Hysteria (1965 film)

Hysteria

Film Poster
Directed by Freddie Francis
Produced by Jimmy Sangster
Written by Jimmy Sangster
Starring Robert Webber
Anthony Newlands
Music by Don Banks
Cinematography John Wilcox
Production
company
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1965, original) Warner Bros. (2011, DVD)
Release dates
  • April 1965 (1965-04)
Running time
 85 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Hysteria is a 1965 British murder mystery film directed by Freddie Francis, produced by Hammer Films and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[1] The film stars Robert Webber and Anthony Newlands.[2]

Plot

An American, Chris Smith, wakes up in an English hospital unable to remember anything of his life before a recent car accident.

Four months later he has recovered physically but has still not retrieved his memory. His amnesia is being treated by a psychiatrist, Dr. Keller, who tells him that his bills are being paid by an anonymous benefactor, who has made an apartment available to him. Dr Keller warns him that he might suffer hallucinations.

The only other link to his past is a photograph torn from a newspaper. Chris has fallen in love with his nurse, Gina.

Upon release from the hospital, Chris moves into a flat and hires a private investigator, Hemmings. Chris visits the photographer of the photo, who tells him that the subject is dead, the victim of a shower murder.

In his flat Chris hears strange voices coming from next door - a couple arguing. He keeps seeing a woman around town, from time to time, who reminds him of the woman in the photo. And he discovers a bloody knife in his shower.

Chris receives a late night visit from Denise, who claims to be the widow of the man responsible for the automobile accident which caused Chris to lose his memory. Denise bears a remarkable resemblance to the woman in the photograph.

Denise plies Chris with drugs, and after one such episode, he discovers in his shower the body of a murdered woman, which later disappears.

Assisted by Hemmings, Chris tricks Denise and Keller into admitting that they are the murderers, having planned to frame him for the crime, and that the victim is the physician's wife. Chris is reunited with Gina.

Cast

Reception

The film performed disappointingly at the box office.[3]

James Carreras of Hammer announced they had a film called Brainstorm to follow Hysteria but this appears to have not been made.[4]

DVD

Hysteria was released to DVD by Warner Home Video on November 2, 2011 via the Warner Archive DVD-on-demand service as a Region 0 widescreen DVD.

References

  1. ↑ "Hysteria". BFI.
  2. ↑ "AllMovie entry". AllMovie.
  3. ↑ http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/194406|0/Hysteria.html
  4. ↑ BRITISH FILM SCENE: 'NEW' LION By STEPHEN WATTSLONDON. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 12 Apr 1964: X6.

External links

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