Hammer Scream

 

 (imdb)

SCREAM OF FEAR-1961-Wheelchair bound Penny Appleby (Susan Strasberg) comes to live on her father's estate with him and her stepmother Jane (Ann Todd) after the death of Penny's caregiver. Also there is Robert (Ronald Lewis; in MR. SARDONICUS the same year), the chauffeur. Funny thing is dad seems to be away on business and no one knows when he'll be back. Then at night she sees her father's dead body and falls into the pool! Everyone thinks she's hallucinating. Dr. Gerald (Christopher Lee; same year as TERROR OF THE TONGS) is called in to check on her. Although she talks to dad on the phone, she once again sees his dead body. Something's up but who is to blame? 

Nice suspenseful psychological thriller from Hammer Pictures directed by Seth Holt and written by Jimmy Sangster. Lee has said it was “the best film Hammer ever made”.

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More Hammer Mummies

BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB-1971-In this Hammer "mummy" entry, a dead (but amazingly preserved) Egyptian queen named Tera (Valerie Leon) is brought back to England by Prof. Fuchs (Andrew Keir; Quartermass in 5 MILLION MILES TO EARTH). Unfortunately it's at the exact same time his wife gives birth to their daughter. Several years later when the daughter Margaret (also played by Leon) is an adult and the result of the expedition is still a mystery Tera takes control of Margaret and she slashes several throats.

James Villiers is a weirdo scientist who thinks he can control Tera with "the scroll of life". George Coulouris plays a fellow scientist confined to an asylum. It's a nice little horror movie with good flashback scenes, some bloody deaths and an interesting, unexpected climax.

The production was shrouded by some bad luck. Peter Cushing was the original Fuchs but left early when his wife passed away. Director Seth Holt (who had made THE NANNY and SCREAM OF FEAR earlier for Hammer) died before completing the film and it was finished by studio head Michael Carreras.

Unfortunately the very hot Valerie Leon never really had another role like this but strangely made appearances in two movies featuring James Bond (THE SPY WHO LOVED ME with Roger Moore and NEVER SAY NEVER with Sean Connery). It's based on a story "Jewell of The Seven Stars" by Bram Stoker and there's a character in the film named Tod Browning!

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