Taste of Fear

Plot synopsis:
** CONTAINS SPOILERSIn England, OFFICIALS drag a lake, soon locating the body of a YOUNG GIRL, apparently a suicideIn Nice, France, handsome, sexy chauffeur, BOB, dutifully arrives at the airport to pick up PENNY APPLEBY, late teens or 20s. Confined to a wheelchair since a long-ago horse riding accident, Penny has come to stay with her FATHER and stepmother, JANE, whom she has never met.Her stepmother greets her warmly, but tells Penny that her Father is away on business. They dine elegantly at the lavish estate, and then retire. That night, Penny hears strange noises. She maneuvers her wheelchair outside to the summer house, where candlelight flickers. Penny goes inside, only to find her Father's CORPSE, sitting upright in a chair! Horrified, Penny races out of the summer house in her wheelchair, ending up in the pool, rescued by Bob.She wakes up to find DR. GERRARD tending to her. Although she insists what she saw was real, a trip to the summer house fails to reveal a body. Penny broods about it, and then finds herself confused when stepmother Jane calls her to the phone to talk with her Father, who, apparently, is just fine.But Penny finds an apparently sympathetic ear in the attractive chauffeur Bob. When Penny runs into her Father's CORPSE yet again, this time sitting upright in his study, Penny wonders if she's going mad. Penny begins to suspect her stepmother Jane and Dr. Gerrard. She's convinced they're having an affair and that they've killed her father, hiding his body somewhere in the house.With chauffeur Bob now an ally, Penny and Bob decide the body must be hidden somewhere in the house. Late at night, they locate a meat freezer, but when Bob pries it open, they do not find her Father's body. Only later, staring at the swimming pool, does Penny realize that the body might be kept down in the icy water. Bob dives into it, swimming through the weed-infested water, and indeed he sees the old man's dead eyes staring at him from his watery grave.Now, Penny and Bob decide to drive to the authorities, as Jane has left for the evening. Bob places Penny in the backseat of the limo and they start out. On a deserted road, they see Jane. Bob gets out of the car to talk to her, but the car begins to roll with Penny helpless in the backseat. Panicked, Penny leans across the seat to stop the car, and then sees her Father's CORPSE slumped down in the front seat. She screams before the car plunges into the waterBob and Jane, secretly lovers, have watched the whole accident. It was all a plot to make it appear as though Penny and her Father died in the same car accident, thus getting the estate for themselves.Jane gets a visit from her Father's SOLICITOR. When she inquires about the chain of inheritance, since both the Father and Penny were killed, the Solicitor is surprised. He says there was only ONE body in the car - the Father. Further, he tells Jane that Penny committed suicide three weeks ago!!A shocked Jane is confused. Before the Solicitor leaves, he points out the young girl at the edge of the cliff outside the house who's sitting in a wheelchair!Jane goes up to the wheelchair, and indeed it's Penny, still alive. But Penny reveals that she is not Penny at all. She is Penny's best friend, EMILY FRENCHEM. She's also not paralyzed, rising out of the wheelchair. Penny is the girl who committed suicide in France, the one whose body they dragged out at the beginning of the movie. Emily knew something was wrong at the estate because Penny's Father had called his daughter about it. That's why Emily came investigating, and now she knows the truth-Penny's Stepmother Jane and the Chauffeur murdered Penny's Father. Emily had aligned herself with Dr. Gerrard to trick Jane and Bob into revealing their guilt. She was able to leap from the car before it plunged into the water.Emily walks off to call the police, Jane sits wearily in the wheelchair. In the meantime, Bob, having found out Penny's alive, rushes into the house, searching for Penny. He sees the wheelchair, kicks it off the cliff, but, of course, it's Jane who falls to her death. Police arrest Bob. Dr. Gerrard comforts Emily, who has vindicated her friend, the tragic Penny

Tags: murder

Review:
Taste Of Fear (AKA:Scream Of Fear) is produced out of that bastion of British horror, Hammer Films, it's directed by Seth Holt (The Nanny), written by Jimmy Sangster (X:The Unknown/The Curse Of Frankenstein) and stars Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd & that cornerstone of Hammer Horror, Christopher Lee.Shot in moody black & white by Holt and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, and eerily scored by Clifton Parker, the story sees a young paralysed woman return to her family home in France to visit her father who she hasn't seen for years; and to finally meet her new step-mother.
All parties ensure that the story is built up right and that the pay off provides maximum impact.Christopher Lee once said that this was one of the best Hammer Horror film's he was ever involved with, that's a fine selling point to be sure.
I had this movie so idealized in my mind from childhood, that I was afraid when I finally found it on video (after 4 solid years of searching!), that it wouldn't be as good as I remembered, but it holds up surprisingly well, thanks to director Holt's atmospheric direction and the crisp performances.
What I recalled as the movie's biggest fright (the swimming pool) isn't all that scary, but the twist-ending surprise (no spoilers here!) still caught me off guard, and the last couple of minutes of the movie are genuinely suspenseful and more than cap the film's slow, steady buildup.
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.
Crippled Susan Strasberg goes to France to visit her father (who she hasn't seen in 9 years) and her new stepmother (Ann Todd).
Handsome chauffeur Ronald Lewis tries to help her find out.The plot is old and some of the twists have become predictable since 1961, but this is still a very good suspense film.
Ufortunately, or- fortunately my father allowed me to watch this movie in 1983,when I was 11 years old...maybe too young for a movie like that..but this film has rested marked in my mind forever..and maybe is the reason today, why I'm so interested in old black and white movies..today,I own more than 20 copies of the movie.Ever since,I haven't found any other movie so suspenseful..This movie will always stay in my mind, impressing me so much until the day I die!Whoever has written the storyboard of this movie,was more than smart!!Every camera setting is made extremely smart!.
Though it's listed here at IMDb as "Taste of Fear," the version I saw was titled "Scream of Fear." Either way, it's a generic title for what is actually a rather stylish little mystery thriller.Susan Strasberg plays a wheelchair-bound accident victim who comes to stay with her father and his new wife at their French country manor.
She begins to suspect the worst of her step-mother and her doctor friend (played by Christopher Lee), believing that they have killed her father and are trying to drive her insane, thus rendering her incompetent and ensuring that his estate will pass to the step-mother.
Paralyzed young woman in a wheelchair comes to stay with her wealthy, estranged father and stepmother in France; upon her arrival however, Dad is mysteriously missing ("away on business", his wife says), but the girl thinks she sees his corpse late one night in the guest house.
Back in 1973 I had a Bell and Howell 16mm projector and used to hire films to show to family and others.This film was one of them and I can remember it scaring people back then.Yesterday I watched it again through a modern projector, as BBC 2 had shown it recently, and thought it was just as good now as back in 1973.It benefits from being shot in black and white, the acting is very good from all the cast, and there are some scary moments, the swimming pool being an obvious one.It is really good to see an old fashioned horror film with no over-the-top effects, just a genuinely chilling story, well worth waiting for it to be shown again as not sure if available on DVD or video..
The quiet and picturesque yet eerie opening makes the viewer feel appropriately spooked.Credits, Fade in: Susan Strasberg, a young lady, probably in her 20s, is seen in a wheelchair, having arrived at a airport and being taken to her father's house.
And, the subject of her paralysis and the accident is brought up by doctor and friend of her father Christopher Lee.I'm sure other reviewers have gone into more detail (but as a rule I don't read them so as to not influence what I write,) but to say any more of the plot would be robbing the first-time viewer from going into the movie fresh.
This is quite a challenging enunciation, as Hammer were responsible for an incredibly long list of genre classics, varying from old-fashioned monster films to thought-provoking Sci-Fi movies and psychological thrillers.
"Taste of Fear" is an atmosphere-driven and convoluted black & white chiller, but the direction of Sangster's script is slightly too predictable and it waits only until the climax before surprising the viewer with a couple of truly awesome and unexpected twists.
According to her exaggeratedly friendly stepmother and the housing staff, her father is away on a business trip, but Penny soon begins to spot his lifeless body at several places on the estate.
"Scream of Fear" (or "Taste of Fear") released in 1961, a mystery/horror film that centers around a young woman named Penny (Susan Strasberg) confined to a wheelchair after a horse riding accident.
Supporting cast members Ann Todd and Ronald Lewis are both good and Christopher Lee is also on hand as a creepy and sinister doctor.
Penny Appleby (Susan Strasberg) returns to France, ten years after her mother's death, only to find out from Robert the chauffeur (Ronald Lewis- MR.
A paralyzed young woman (Susan Strasberg) goes to live with her father and stepmother (Ann Todd) after the death of her mother and best friend.
The stepmother and her doctor friend (Christopher Lee) has the woman thinking she's losing her mind but the butler (Ronald Lewis) believes something more sinister might be going on.
"Scream of Fear" from 1961 is a Hammer film, and quite well done, starring Susan Strasberg, Ann Todd, and Christopher Lee.Strasberg is Penny, a young woman who suffered an accident that left her in a wheelchair.
A crippled young woman (Susan Strasberg) comes home to her stepmother and begins to see the dead corpse of her father everywhere she turns.
She gets help from the chauffeur (Ronald Lewis) and together they investigate and begin to suspect Penny's stepmother may have murdered her father and is now trying to drive Penny insane in order to claim the inheritance.Effective thriller from Hammer, with a great script by Jimmy Sangster and some solid direction from Seth Holt.
Seth Holt directed this psychological suspense mystery that stars Susan Strasberg as Penny Appleby, a wheelchair-bound young woman whose divorced mother has recently died, and has been invited by her father and stepmother Jane(played by Ann Todd) to stay with them.
She befriends the family chauffeur Bob(played by Ronald Lewis) and things are fine, but her father is absent, apparently on business, but Penny sees his corpse repeatedly on the estate, and becomes convinced that someone is trying to drive her insane...
The Fine Acting, Writing, and Crisp, Moody Black and White Cinematography all put together with Competent Direction and the Triple-Zinger of an Ending are enough to make this an Undiscovered Gem.For some Side-Lights, there is a Beautiful Young Susan Strasberg, who worked for Decades in mostly Television and Christopher Lee sporting a French Accent in a Straight Role and some Fine Location Work combined with the Claustrophobic Sets that just Add more Zest to this Low-Budget Winner..
Anyone who loves Hitchcock and is looking for another good story should check out Taste of Fear, a Hammer production released in 1961 about a girl in a wheelchair who keeps seeing the body of her missing father around his house.
People, including a doctor played by Christopher Lee, suggest the girl is losing her mind, but the girl and a friend soon become convinced the father was killed and the girl is being deceived so her stepmother inherits everything.With its murder plot mystery, pushing victims to madness and especially the disappearance and reappearance of dead bodies, the film Taste of Fear most closely resembles is Diabolique (1955) and there is some similarity as well to Vertigo (1958).
Having firmly made their mark with their lavish Gothic productions, Hammer studios ventured into slightly different territory with Taste of Fear, a black and white psychological horror, written by Jimmy Sangster (Dracula '58), directed by Seth Holt (The Nanny), and starring the lovely Susan Strasberg and creepy Christopher Lee.Given the wealth of talent involved, it doesn't come as a surprise to find that, despite an extremely convoluted script full of improbable twists and turns, Taste of Fear is a highly accomplished effort; tautly constructed, directed with style, and boasting superb performances, it achieves a genuinely eerie atmosphere and delivers several macabre moments that, even today, have the power to send chills up the spine.However, what does come as a bit of a surprise—and a disappointment, if truth be told—is just how derivative the film is of Henri-Georges Clouzot's Les Diaboliques: from the lovers' plot to drive someone insane, to its physically and mentally fragile heroine, to the hiding of a corpse in a murky swimming pool, the similarities are impossible to ignore (Hell, Taste of Fear even takes place in France!), and as a result, the film fails to qualify as a bona fide Hammer classic..
I consider this to be very poor treatment of a movie that serves as a great example of the sort of thriller we used to be able to produce in this country.A brief summary of the story is that wheel-chair bound Penny Appleby travels to France to re-unite with her father who she has not seen for some nine years and to meet her new step-mother.
Her father is not there when she arrives however and she begins to get suspicious that all is not as it seems...This can arguably be ranked among the best of the Hammer Horror series (though of course there are some other worthy contenders) with more emphasis on the cinematography, the script, the chilling atmosphere and great acting than things like painfully obvious plastic bats on strings that mar other efforts.
Instead it is left to Susan Strasberg, Ann Todd and Ronald Lewis to carry the film and they play their parts to perfection."Scream of Fear" not available on DVD anywhere as far as I know except Japan, but this is well worth looking up for anybody who enjoys a good thriller or horror..
This film was made by Hammer Studio veterans and it was directed by Seth Holt who does a very good job of creating an eerie atmosphere right up until the very end.
Scream Of Fear is directed by Seth Holt, written by Jimmy Sangster and stars Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Christopher Lee and Ann Todd.
The French Riviera in 1961 is the setting for this interesting horror/thriller.Venturing into very similar territory to The Innocents with a plot which is a mix of the supernatural and the human mind.Wheelchair bound Penny Appelby(Susan Strasberg)all elegance and chic,hiding from inquisitive eyes behind dark sunglasses,is met at the airport by her fathers chauffeur Bob(Ronald Lewis).She has been asked to come and stay with her father(Fred Johnson)who she hasn't seen for ten years,and his second wife Jane(Ann Todd).She's informed by Bob that her father has been called away for a few days on business.He also hints that he has not been well which raises Penny's suspicions.At first all seems pleasant enough at the family villa but soon Penny becomes caught up in a nightmare which could be what it seems to be or could just be mind playing tricks on her.She keeps having visions of her father and in them he is dead.Bob is the only one who believes her and together they begin to investigate and along the way fall in love with each other.However Penny soon discovers that appearances can be deceptive and that is where Scream Of Fear really gets interesting.Christoper Lee is a strong presence as Dr Pierre Gerrard a friend of Jane's,who suggests that Penny paralysis may be a product of her mind and not due to her accident.With memorable performances from the leads and a strong sense of atmosphere,Scream Of Fear is a horror which relies on shocks and fears to be at it's most effective and not blood and gore..
When Penny(Susan Strasberg)gets to the home of her father(her parents separated with Penny living with her mom in Italy)she's told by her step-mother Jane(Ann Todd)that he's away on business.
Jump forward two weeks later as a wheelchair bound young lady named Penny Appleby (Susan Strasberg) touches down in France, she is met at the airport by Robert (Ronald Lewis) her father's chauffeur & is driven to his house.
Penny becomes suspicious when investigating a light in their summerhouse she sees what she thinks is her father's dead body but then disappears shortly after, is Penny losing her mind or is something more sinister going on...Also known as Scream of Fear this British production was directed by Seth Holt & is a different sort of Hammer film than one might associate with the studio but is still one of their best films, period.
Some of the sets don't overly convince that your in France all the time & Christopher Lee's French accent isn't great but the film has a nice atmosphere & manages to build up a fair amount of tension & intrigue.
The acting is very good by a decent cast & despite his French accent Christopher Lee is somewhat underused.Taste of Fear is a great film & it's as simple & straight forward as that really, definitely worth a watch & highly recommend if you like your horror psychological..
Honors go to Ann Todd as the stepmother, Susan Strasberg as the shy heroine, Christopher Lee as a frequently visiting doctor and Ronald Lewis as the live-in chauffeur.
Young Penny Appleby (Strasberg), confined to a wheelchair, arrives on the Riviera to stay with her father and his wife, Jane (Todd).
**MAJOR SPOILERS** Water has a lot to do with the film "Scream or Twist, the two different titles of the movie, of Fear" in connecting the dots to this stunningly effective thriller.
Obviously feeling guilty in not having any contact with Penny her father wants to make it up with her now knowing that he according to his physician the creepy-looking Dr.Gerrard, Christopher Lee, doesn't have that much time left.As soon as Penny arrives at the Appleby Villa she's met by both her step-mother Jane, Ann Todd, and the family butler and chauffeur Robert, Robert Lewis, who both are a bit uneasy at her arriving there.
Ably directed by Seth Holt, with a clever and compelling script by Jimmy Sangster, a genuinely spooky atmosphere (the scenes with the father's dead body are pretty creepy), handsome black and white cinematography by Douglas Slocombe, sturdy acting from a super cast, a properly shivery score by Clifton Parker, a gradual, yet steady pace, and one doozy of an unexpected surprise plot twist towards the very end, this tidy and absorbing thriller keeps the viewer guessing right to the stirring and startling conclusion.
SCREAM OF FEAR will definitely keep you guessing, thanks to a great performance by Susan Strasberg, fine performances by Ann Todd and Ronald Lewis, expert direction by Seth Holt outstanding cinematograpy by Douglas Slocombe and a clever script by Jimmy Sangster.
That should have set off alarm bells in Penny's head.END OF SPOILERS The twist, ironic ending is on the level of THE SIXTH SENSE.It's too bad the plot holes keep this picture from ever rising to the level of that movie.Nonetheless, for a great Strasberg performance and terrific atmosphere, I give SCREAM OF FEAR a "7"..
(Available on a 78-minutes Sony DVD).SYNOPSIS: Paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, beautiful young Penny Appleby visits her father's French Riviera villa for the first time since his second marriage; she meets her stepmother, Jane, Doctor Gerrard, her father's friend, and Bob, her father's chauffeur.
Any veteran fan of either Film Noir or classic horror already knows: when Ann Todd is playing nice, nothing good can come of it!
Christopher Lee has a nicely ambiguous role as the family doctor, and both Ronald Lewis as the chauffeur, and Ann Todd as the stepmother, also turn in good performances..
"Taste of Fear" is one of the better horror films Hammer has done.**SPOILERS**Arriving in Paris, Penny Appleby, (Susan Strasberg) goes to visit step-mother Jane, (Ann Todd) and is told that her father has gone missing.
Writer Sangster and director Roth proved that they could take some elements of "Gaslight" and "Le Diaboliques" and come up with a tight little suspense thriller that manages some excellent twists and turns.I've watched a bunch of movies like this one, and was basically able to determine early on what was going to have to happen for the movie to have a "happy" ending where the good guys win (because that was still a requirement back then).But the actors were so good and the scenes so well staged and managed that it was still great fun to see the plot events unfold.