Fear in the Night

Blessed with the usual Hammer Studios trademarks of a fine cast and great atmosphere "Fear in the Night", makes enjoyable viewing for thriller watchers without it ever creating "edge of the seat" suspense. In the early seventies Ralph Bates was being touted as the "new Christopher Lee" by Hammer Studios and here he has a good showcase for his excellent acting talents. The story is set in a mysterious school for boys hidden away in the English Countryside. But like so much else in this film as the story unfolds the school is not what it first seems to be. The opening shot of the school grounds with the boy's choir singing in the backgound with the camera panning onto a body hanging from a tree gives you some idea of the "mixed signals" this story gives off. "Fear in the Night", relates the story of Peggy Heller (Judy Geeson), a girl who has suffered a nervous breakdown but has recently married and plans to join her school teacher husband Robert (Ralph Bates) at his new teaching appointment at a boys school. Just before leaving she is attacked by a strange man with one arm and as no one will believe her she joins her husband and tries to put it out of her mind. Settling into a cottage on the campus grounds the school appears to have a strange funeral-like atmosphere to it which is not helped by the unsettling presence on campus of the headmaster Michael Carmichael (Peter Cushing in a smaller than usual role) and his seductive wife Molly (Joan Collins in a very effective performance). Left alone in their small cottage while Robert attends a conference in London Peggy is attacked again by the one armed man and the suspicion is placed on Michael who only has the one arm. As it turns out he is completely innocent of the crime and as the story progresses it is reveled that Robert and Molly are involved in an affair and are using Peggy and Michael in an elaborate scheme to get possession of Michael's property and money. Michael however turns the tables on the scheming pair and in an exciting climax to the story their murderous plans fall in a heap with both Robert and Molly getting their just desserts.

"Fear in the Night" is really one of the better later day efforts by Hammer Studios and what is an essentially 4 character story is acted with great polish by the four leads. Joan Collins is very effective in her small role of the scheming Molly and Judy Geeson displays just the right vulnerable qualities as the young bride who thinks she might or might not, be actually going insane. Ralph Bates delivers a first rate performance as the villian of the piece. His earlier scenes as the loving and concerned husband make way beautifully to reveal the deadly murderer he actually is. The surprise twist in the story while not totally unexpected does still deliver a jolt and the build up to the climax as Peggy now finds herself in danger from all quarters is first rate. One of this films great strengths is it's evocative atmosphere, from the eerie halls of the "fake" school to the shots on the somehow sinister grounds of the estate both during the day and night scenes. A genuine feeling of menace and apprehension is felt in particular in the earlier scenes as we are introduced to this school and its strange inhabitants. My one regret is that horror veterans Peter Cushing and Joan Collins as husband and wife never share any scenes as the combination of these two talents would have greatly benefited the story.

As a later day Hammer effort this film is essential viewing for all lovers of this studio's work. With a story deliberately unfolding at a slower pace and then building up to an exciting climax with numerous suitable red herrings thrown in along the way for good measure it makes enjoyable viewing for those that like good atmosphere and believable characters even in an unbelievable story such as this. Boasting seasoned talents such as Peter Cushing, long a star of many fine Hammer horror efforts, combining well with developing talent such as Ralph Bates, at that time seen as a future star of the studio's productions helps make "Fear in the Night", a great piece of mystery viewing.

The story centers around a young woman (Judi Geeson) who has recently had a nervous break down and a one armed man that may or may not be still stalking her. Her husband (Ralph Bates) is given a post at a new boy's school. The stalkings continue and she suspects at one point that the headmaster (nicely played by Peter Cushing in a glorified cameo)may have something to do with all that's going on. Joan Collins also appears as the flirty headmaster's wife.

Adapted from a script that Sangster had sold to Universal years before, Fear in the Night has been seldom seen since its initial release in 1972. While it isn't the best thriller produced by Hammer, it recaptures some of the studio's more atmospheric productions from the early to mid-60's. The cinematography is evocative and helps create both the mood and tension of the piece. While Hammer puttered on for a number of years after Fear in the Night was produced, it was truly the last strong production from the studio. When it was released it was paired with another thriller Straight On Till Morning and the double bill failed to find an audience. Shortly after its release, Jimmy Sangster and Hammer severed their long partnership. It's a pity as Fear is an intelligent suspense thriller the type that Hollywood has forgotten how to produce.

The DVD transfer is crisp althought I found the colors to be a little washed out. Given the stock used and the time when the film was produced, it's not that much of a surprise. Still, the print is clean and in almost prisitine condition all things considered.

The DVD also has a running commentary by writer/director Jimmy Sangster that is most enlightening. He provides both the context within which the film was produced at Hammer and a good overview as to why it may have failed to find an audience. Given that it came out around the same time as Hitch's brutal Frenzy, it probably suffered in comparison.