert, her husband is a school teacher at a boys public school in the countryside. The school has had a turbulent history we learn as the plot progresses and Robert has disdain for it, as it is isn’t as old and traditional as it seems, being designed in the style of "stockbroker Tudor". The evening before Peggy, who according to her house keeper is as quiet as a mouse, is attacked by a one armed man who tries to strangle her, before knocking Peggy out after she detaches his prosthetic arm.
Putting her initial fears of her attack behind her Peggy arrives at the school and is shown around by Robert who shows her the various rooms and the pretty cottage they will be staying in. Still not introduced to the headmaster, Michael Carmichael, she sees his portrait on the wall, but also a grotesque looking sculpture by Molly, his wife. However the school itself is inbued with a strange sense of menace, the sounds of the boys are heard but the school seems empty, abandoned and there are no other staff members nor students to be seen. In the cottage, where she and Robert are housed near the school, Peggy is once again attacked by the one armed man, the evening before she and Robert are due to meet the Carmichaels.
The next day, whilst Robert is away Peggy decides to explore the school further, and meets the headmaster, Mr Carmichael (Peter Cushing), who seems kindly and is attracted to Peggy because of the beauty of her blonde hair. Michael suggests she loosens her hair and offers to loosen it for her, and seems to encounter difficulty owing to the fact he only has an artificial arm. None the less Peggy warms to him and looks round, hearing Michael’s stories of the school and noticing his display of various knots on the wall.
The following day, Peggy explores the grounds and spots a cute little rabbit which she finds endearing. Whilst exploring, in the open top Land Rover she notices a rifle is attached to the car, which seems to perturb Peggy who has a dislike for guns. However, in front of her eyes, the rabbit is shot by Molly (Joan Collins), Michaels wife. Not realizing who Peggy is, Molly is rude to her and tells her to get off the property. Robert however introduces the two women and Molly makes her apologies and later offers Peggy the rabbit she shot as a making up gift. However neither Peggy nor Molly seem to care for each other. Peggy being she meek and pretty and Molly being darker, and more vampish.
Later Mr Carmichael breaks into the home whilst Robert is seemingly away in London and in fear, Peggy shoots him, realizing she believes that this is the one armed assailant who has been trying to strangle her. Robert returns, finding that the gun has been shot and splashes of blood in the cottage and in the school demands to know what Peggy has done with the body, for which she, in a seemingly catatonic state refuses to tell him, seemingly unable to remember a thing. However it transpires that Robert and his accomplice, Molly, need the body and for Peggy to call the police in order to stitch her up for his murder so as they might claim his money and the proceeds from the sale of the school.
However their plan goes wrong when the revelation is that Peggy only fired blanks at Michael. In his final attempt to find Michael, Robert accidentally shoots Molly (in a trap cunningly set up by her husband) and ends up being strangled by a noose and ends up suspended, dead, with school in the background.
The film has been often criticized for being somewhat slow in it’s build up and somewhat stagey in feel. The original story was written and submitted to Hammer in the early 60’s and indeed, it has that early 1960’s feel and sensibility, as since the early 60’s Hammer had evolved into the realms of monsters and blood and nudity, all of which are missing from the film under review. The film was actually a flop at the box office when it was released in the 1970’s, however being watched through new eyes, I actually found it to be rather entertaining and enjoyable. For an audience keen on fast action and cheap thrills it is not, for agreed, the story could fit into a half an hour episode of Tales of the Unexpected or Alfred Hitchcock Presents. But, rather than being a rushes piece, FEAR IN THE NIGHT, actually takes it’s time, allowing the viewer to sympathize with the plight of Peggy, and to soak in the agoraphobia of the school, yet claustrophobic in it’s isolation from civilization. Yes there are clichéd moments, and the dialogue is a little banal at times, together with a not entirely unpredictable and formulaic plot, the film is still enjoyable and good entertainment, and an exercise in building up suspense and unease, slowly methodically and systematically.
The cast of which for the most part are the four lead players of two couples are very good in the roles demanded of them. Ralph Bates who had and would appear in other British horror films is very good as the edgy Bob. Judy Geeson, as the 22 year old naVve young bride, is a very pretty and under rated actress and performs well, carrying the film with her expression changing with her gradual decline as she becomes increasingly uncertain of what is real and what isn’t. There seems to be surprisingly little affection for her from her newly wed husband. He only tells her that he loves her when he is trying to gain something from her, and the couple seem to sleep chastely in their pyjamas, they haven’t even had a honeymoon before Robert returned to the school. Peter Cushing, as usual is superb and fits in perfectly in the role required of him. And Joan Collins, as Molly, his feisty bitch wife comes up trumps too.
Equally the direction by Jimmy Sangster (who also co-wrote and produced the film) is uniformly superb, creating an uneasy and moody atmosphere in the gloomy, miserable boys school where nothing is seemingly as it should be. Sangster also provides an audio commentary on the disc, moderated by Marcus Hearn, which is informative and highly enjoyable to hear Sangster discuss the rise, decline and fall of the Hammer machine (as well as events on screen, though they seem to take a second chair here) over this much underrated film.
Had FEAR IN THE NIGHT, been made 10 years before as was intended it might have been more appreciated. However come 1973 times had changed, and the English language speaking audiences were being flooded with English language dubbed films with more blood, more gore, more atmosphere in (sometimes awkwardly) dubbed films from the Continent. Sangster tells us that the film was originally meant to be set on a house boat and whether this set up might have have worked better will never be known. Certainly the tension and the character frictions might have worked better rather than the vast confines of the boys’ school and it might have been interesting to see how characters interacted in closer more confined quarters. Both Collins and Cushing are pivotal to the plot, yet neither of them have much screen time and both seem woefully under represented here. Cushing is seemingly sinister owing to his prosphetic arm – and Collins delivers enough bitchiness in her actions, the sneering sarcasm with which she delivers her words, from her initial antagonism against Peggy to her snide comments about her simpering appearance. Collins apparently was 3 months pregnant at the time yet she should have been there more, and everyone else seems more enigmatic and double sided in their roles.
As shown by their other titles in the Hammer Collection, Anchor Bay have delivered yet another product that is excellent in presentation. The film looks sparkling and superb (presented also in it’s correct aspect ratio of 1:85:1) and the soundtrack/audio is passable and discernable, if not the very best, particularly noticeable during the exterior scenes. As well as the English track, there is also the aforementioned audio commentary by Jimmy Sangster which really is chocolate sauce on tasty ice cream.
Also included with the film and the superb commentary is the original trailer to the film which actually acts more as a spoiler filler or condensed version of the film leaving very few surprises if viewed before the film. Worth acquiring both for a seldom scene one of Hammer’s films, the quality of the acting on display captured by a competent director. Some viewers might feel let down by the lack of nudity or blood on display but if you are in the mood for a good old fashioned suspense thriller, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Film: 3.5 BITCH SLAPS Visual: 4.5 BITCH SLAPS Audio: 3 BITCH SLAPS Extras: 3 BITCH SLAPS Overall: 3.5 BITCH SLAPS Discuss this film or DVD in our forum!
