Um Grito de Terror

I don't know about "Pretty Peggy" but I did notice a "Pushy Peggy" in the film. Peggy has a way of pushing, she pushed herself in to the lives of the Elliott family... even pushing her way to stay with them and using the car when she wants to most of the time. Peggy's pushing almost got her killed as she tried to push her way into finding out more about Jennifer Elliott, the sister of the man Peggy is falling in-love with, Jeffrey.

This is a decent made for TV mystery-thriller, horror film. The movie is worth a looksy. Bette Davis is great as usual, this time playing the weird, drunk mom of Jeffrey & Jennifer.

7/10

Perky college co-ed (Sian Barbara Allen, who looks a bit like Jessica Harper) talks her way into job as housekeeper for a famous sculptor and his elderly mother; soon, she's curious about the person living in the room over the garage, a woman she's told is incurably insane. TV-made extension of "Psycho"'s theme, lacking at the very least one big jolt (no shower scene here). Instead, "Scream, Pretty Peggy" is full of chit-chat, relying on a single plot-hook in which to hang all its weary exposition. The performances are unusually strong for a television feature, particularly by Ted Bessell as the artist, but the reedy-thin story is stretched to the breaking point. Interesting location, appropriately scary music from Bob Prince, pithy supporting work from Bette Davis. Otherwise, pretty tame.

Sian Barbara Allen stars as Peggy...a rather odd and pushy college student. When she sees an ad for a housekeeper offering ridiculously low wages, she jumps to the opportunity! The home is an odd place...and the sculptor (Ted Bessell) lives with his rather unfriendly mother (Bette Davis). But she still wants the job because she knows who Jeffery Elliot (Bessell) is...he's a famous sculptor and she is a bit of a groupie who is infatuated with him. But as I said, it's an odd house...and it has a secret called 'Jennifer'. Peggy's told that Jennifer is his insane sister...and she's kept hidden in an upstairs room much like Mr. Rochester's wife in "Jane Eyre". But you keep getting the impression that there is far, far more to the story than all this. But what? What is really going on here?!

This is EXACTLY the sort of crazy, scary plot folks looked for and expected with installments of "The ABC Movie of the Week". Subtle and sophisticated, this and most of their films were NOT....and instead they went for the weird, twisted and downright odd. This film has this in spades but I don't want to say too much more as it might spoil the film. Just be sure to watch it and try not to laugh too much at the surprise ending!!

A creepy 1973 TV movie that seems to give nods to PSYCHO and William Castle's HOMICIDAL.Pretty Peggy,a college student and budding artist,goes to work in an old mansion as a housekeeper for a mysterious old lady(Bette Davis) and her oddball sculptor son(Ted Bessell).There is also a deranged daughter who lives in a room above the garage.Peggy starts become more unnerved when a man visits the house looking for his daughter who was the previous housekeeper.He sees a light shining above the garage and,well,is not seen again.Jimmy Sangster worked on the script,and he's infamous for many Hammer horror classics and a lot of American TV.Very atmospheric and spooky,I haven't seen this movie on TV since I was a kid.A darn shame!Good TV horror is not exactly plentiful,so it's very sad that movies like this remain unseen by new generations of horror fans.

Scream Pretty Peggy (1973)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Famous sculptor Jeffrey Elliot (Ted Bessell) hires college student Peggy (Sian Barbara Allen) to take care of the house work, which includes looking after his elderly mother (Bette Davis). Soon Peggy learns about Jeffrey's sister who is locked up in an attack after suffering a mental breakdown years earlier.

SCREAM PRETTY PEGGY is a decent made-for-television film that benefits greatly from three very good performances and some nice direction by Gordon Hessler. The film manages to build up a rather creepy atmosphere but there are some issues that prevent it from being much better. I will get that issue out of the way and it's the screenplay by Jimmy Sangster and Arthur Hoffe. The film borrows from a couple other more famous movies and this here takes away any major suspense with the twist that you'll see coming from a mile away.

Still, if you enjoy these made-for-television movies then this one here is certainly worth watching. The three leads are certainly what keep the film so entertaining and especially Allen who is extremely good in her role. She really does come across as a somewhat naive college student who isn't quite smart enough to know she should be getting the hell away from this house and the family. Bessell is also very good in his role and the great Bette Davis always knows how to steal a scene.

Director Hessler was very familiar with the horror genre and he does a nice job here by building up some great atmosphere and bringing a Gothic feel to the material. I thought there were some creepy scenes dealing with the sister and this stuff makes the picture worth sitting through.