‘Terrifying suspense… it will shock you out of your seat!’
Hysteria is a 1965 British psychological thriller directed by Freddie Francis (Nightmare; The Skull; The Creeping Flesh) from a screenplay written by producer Jimmy Sangster.
The Hammer Films production stars Robert Webber, Jennifer Jayne (The Trollenberg Terror; Doctor Terror’s House of Horrors; The Doctor and the Devils), Maurice Denham (Paranoiac; The Night Caller; Countess Dracula), Lelia Goldoni (Theatre of Death; Invasion of the Body Snatchers; The Devil Inside) and Anthony Newlands (Circus of Fear; Scream and Scream Again).
The bombastic jazzy score was provided by Don Banks (Monster of Terror; The Reptile; Torture Garden).
Plot:
An American wakes up in an English hospital unable to remember anything of his life before a recent car accident. With only a photograph torn from a newspaper to guide him, and an unknown benefactor, he attempts to unravel what looks increasingly like a bizarre murder…
Reviews:
” …despite some lacklustre sets by Edward Carrick (Hammer regular Bernard Robinson was on another assignment), Francis and his faithful cinematographer John Wilcox once again make good use of the filters the director used on The Innocents (1961) as well as his previous Sangster thrillers Paranoiac and Nightmare.” Tipping My Fedora
” …Hysteria is perfectly respectable with many fine ideas. It’s interesting and genuinely suspenseful and unsettling at times, and though it doesn’t hold up to much scrutiny, is highly satisfying.” DVD Talk
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” …sharp dialogue is maintained to the very end, with appealing performances from the supporting cast, particularly Denham’s private detective, who proves to be tougher than he looks. Don Banks provides a jazzy score, and Freddie Francis directs, with his gift for drawing out every ounce of the eerie with eye-popping black-and-white photography.” Midnight Only
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YouTube reviews:
Trailer:
Choice dialogue:
“How long can a man live in a void without going nuts?”
Cast and characters:
Robert Webber … Chris Smith
Anthony Newlands … Doctor Keller
Jennifer Jayne … Gina McConnell
Maurice Denham … Hemmings, a private investigator
Lelia Goldoni … Denise James
Peter Woodthorpe … Marcus Allan
Sandra Boize … English Girl
Sue Lloyd … French Girl
John Arnatt … Mr James
Marianne Stone … Miss Grogan, Marcus Allan’s Secretary
Irene Richmond … Mrs Keller
Kiwi Kingston … French Girl’s Husband
Release:
Hysteria was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the US in April 1965. Released in the UK on June 27, 1965.
Notes:
Filmed in 1964.
