The Mad Room

Ellen Hardy (Stella Stevens) is about to marry Sam (Skip Ward), the son of the wealthy Gladys Armstrong (Shelley Winters), for whom she works as a personal assistant. Before the nuptials can get underway, Ellen receives word that her teenage brother and sister, George and Mandy (Michael Burns and Barbara Sammeth) are being released from the mental institution where they've spent most of their lives.

Apparently, as children, the siblings murdered their parents. Now, Ellen brings them to stay at the Armstrong residence under false pretenses. Soon enough, bad things occur. The title, THE MAD ROOM comes into play due to George and Mandy's need of a place to "unwind", like the room they used at the institution. Unfortunately, their relocation appears to have been... ill-conceived. Or, is something else going on?

A crackpot movie, showcasing the lovely Ms. Stevens in almost every scene!

EXTRA LUNACY POINTS FOR: The dog, the hand, the sword, and that yellow dress!...

The beautiful and sexy Stella Stevens has always been regarded as a gifted comedy actress, and with good reason. But occasionally, Stevens has turned in a credible and strong dramatic performance. THE MAD ROOM exploits this serious side of Stevens best. A remake of the 1941 Ida Lupino vehicle LADIES IN RETIREMENT, this film features Stevens as a young housekeeper who has been hiding a dark and disturbing secret from her wealthy employer(the great Shelley Winters). The secret is that Stevens has a younger brother and sister who have been committed to an asylum for brutally murdering their mother and father years before. However, it seems that the skeletons that Stevens has worked so hard to keep hidden, may at last tumble out of her closet. The doctor that has been treating Stevens' siblings insists that they are cured and should be released. Needless to say, this will interfere with Stevens' plans to wed her employer's handsome stepson. A fine tale of suspense, THE MAD ROOM features several bizarre twists and shocking scenes, and terrific performances by the all-star cast. Stevens is magnificent as the tormented housekeeper, Winters is superb as her bitchy employer, and Michael Burns and Barbara Sammeth are appropriately menacing as Stevens' disturbed siblings.

There's talent aplenty in this cast, and the story is promising--it's a treat seeing Stella Stevens in her prime, pitted against ever-redoubtable Shelley Winters. They both have some good moments, as do the young people. But be advised that plot holes are evident throughout (it's her fiancé's house, for instance, but he's never around...Stevens has no warning whatsoever that she's been given custody of her siblings...) and especially the climax, which is much too rushed and lands kersplat. Maybe it was budget issues. It's worth one watch, although if you're fond of dogs you may be as irritated as I was at the end.

Coming late in the 60's cycle of mature star shockers, Shelley Winters (who sounds as if she did some of her scenes in one take) and Stella Stevens square off in this watchable B that would have gone straight to video these days. Features a mutt with a taste for more than just Shmackos and worth seeing for the riveting cameo by Beverley Garland as the scorned wife drunk at a society party, but basically Stella's the whole show. Lots of zoom camerawork and 60s wigs! Ends suddenly in the best traditions! Perfect double feature with 'The Big Cube'! 6/10

I've finally seen this movie again after years of just having a faint memory of it, so I've now got to decide if it lived up to my memory...well it pretty much does. The story concerns Stella Stevens as Ellen, a young woman who's impending marriage is interrupted by news that her younger brother and sister are being released from an asylum where they were committed after the murder of both their parents. Now considered sane, they are handed over into Ellen's custody, despite her misgivings, and the three of them move into the home of Ellen's fiancée's mother in law, played by Shelley Winters, which in turn gives HER major misgivings. And this being a horror film, it isn't long before there's a new murder...

So what still works is the general sense of unease, mostly generated by great performances by the two younger children, played by Michael Burns and Barbara Sammeth. They portray just the right amount of inscrutability, and keep you guessing as to their actual mental stability! Stella Stevens plays Ellen with lots of wide eyed exasperation which suits the role well, and Shelley Winters does her usual job of playing an alcoholic floozy as the landlady/mother-in-law. The overall tone of the story is well handled, and the climax still works. Gore is low but a couple of bloody scenes still stand out, and the best part is still what happens when a dopey dog sniffs out a dead body - great fun. All in all it's a great compact little thriller with some very good performances...check out the ladies charity party when one of the visitors gets a little too drunk - great cameo here by Beverley Garland - which ends in unexpected tragedy that none of the main characters saw coming! I'd love to see this get an official DVD release, but it seems unlikely, and it's hardly ever shown on TV any more either...what a waste, as this film could be entertaining dozens of new fans or just nostalgia buffs who fancy a bit of twitchy suburban horror from 1969