Revenge (1971 film)

Revenge! is a 1971 British thriller film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Joan Collins, James Booth and Sinéad Cusack.[1] The screenplay concerns a family who seek brutal revenge on the man who they suspect attacked their daughter.

Revenge
UK theatrical release poster
Directed bySidney Hayers
Written byJohn Kruse
Based onstory by John Kruse
Produced byGeorge H. Brown
StarringJoan Collins
James Booth
CinematographyKen Hodges
Edited byAnthony Palk
Music byEric Rogers
Production
company
George H. Brown Productions
Distributed byRank Film Distributors (UK)
Release date
26 August 1971 (UK)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

In May 1976 this was released in the United States under the title Inn of the Frightened People.

It is not to be confused with the American TV movie Revenge! (1971) even though both concern someone getting revenge for the death of their daughter.

Plot

Pub landlords Jim and Carol Radford (James Booth and Joan Collins) are grieving for the death of their young daughter Jenny, who was raped and murdered by Seely (Kenneth Griffith); Jim has two other children by his first marriage, Lee (Tom Marshall) and Jill (Zuleika Robson). Seely is arrested for the crime by the Inspector (Donald Morley), but ultimately released due to a lack of evidence. As well as Jenny, Seely is suspected of also killing the daughter of Jim's friend Harry (Ray Barrett). Seely himself lives a quiet, hermit-like existence, but he is observed stopping at a primary school near his house to watch the children.

Seeking revenge, Harry and Lee urge Jim to kidnap Seely and keep him in the cellar of his pub. After some persuasion, Jim agrees to the plan; they capture Seely, beat him beyond recognition and keep him locked beneath the pub. This puts pressure on the Radford family, who don't dare release him but are too afraid to kill him. Having Seely in the cellar puts a strain on the relationships within the family, especially between Carol and Lee, and also on the business, when Carol tries to prevent brewery deliveryman Fred (Geoffrey Hughes) from delivering the stock. Things reach a head when it seems that Seely may be innocent after all, and the relationships between Jim, Harry and Lee become more fractured.

Cast

Tom Marshall, Zuleika Robson and Donald Morley all had their voices dubbed, by Nicky Henson, Michele Dotrice and Garfield Morgan respectively.

Production

Peter Rodgers produced the Carry On series for the Rank Organisation and made an arrangement to produce other films for them "thrillers and romantic subjects".[2]

The same writer, producer and director had just made Assault. The film was shot in Pinewood Studios and on location in Buckinghamshire in January 1971. Joan Collins had just finished appearing in Quest for Love. Producer George Brown called it "a story about everyday people who take one fatal step in search of human justice."[3] Ray Barrett called the film "a breakthrough for me" as he had been on The Troubleshooters for six years.[4]

Release

Home media

When it was released in the United States on video, it was retitled Terror from Under the House. That version is available as a region-free DVD. The region 1 DVD is titled Revenge!

Critical reception

Variety said the film "never rises above programmer status".[5] The Birmingham Post said "I haven't seen such an ugly film in a very long time."[6] The Guardian: "made me feel as though its makers ought to be put down inhumanely."[7]

David McGillivray wrote in the Radio Times, "what begins as a serious examination of a growing social problem becomes increasingly melodramatic, ending in a blaze of hysterical shrieking and stabbing. Quite unconvincing, enjoyable for all the wrong reasons" ;[8] while the Joan Collins Archive described it as "an entertaining slice of 70s sensationalism."[9]

References
  1. "Revenge". BFI. Archived from the original on 9 July 2008.
  2. "Assault". Variety's film reviews. Bowker. 1983. p. 28.
  3. "'Revenge'". Kinematograph Weekly. 2 January 1971. p. 16.
  4. "Barret's Breakthrough". Sunday Mirror. 15 August 1971. p. 26.
  5. Variety film reviews. 1983. p. 120.
  6. "Mr Litvak's latest lacks Hitchcock's flair". The Birmingham Post. 28 August 1971. p. 14.
  7. Mackay, Michael (9 September 1971). "All go on the eastern front". The Guardian. p. 10.
  8. David McGillivray. "Revenge". RadioTimes.
  9. collinsfan (8 December 2012). "THE JOAN COLLINS ARCHIVE". joancollinsarchive.blogspot.co.uk.
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