| The Psychopath | |
|---|---|
 German poster | |
| Directed by | Freddie Francis |
| Written by | Robert Bloch |
| Produced by | Max Rosenberg Milton Subotsky |
| Starring | Patrick Wymark |
| Cinematography | John Wilcox |
| Edited by | Oswald Hafenrichter |
| Music by | Elisabeth Lutyens |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount British Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Psychopath is a 1966 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis and written by Robert Bloch in Techniscope. It stars Patrick Wymark and Margaret Johnston and was an Amicus production.[1]
Plot
Police inspector Holloway investigates a string of murders where the victims have dolls attached to their bodies. The trail soon leads to a disabled German woman named Mrs. Von Sturm, who knows a set of dark secrets that may hold the key to the murders.
It develops that Mrs.Von Sturm's late husband was found guilty of war crimes and the family's multi-million dollar estate seized by the Allies. Four murder victims were a part of that Allied War crimes tribunal, and they may have illegally seized the industrial empire for themselves, which would give the Von Sturm family good reason for personal vengeance.
The murderer's M.O., except for the leaving of the realistically carved dolls, differs with each killing. Inspector Holloway, who at times can seem like the only sane man in London, doggedly pursues the case to a successful conclusion...and salvages the romance of Louise Saville and her Number One Suspect fiance', Donald Loftis (a medical student with the presumed technical knowledge to commit the murders).
Cast
- Patrick Wymark as Inspector Holloway
- Margaret Johnston as Mrs. Von Sturm
- John Standing as Mark Von Sturm
- Alexander Knox as Frank Saville
- Judy Huxtable as Louise Saville
- Don Borisenko as Donald Loftis
- Thorley Walters as Martin Roth
- Robert Crewdson as Victor Ledoux
- Colin Gordon as Dr. Glyn
- Tim Barrett as Morgan
- John Harvey as Reinhardt Klermer
- Harold Lang as Briggs
- Peter Diamond as Junk Yard Proprietor
- Gina Gianelli as Gina, Brunette Toy Shop Employee
Production
The film was originally known as Schizo. Shooting started September 1965.[2]
The Psychopath was an attempt to capitalize on the success of Hammer Films' recent series of psychological thrillers, including Taste of Fear.[3]
Robert Bloch recalls in his autobiography being taken with his wife to the country in England by Ronald Kirkbride, and "the next morning a limo took us to Shepperton Studios, where we lunched after watching Freddy Francis helm a scene for The Psychopath. The scene that morning was one I had indicated as taking place at the bottom of a staircase leading to the upper floor of a house. But everything they actually shot now took place at the top of a staircase which descended to the cellar. What I wrote up they put down. And when I took director Francis aside and questioned him about the change he pointed out that building a set with a stairway was expensive. Shooting from a high angle into the redressed recess beneath a soundstage trapdoor saved money. In other words, I was right back on The Couch with The Night Walker. A low-budget film always operates on the same principle, that is to say, no principle whatsoever except saving a buck, even if it means losing the potential of the picture".[4]
Reception
The film was very popular in Europe, particularly Italy.[3]
Michael Weldon writes of the film as "a good shocker".[5]
References
- ^ "The Psychopath (1966) - Freddie Francis | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
- ^ Ed. Allan Bryce, Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood, Stray Cat Publishing, 2000 p 40-42
- ^ a b Nathaniel Thompson, "The Psychopath", Turner Classic Movies accessed 23 February 2014
- ^ Bloch, Robert (1993). Once Around the Bloch: An Unauthorized Autobiography. New York City: Tor Books. p. 328. ISBN 978-0312853730.
- ^ The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film. London: Plexus, 1989, p. 569
External links
- The Psychopath at IMDb
- The Psychopath at TCMDB
- The Psychopath at AllMovie
- The Psychopath at the American Film Institute Catalog
- The Psychopath by TCM Underground
This page was last edited on 27 February 2024, at 23:08