IMDb RATING
7.4/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
A wheelchair-bound young woman returns to her father's estate after 10 years, and although she's told he's away, she keeps seeing his dead body on the estate.A wheelchair-bound young woman returns to her father's estate after 10 years, and although she's told he's away, she keeps seeing his dead body on the estate.A wheelchair-bound young woman returns to her father's estate after 10 years, and although she's told he's away, she keeps seeing his dead body on the estate.
Heinz Bernard
- Plainclothes Officer
- (uncredited)
Bernard Browne
- Gendarme
- (uncredited)
Rodney Burke
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
Brian Jackson
- Plainclothes Officer
- (uncredited)
Richard Klee
- Plainclothes Sergeant
- (uncredited)
Madame Lobegue
- Swiss Air Hostess
- (uncredited)
Frederick Rawlings
- Plainclothes Sergeant
- (uncredited)
Frederick Schrecker
- Plainclothes Officer
- (uncredited)
Gordon Sterne
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsWhen the policeman is telling Mrs. Abblebee and Bob about the car accident, he says the car was found in 30 feet of water. When we see the car in the water, it is just below the surface.
- Quotes
Penny Appleby: [to Dr. Gerrard] You say my mind is affecting my legs. You're wrong. It's my legs that are affecting my mind.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The World of Hammer: Chiller (1994)
Featured review
A major highlight for Hammer studios!
Whenever I think of Hammer Horror, I think of bright colourful camp films; but Hammer also made a handful of black and white mysteries, and many of these stand up as some of their best films. Hysteria, Nightmare and Paranoiac are all very good films; but Seth Holt's Taste of Fear tops the lot! This suspenseful mystery draws the viewer in from the start and doesn't let go until the credits role. The film introduces the wheelchair bound character Penny Appleby; an amiable young girl who strives for independence in spite of her disability. The story picks up upon her return home to the French Riviera for the first time in ten years at the request of her father. Her nightmare starts when she begins seeing the corpse of her father at random places around the house and grounds of the place where she's staying. The friendly chauffeur Bob decides to help the girl get to the bottom of the mystery, but everything is turned upside down when it becomes obvious that nobody in the film is what they appear.
Initially, the film plays out like it's going to be quite predictable; and indeed, my prediction for what is going to happen actually does happen...but director Seth Holt doesn't show his hand too early, and there is a major twist at the end that I certainly didn't see coming. Director Seth Holt does a really good job with this film, as he gets good performances out of all his cast, the twists are well worked; and best of all, the atmosphere is scintillating! Holt continually imposes an oppressive air of foreboding over the film, and the creepy house provides a fantastic location for a film like this to take place. The film features a relatively small role for Hammer regular, Christopher Lee, who gets to don a silly accent while remaining mysterious. Lead actress Susan Strasberg is the pick of the cast, however, as aside from being stunning; she's not a bad actress either. The film works principally because it keeps the focus on the mystery, and this means that it retains its thriller intentions throughout. Overall, this might be a lesser known Hammer film; but it's not lesser in quality, and I wouldn't hesitate to name this as one of the best films the studio ever produced.
Initially, the film plays out like it's going to be quite predictable; and indeed, my prediction for what is going to happen actually does happen...but director Seth Holt doesn't show his hand too early, and there is a major twist at the end that I certainly didn't see coming. Director Seth Holt does a really good job with this film, as he gets good performances out of all his cast, the twists are well worked; and best of all, the atmosphere is scintillating! Holt continually imposes an oppressive air of foreboding over the film, and the creepy house provides a fantastic location for a film like this to take place. The film features a relatively small role for Hammer regular, Christopher Lee, who gets to don a silly accent while remaining mysterious. Lead actress Susan Strasberg is the pick of the cast, however, as aside from being stunning; she's not a bad actress either. The film works principally because it keeps the focus on the mystery, and this means that it retains its thriller intentions throughout. Overall, this might be a lesser known Hammer film; but it's not lesser in quality, and I wouldn't hesitate to name this as one of the best films the studio ever produced.
helpful•457
- The_Void
- Aug 18, 2006
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Ein Toter spielt Klavier
- Filming locations
- Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK(studio: produced at Associated British Elstree Studios, England)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 21 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
![Susan Strasberg in Scream of Fear (1961)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2M3MWZkN2MtYTFlYS00M2EzLWFmNzktNmMyMGNmMGQ1N2NmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjI4MjA5MzA@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,2,90,133_.jpg)