Peggy Heller (Judy Geeson), a mentally fragile young woman, and her husband Robert (Ralph Bates) move to a rural and secluded residential school for boys, a place where he has gained employment. Mr Carmichael (Peter Cushing), the headmaster, is a strange and creepy chap with a prosthetic arm, he is married to Molly (Joan Collins), on the surface a very odd and mismatched couple. Poor Peg is subjected to a night of terror when Rob has to go on a trip to London. The opening credits scene has the sound of children singing whilst the camera pans across empty playing fields before coming to rest at a tree, the lower half of a man's body hanging from it. A very impressive start! Sadly I found the pace to be quite slow for the bulk of the running time, not a great deal happens in terms of horror. The finale is worth the wait, a tad predictable but enjoyable none the less. Small but good cast. Cushing gives a memorable performance as always, we don't get to see a great deal of him but his voice is often present, even when he isn't. Ralph Bates, good actor who appeared in several Hammer movies. Joan Collins is fine as the devious and nasty wife, I'd use the word that can also mean a female dog but my review would most likely be rejected! Films in which young women were subjected to a night of terror when they are home alone were popular in the early 1970's, this psycho thriller/ horror is not a standout example but even so it is still worth a watch, makes a change from Hammer's Gothic output (which was nearing its demise at this point). The old school building does provide a touch of Gothic. The lake that was used in so many of the studio's films is present but instead of horses galloping around it and over the old brick bridge we get a Land Rover instead.
Review of Fear in the Night
