And Soon the Darkness *** (1970, Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice, Sandor Elès) – Classic Movie Review 3350

This tense and involving 1970 women in peril British chiller stars Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice and Sandor Elès. TV’s Avengers writer Brian Clemens and Dr Who writer Terry Nation pump some style into this creepy, old-fashioned suspense thriller about two young British nurses called Jane and Cathy (Franklin and Dotrice) on a cycling holiday in France being threatened by a maniac.

On their bike trip in the remote countryside, the two young women make the mistake of most characters in horror movies and split up. After an argument over their route, Cathy (Dotrice) goes missing and the other, Jane (Franklin) must find her.

She contacts the police, who aren’t too helpful, and ends up receiving help from a handsomely creepy mysterious stranger called Paul (Sandor Elès). Should she be afraid? Well a clue is that’s Paul is searching for his girlfriend who’s gone missing in the area.

Director Robert Fuest takes his time telling the Hitchcockian tale, but it is still pretty creepy and atmospheric. And he makes the movie look good and stokes up the fear factor nicely.

It was remade in 2010 with Odette Yustman, Amber Heard and Karl Urban.

Franklin’s last movie was The Food of the Gods in 1976 and she retired from acting in 1981, aged only 31. She lives in Hollywood with her actor husband, Harvey Jason, and two children. They met on the set of Necromancy (1972).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3350

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