TV and Movies

[Oznell]

6:30 p.m. Eastern--  "Hysteria".     Robert Webber, Anthony Newlands, Jennifer Jayne, Maurice Denham, Leila Goldoni

Light romantic suspense, in 1965, at the beginning of "swingin' London".   Has some of my favorite elements, a Hitchcockian set-up,  English locales, sympathetic protagonist, enigmatic femme fatales, and amnesia!

Robert Webber, an American accident victim, has amnesia, and is sent from the hospital to recover in a posh London apartment.  Weird, unexplained things start happening!

I always like Robert Webber, a journeyman actor who you'd probably remember from "12 Angry Men",  or maybe "The Sandpiper".   He has a William Holden quality, quintessentially American, quite likeable.

It ain't Shakespeare, just frivolous, escapist suspense, with the added attraction that it hasn't been shown on TCM every 10 days!

[pdxlalesley]

@Oznell Hey, thank you!  I cruise TMC and some other channels via our Comcast guide to see what's coming up and I missed this one.  I appreciate your posts about what's coming up and also your insightful reviews.

[Oznell]

You're most welcome, @pdxlalesley!

[antiquarian]

@Oznell  You and I have the same taste with regard to these kind of movies -- I was so looking forward to watching HYSTERIA.  Sat down with a cup of Darjeeling tea to enjoy it, then -- fell asleep halfway through, probably because I had an eventful and rather stressful day beforehand.   Drat!  So I missed the ending.  I knew TCM wouldn't be airing it again if ever, so went to Wiki where they summed it all up.  I just had to know, lol.  

[Oznell]

Ha, ha, as mysteries go, @antiquarian, "Hysteria" does have an almost "somnolent" pace, (esp. at first) so not surprising that you were able to nap!

It's such a luxury to have online sources to go to when we miss and ending, or a crucial bit of "business" in a film....

[antiquarian]

@Oznell  I like these slow, b&w Jimmy Sangster psychological films under Hammer's banner more than his contributions to the flashier aspects of the studio's outright horror movies starring Dracula, the Mummy et al, lol, and was actually enjoying Hysteria's somber pace (that unfinished room with the X plastered tapes was really creepy) when the next thing I knew, it was over -- I didn't know what hit me, lol -- and I missed the denouement!  I was awake for the part when that glamorous, mysterious woman who apparently footed Webber's fancy-schmancy London flat was shown in his bathroom mirror, then she goes about making him comfortable and seeing Robert takes those pills.  Afterwards the nurse who he likes makes a call -- that's all I remember before I was asleep in the arms of Morpheus, lol.

I've always liked Robert Webber, too.  Haven't seen a lot of his work but he's a solid performer.

Now I'm kinda sorry, though, to have looked up the ending.  Yeah, I love our technical new age of information but I missed all the directorial flourishes leading up to the finale.

[Oznell]

I agree on all points with your post, @antiquarian!

[spiderw]

I'm sorry I missed this movie, sounds like I would like it.  Anything Hammer is involved with is of interest to me. I have mentioned I love the Hammer horrors, all of them and always like the pairing of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, two greats.  

I know some movies are always on and then some once in awhile.  Hopefully Hysteria will appear again in the near future!

[Oznell]

Oh, I have no doubt it will, at some point, @spiderw --  it's been on at least once before, to my knowledge.   We'll both keep our eyes peeled...