IMDb >
Peeping Tom (1960)
Watch It
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Free on IMDb

Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsPeeping Tom (1960) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 13 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 2) |
Overview
User Rating:
Your Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Leo Marks (original story and screenplay)
Release Date:
15 May 1962 (USA)
more
Tagline:
Years ahead of its time and still one of the most disturbing and psychologically complex horror films ever made! (DVD) more
Plot:
A young man murders women, using a movie camera to film their dying expressions of terror. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Terror
|
Fear
|
Camera
|
Experiment
|
Movie Camera
more
NewsDesk:
(10 articles)
A handful of Criterion titles going out of print soon
(From 24FramesPerSecond. 2 February 2010, 12:03 PM, PST)
The Red Shoes | Film review
(From The Guardian - Film News. 10 December 2009, 3:20 PM, PST)
(From 24FramesPerSecond. 2 February 2010, 12:03 PM, PST)
The Red Shoes | Film review
(From The Guardian - Film News. 10 December 2009, 3:20 PM, PST)
User Reviews:
Notorious murder thriller which was years ahead of its time, and resulted in the downfall of its great director.
more (103 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Karlheinz Böhm | ... | Mark Lewis (as Carl Boehm) | |
| Moira Shearer | ... | Vivian | |
| Anna Massey | ... | Helen Stephens | |
| Maxine Audley | ... | Mrs. Stephens | |
| Brenda Bruce | ... | Dora | |
| Miles Malleson | ... | Elderly gentleman customer | |
| Esmond Knight | ... | Arthur Baden | |
| Martin Miller | ... | Dr. Rosan | |
| Michael Goodliffe | ... | Don Jarvis | |
| Jack Watson | ... | Chief Insp. Gregg | |
| Shirley Anne Field | ... | Diane Ashley | |
| Pamela Green | ... | Milly, the model |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Face of Fear (USA) (TV title)
more
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
101 min | USA:86 min (cut version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
UK:X (original rating) |
Germany:12 (re-rating) (2005) |
West Germany:18 (original rating) |
Finland:K-14 (2000) |
Finland:K-16 (1983) |
UK:15 (re-rating) |
UK:15 (reclassification) |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:M |
Finland:(Banned) (1960) |
Spain:13 |
Sweden:(Banned) (1961-1973) |
Sweden:15 (re-rating) |
USA:Not Rated
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
In Mark Lewis' "home movies," Prof. A.N. Lewis is played by director Michael Powell, young Mark Lewis is played by Powell's real-life son, Columba Powell, and Mark's mother, seen lying lifelessly in bed, is played by Columba's real-life mother, Frankie Reidy.
more
Goofs:
Continuity: The mark that Mark makes on the movie set floor disappears in subsequent shots, then reappears.
more
Quotes:
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (103 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Peeping Tom (1960) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| La coda dello scorpione | L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo | Freeway | Il gatto a nove code | The Five Senses |
|
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Crime section | IMDb UK section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |














To understand the stir that Peeping Tom caused when it was released in 1960, you need to think about what audiences at that time were accustomed to when they went to the cinema. Innocent love stories, historical epics, action-packed westerns and colourful musicals were the staple cinematic diet of the time, certainly not dark, disturbing and intensely violent murder thrillers like this. What probably unsettled contemporary film-goers even more was the fact that a film of this kind could come from a much-loved and revered director like Michael Powell. In modern times, the equivalent would be if Steven Spielberg were to make a graphic and reviled film about paedophilia or bestiality, consequently never being allowed to stand behind a movie camera again. When Peeping Tom hit the big screen, it was rejected by the public and crucified by the critics, and left Powell's hitherto glorious career in ruin.
A film cameraman, Mark Lewis (Karl Boehm), displays psychotic tendencies as he murders women with a spiked tripod attached to the bottom of his camera, capturing on celluloid their final screams of agony. It is revealed that when he was a child, Mark was used as a guinea pig by his father (Michael Powell) in a series of psychoanalytical experiments about the symptoms of fear. Among other things, Mark's delightful dad would wake him throughout the night and shine lights in his eyes, drop lizards into his bed, and on one occasion even forced him to pose for photographs next to the dead body of his mother. As a result, Mark has an unhealthy obsession with fear and, in particular, the expression that people have on their face during moments of fear.
Peeping Tom is one of the few films that still has the power to shock all these years on. Psycho, released roughly at the same time, is still a great film but its shock value has been diminished by years of repeat viewings and increasing permissiveness in the cinema. But Peeping Tom is an altogether more disturbing piece of work. Boehm is excellent as the killer whose entire outlook has been skewed by his father's experiments. Also impressive is Anna Massey as the killer's fragile and unsuspecting fiancée. Powell directs the film brilliantly, using bold and dazzling colours to disguise the horrific atrocities that punctuate his film. It is understandable that the film was met with revulsion and rejection at that time, but in retrospect it is a film of real importance and power. In a 21st century world bombarded and desensitised by harrowing images on the news and in the movies, the theme of losing one's grasp on what is and isn't morally acceptable is more pertinent than ever. This is not easy viewing, but it IS essential viewing.