Taste of Fear (1961)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Seth Holt

Writer:

Jimmy Sangster (written by)

Release Date:

22 August 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Horror

Tagline:

For maximum thrill . . . we earnestly urge you to see this motion picture from the start!

Plot:

After narrowly surviving an accident in which she nearly drowned, the wheelchair bound Penny Appleby...

Plot Keywords:

Corpse | Riviera | Father | Wheelchair | Little Girl

Cast

Susan Strasberg	...	Penny Appleby
Ronald Lewis	...	Bob
Ann Todd	...	Jane Appleby
Christopher Lee	...	Doctor Pierre Gerrard
John Serret	...	Inspector Legrand
Leonard Sachs	...	Spratt - the Solicitor
Anne Blake	...	Marie - the maid
Fred Johnson	...	Father

Also Known As:

Scream of Fear (USA)
Scream of Fear! (Australia) (poster title)

Runtime:

USA:81 min | UK:78 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:X (original rating) | USA:Approved (#19820) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Movie Connections:

References Psycho (1960)

Good, atmospheric chiller

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. All in all, a wonderful little chiller. Now, if I could only find my other, hard-to-find treasure, "Twisted Nerve"--anyone know if it holds up well? Anyone know where to find it on video or DVD?