Fear in the Night – 1972 | 94 mins | Crime, Horror, Drama, Thriller | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Contrived psychological thriller, produced, directed and written by Jimmy Sangster, who took an old mid-1960′s unfilmed script called The Claw and relocated the story to a secluded school. The film is thinly disguised reworking of Les Diaboliques, a Hammer homage sequence that commenced with Jimmy Sangster’ A Taste of Fear (1961). The plot is occasionally effective and atmospheric, but lacks any genuine fright. Judy Geeson is admirably anxious; Peter Cushing is on sinister form, and pouting Joan Collins shamelessly overacts with malevolent fervour.

Peggy Heller (Judy Geeson) is a neurotic young woman recovering from a nervous breakdown in hospital. She is being terrorised by an unseen man with an artificial arm, but because of her medical history nobody really believes her. Peggy hopes for a new start when her husband, Robert (Ralph Bates),gets a job as assistant master at a remote private school in the country. Theygo to the school, and Peggy finds it hard to understand why there are no pupils present. Robert explains that the headmaster, Michael Carmichael (PeterCushing), is mentally ill and that he is the school’s sole resident. What Robert omits from telling Peggy is that he is having an adulterous affair with the headmaster’s wife (Joan Collins).