By 1962 the Technicolor horror boom was in full swing – it was
5 years since Hammer Films had flushed new blood through the veins of
Frankenstein’s monster et al and the cinema-going public showed
clearly that there was to be no letting up on the blood-letting for
their sake. Following the old maxim that nothing succeeds like excess,
the second feature producers soon cottoned on to this taste for blood
and followed suit in a similar fashion. The major problem for the ‘B’
features was that blood in black and white was generally conceived as
being bad. Into this arena stepped Producer Albert Fennell, somewhat
prior to his main claim to fame as production guru behind the most successful
season of ABC TV’s The Avengers. In 1962 Fennell became responsible
for what is undoubtedly one of Peter Wyngarde’s finest cinema
appearances, Night of the Eagle.
From the onset Eagle is a taut and atmospheric suspense movie.
Presumably budgetary influences dictated that it be shot in monochrome
and in any production where money is tight, this will invariably mean
that not a second of footage can be wasted. Often these cheaper production
values are reflected in the finished movie – hence the ‘B’
movie status. This, however, is definitely not the case with Eagle.
Time is not wasted with tedious and unnecessary exposition – the
film opens with Wyngarde pounding out his views on superstition and
the supernatural to his students – “I do not believe”
he chalks, and the situation is established. Before us stands Norman
Taylor; a teacher. A man in control. Taylor clearly has very strong
beliefs – all of which are rooted in the paths of logic. This
is demonstrated in his dismissal of lucky charms in the opening scene.
Class is dismissed and the director moves us swiftly out of the building
where Taylor is accosted by Harvey (played by Anthony Nicholls) to see
if the evening’s bridge session is still on. Only then comes the
first piece of exposition as we learn that Taylor and his wife are somewhat
unwelcome newcomers to the academic circle in which they move. Pace
is maintained from the director by setting this scene in the interior
of Evelyn’s car; whilst the dialogue is somewhat static, ensuring
movement continues.
The next set up establishes the Taylor’s happy home life as Norman
informs his wife Tansy (Janet Blair) that everybody is meeting for bridge.
Even the bridge game does not slacken the pace of the film. In a reversal
of the earlier car sequence, the players are never stationary, and the
dialogue becomes lively as all sorts of hints and innuendoes lead us
to wonder what might be happening in this apparently peaceful hamlet.
The post-game discussion in the kitchen is particularly interesting
as Lindsay (Colin Gordon) enquires as to the secret of Taylor’s
success, “Have you sold your soul to the devil?” Taylor’s
reply is of equal interest as he calls Tansy, “My lucky charm.”
The whole sequences buzzes with intrigue and suspicion of plot and counter-plot.
Shortly after the other players have departed it becomes apparent that
Tansy is somewhat distressed. She hurriedly searches the living room
for something – when Norman asks what it is she replies, “A
shopping list”. Worry fills her face as the search becomes rather
more hurried. The plot unfolds when Norman leaves her to searching and
in his own quest for his pyjamas, finds the body of a spider in Tansy’s
drawer. This, we are informed, is a souvenir of Jamaica and a witch
doctor called Carubius. When Norman settles down to sleep, Tansy resumes
her search. Here, in one of the film’s best sequences, pace reaches
a peak. The score starts to build up a steady, pulsing beat, as Tansy
searches a standard lamp. The camera closes in as she whirls the lampshade,
emphasising the frenzy and disorientation being caused by this unknown
influence. Suddenly the lampshade jars to a halt and all becomes clear
– a tiny doll-like effigy is suspended from the lamp. Tansy quickly
removes it and burns it. The resultant puff of sulphurous smoke is sign
enough that all is not well.
The next morning is quite ordinary until the laundry arrives and Norman
finds a curious object pinned to his jacket. A swift search of the house
reveals a wealth of charms hidden throughout. Norman is unhappy and
confronts his wife as to their purpose. She asks him, “What do
you want to believe?” and finally remarks, “I’m a
witch! Is that what you want to hear?” Aghast by his wife’s
primitive beliefs, Norman oversees an almost ritualistic burning of
the said artefacts. Tansy has already delivered a solemn warning that
she cannot be held responsible if he forces her to give up her, “protections,”
and claims that all his success and goodwill is attributable to their
influences. Practically the last object to go is a charm in Tansy’s
locket – but Norman’s picture inadvertently follows it into
the flames. Tansy is truly distraught and tries as hard as she can to
retrieve it. As the last object disappears into the flames the Taylor’s
cat hisses loudly, causing Norman to start. Then, whilst he is alone,
he receives a cryptic telephone call.
All of a sudden Norman’s luck seems to change. The next day he
is almost run down by a truck on his way to work. Things do not improve.
On reaching his rooms within the school he is greeted by Bill Jennings
(his resident academic lost cause) who accuses him of nocturnal excursions
and indulgence with Miss Abbott – his prize pupil. The allegations
are pursued further when Taylor is summoned to Flora Carr’s office,
where Miss Abbott makes the case. Subsequently Taylor is again threatened
by Jennings, who has now obtained a gun.
Home life offers no respite, in a brooding atmosphere of menace, Norman
receives what appears to be an innocent recording of one of his lectures.
Tansy instantly becomes suspicious as the sender has left the note unsigned,
and she begs Norman not to play the tape. Through the use of an overdubbed
sound effect we realise that this is where the fun really begins. The
tape contains a subliminal signal which drives Tansy to distraction;
oblivious to the storm outside, she seeks to shut the noise off. The
telephone begins to ring, “Don’t answer it!” she cries,
but Norman picks the receiver and the signal intensifies. An eerie,
unearthly sound can be heard outside the door. Just as her husband goes
to open it, Tansy manages to rip out the ‘phone wire. The strange
activities instantly cease; Norman truly believes that the storm blew
out the lights.
