Fear in the Night (1974)

A great story and cast! A suspenseful horror-thriller! Worth watching if you like the classics! The casting in this movie is wonderful - everyone was great in this movie. Judy Geeson plays Peggy Heller so wonderfully... I felt so sorry for her. Ralph Bates plays Robert Heller a man who seemly is in-love with his young wife Peggy. Joan Collins plays Molly Carmichael - snooty rich woman. Peter Cushing is The Headmaster Michael Carmichael - a strange gentleman.The movie does build an amount of suspense and it does have it's thrilling moments. It makes a wonderful late-at-night film. Not overly scary but definitely suspenseful and thrilling! 8.5/10

A moderately suspenseful thriller (the last of three directed by prolific writer/producer Jimmy Sangster) in what had then become Hammer's familiar house style in which all the usual ingredients were none too inventively re-worked, "Fear in the Night" profited from its effective setting, namely a sinister school with phantom pupils and an unbalanced headmaster (another compelling performance from Peter Cushing). My only regret is that Sangster's plot demanded that the horror ingredients end halfway through and the movie revert to a straight thriller. Nevertheless, the director and his players manage to keep interest high right up to the rather clever conclusion. In the movie's key role, Judy Geeson artfully manages to elicit a lot of interest and sympathy. Joan Collins and Ralph Bates are adequate, if somewhat transparent. If you've seen a few of these Hammer thrillers, you'll find the plot pretty easy to work out. Fortunately, Sangster has a firm grip on his material and knows how to milk each scene for maximum suspense. Brisk editing also helps, though a certain transition device is way overused, Music is effective, art direction often impressive, and other credits never less than highly competent.

"Fear in the Night" is a somewhat contrived and lesser Hammer picture from 1972 that somehow still manages to work up a fair amount of suspense and one or two chilling moments. The film concerns young Peggy Heller (excellently portrayed by Judy Geeson), who, after suffering a nervous breakdown, moves with her new teacher husband to a large, private boys' school on 1,200 acres of English countryside. Poor Peggy is soon made the victim of a string of attacks by a stalker with a prosthetic hand, and her lot is hardly made more comfortable by the presence of the very strange headmaster (Peter Cushing) or his haughty young wife (Joan Collins). The film builds to a surprise ending of sorts that probably won't surprise many, especially those viewers who have already seen a certain classic Vincent Price horror movie from 1958. Still, the film does offer some compensations, including very fine performances by the actors just mentioned, as well as by Ralph Bates, playing Peggy's husband. Viewers will appreciate just how fine the acting is, perhaps, after a second viewing, with a greater knowledge of all the characters' secret motivations. The film also offers some beautiful scenery, both in terms of the autumnal Hertfordshire countryside AND Ms. Collins herself. Thirty-nine years old here, and nine years prior to incarnating TV's ultimate bitch on wheels, Alexis Carrington Colby Dexter, etc. on "Dynasty," she really is quite gorgeous to look at. (Sadly, she and Cushing, though playing man and wife, share no screen time whatsoever in this picture.) But the film belongs to Geeson, who appears in every single scene (with one major exception). Just five years after her "To Sir, With Love" debut, she turns in a very credible and ingratiating performance. Indeed, it is the sterling acting by all four principals that elevates this rather pedestrian thriller into something quite admirable indeed.

"Fear in the Night" has a familiar plot (people move into country house and strange things start happening). Set in a boarding school in the British countryside, the movie doesn't quite live up to its potential, but has some neat surprises along the way. Maybe I should have predicted the ending, but I didn't. The movie's strength seems to be mostly in its gradual revelation of things, and the case of a possible mental breakdown.And the cast? Well, Peter Cushing - as the headmaster - obviously adds a good dimension with his eerie stare. I guess that by 1972, it was a given that any English horror movie had to star Peter Cushing and/or Christopher Lee. Judy Geeson, as the tormented young bride, is gorgeous as ever and has the perfect appearance for someone seeking into despair. Ralph Bates, as her husband, is pretty routine. Joan Collins, as the headmaster's wife, is also pretty routine.So, for the most part, there's nothing particularly special about this movie, but it's not terrible by any stretch. It's probably a must for Hammer fans. Oh, and Judy Geeson is really hot.