What Became of Jack and Jill? – 1972 | 93 mins | Thriller, Horror | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Based on Laurence Moody’s 1969 novel The Ruthless Ones, What Became of Jack and Jill is a strange departure for horror connoisseurs Amicus into the area of exploitation. Ultimately, the excellent art direction and photography fail to save this immoral and claustrophobic thriller and one can only wonder would the screenplay have been better scripted as a black comedy. The production was the only feature film every directed by television helmer Bill Bain.

John Tallent (Paul Nicholas) lives with his elderly grandma Alice (Mona Washbourne) in London’s suburbia. John’s an unemployed loafer with little money and no prospects, but impatiently dreams of gunning-down the OAP’s he sees as preventing him from receiving a swift inheritance. John and his receptionist girlfriend Jill (Vanessa Howard) plot to murder his wealthy grandmother so they can collect her legacy.

John keeps telling his grandmother frightening tales of rebellious youth power, verging on fascist doctrine, and the two lovers decide they will frighten her to death. As an innocent University rag day carnival passes her home, John and Jill claim the noise is the world’s young people attempting to break in and kill dear old grandma. The scheme is success and the terrified grandmother falls dead and dies from a heart attack. Unfortunately for the greedy schemers, granny has the last laugh and had changed her will a week before her death, writing John out of her will should he ever marry the girl she disliked; Jill.