Fright

Shot in New York City locations, this film, also titled SPELL OF THE HYPNOTIST, opens with escaped murderer George Morley (Frank Marth) being trapped by police officers upon a high bridge, prompting a psychiatrist, Dr. James Hamilton (Eric Fleming) to attempt hypnotising, with the approval of the on-scene police supervisor, the killer whose vicious crimes he has been following through newspaper reports. An onlooker at the scene, Ann Summers (Nancy Malone) is apparently simultaneously also hypnotised and subsequently visits Hamilton at his office, with the doctor, attracted to the young woman, beginning treatments for her in a case that he perceives as an instance of dual personality, Ann's body ostensibly being shared with a reincarnated Austrian, Baroness Maria Vetsera, lover of Hapsburg Crown Prince Rudolph, and co-participant in the infamous sex scandal that culminated in the royal hunting lodge, Mayerling, with their mutual suicide pact in 1889. This manner of theme, that narrating a multiple personality disorder, requires a good deal of cinematic talent to be convincing, but such is not on board here, the film suffering not only from a poorly organised script and weak direction, but also from a particularly wooden Fleming, whose expressivity is nearly completely non-existent, a deadly flaw indeed in a story that is depicting his character as being in love with his patient. Malone tries hard but her lines, as with much of the screenplay's dialogue, are not credibly written, and the pacing of the piece is notably erratic with a result that a viewer will probably feel as little emotional involvement in the action as does the stoical Fleming.

Ann Summers (Nancy Malone) starts seeing a psychiatrist (Eric Fleming) after she witnesses him talking a desperate criminal down from a bridge. After a few sessions, the doctor realizes that either Ann has two distinct personalities, or she is the reincarnation of a Baroness who died in 1889.

FRIGHT is a well-made thriller with a solid plot. While the subject matter is questionable, it's presented in a way that allows for the suspension of disbelief. Some nice twists add to the fun, and the finale is quite original...

Dishwater dull director W. Lee Wilder strikes again with 1956's "Fright," his take on the Bridey Murphy reincarnation hoax, which also inspired Alex Gordon's "The She-Creature," Roger Corman's "The Undead," and even Ed Wood's "The Bride and the Beast." Wilder's Planet Filmplays ("Phantom from Space," "Killers from Space," "The Snow Creature," "Manfish") again produced the final result, working titles including "I Cast No Shadow" and "Spell of the Hypnotist," his son Myles scripting on a real life incident involving the unsolved 1889 death of married Archduke Rudolf of Hapsburg, found alongside the corpse of his teenage lover Baroness Maria Vetsera, either murder/suicide or politically motivated. Eric Fleming plays the central role of New York psychiatrist James Hamilton, displaying an affinity for successfully using hypnosis on highly susceptible patients, as shown in the opening scene featuring escaped murderer George Morley (Frank Marth) quietly acquiescing to authorities at the sound of Hamilton's voice. Also present as a witness is 25 year old Ann Summers (top billed Nancy Malone), revealed to possess the same qualities as Morley but needing to be certain that she's not capable of such crimes. Despite some effort, Hamilton soon finds himself falling in love with his attractive new patient, who admits she has never been to Germany yet can both write and speak the language, soon revealed to have a split personality with Baroness Maria. Ann's sudden disappearance due to an unflattering news story quickly has police wondering if there's a murder case on their hands, the doctor a prime suspect, while Lady Olive Fitzmaurice (Elizabeth Watts) is able to fill Hamilton in on the girl's father and his dalliance with an Austrian nurse. It's totally preposterous and not terribly complicated, the lackluster finale taking place in an office where two hypnotic subjects take part in a fabricated double suicide, typically presented in the director's usual unwavering camera setups and uncinematic presentation. The future star of RAWHIDE, Eric Fleming possesses a magnificent voice but little expression, and after this W. Lee Wilder relocated to Europe for "The Man Without a Body," "Spy in the Sky!," "Bluebeards Ten Honeymoons," and "The Omegans" his legacy never reaching the heights of elder brother Billy Wilder. Incidentally, there is no connection between this instantly forgotten quickie and a more recent "Fright" starring Susan George in 1971.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by W. Lee Wilder; Produced by Wilder, for Planet Filmplays, released in America by Exploitation Productions. Screenplay by Myles Wilder; Photography by J. Burgi Contner; Edited by Robert Harris; Music by Lew Davies. Starring: Eric Fleming, Nancy Malone, Frank Marth, Humphrey Davis, Dean Almquist, Amelia Conley and Elizabeth Watts.

New York-made cheapie concerns supernatural terror involved in reliving previous incarnations is the basis for this psychological study, led by Eric Fleming, prior to his TV stardom on "Rawhide".

Psychiatrist Eric Fleming talks a serial killer down from a bridge so the police can capture him. Among the crowd watching is Nancy Malone. While the press makes a fuss over over the doctor, she approaches him to see if he can help her with her general dissatisfaction. He suggests dinner, but she wants a professional appointment, so they wind up doing both. Gradually he comes to realize that she thinks she is the reincarnation of Baroness Mary Vetsera of the Mayerling Incident, in which the lady and her lover, Crown Prince Rudolf killed themselves. He figures out why this is, but then she vanishes and the police come to him with a letter accusing him of wanting to kill her. They aren't fashed about it, just investigating.

Despite its title, W. Lee Wilder's movie isn't frightening, creepy, or anything but the sort of thing someone who was born in Vienna during the Empire might think is interesting when maudlin drunk. Lew Davies offers a score that consists of a warbling theremin and woodwinds in a minor key, and while Miss Malone is ok, Fleming talks like he is a television doctor peddling cigarettes. The script is by Wilder's son Myles, who had more success with television sitcoms. Ned Glass and Sid Raymond have tiny roles.