User reviews

I really liked this film, lots of suspense with an interesting story line full of twists and turns as the plot unfolds.

I quickly recorded this on late night TV in the UK without knowing anything about it just because i seen it listed as a hammer film and seen it stared Robert Webber who i knew from "12 Angry Men". I thought that would make a interesting combination but when you think of the kind of films that Hammer are more well known for this dose`nt quite fit in now that i`ve seen it. But i`m glad i did record it.

What i like about it is Robert Webber seems to be going mad but is he? is he going mad or are we being made to think he is going mad? more to the point is someone trying to make him think he is mad ..... try and find a copy and find out, fans of psychological mysteries will love this one.

Hammer studios gained fame and fortune by producing tons of eerie horror films, filled with monsters, madmen or classic gothic influences. In short, films high on adrenalin and action. Hysteria is one of their least known films just because it's the exact opposite. It's a mysterious, slow-moving thriller that requires a little more thinking and involvement from the viewer. An American (Robert Webber, known from cinema classics like `12 Angry Men' and `Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia') wakes up in a British hospital after a car-accident. He suffers from a bad case of amnesia and he has to start digging into his own past and personality. The only thing he was carrying at the time of the accident was a picture of a stunningly beautiful, mysterious girl! Also, someone is paying for his hospital bills and arranged an apartment for him but he has no idea who that is.

Hysteria contains a few nice and unpredictable twists and the screenplay is overall solid and realistic. Alfred Hitchcock influences are never far away. Jimmy Sangster, who delivered many decent scripts for Hammer productions in his career, wrote the film and co-produced. There's a compelling atmosphere to detect and the cheap black and white photography helps increasing the suspense. Too bad about the constant guiding Jazz music which isn't really appropriate for this type of film. Judging by modern standards, the film is now pretty dated and heavily flawed, but with the right state of mind, you'll be enjoying this old-fashioned, low budgeted film. Freddie Francis is a professional director, not afraid to bring a little diversity in his career. He directed famous Hammer stories (Dracula has Risen from the Grave, the Creeping Flesh) as well as modest, more story driven tales like this one but also `Paranoiac' and `Nightmare'. Good acting as well! Robert Webber is very convincing and the gorgeous beauty Lelia Goldina (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) portrays a terrific muse. Recommended!

This is by no means an esoteric, deeply psychological thriller, but entertain it does, and well at that. Not an unfamiliar plot thesis here but it is a cleverly laid out amnesia story and suitably paced melodrama with a lot of the usual mid 60's ambiance, including a nicely orchestrated jazz score, (from Don Banks & co.), which ever so deftly weaves in and out of a given scene with subtle acuity. Special kudos to the tenor sax player in the orchestra for his gorgeous musical renderings.

It was nice to see the "Hammer" people opt for Robert Webber as the lead here, something he rarely got a chance to do stateside. The other cast members were more than competent in fulfilling the requirements of their respective roles which also helped make for a nice 90 minute flashback to an earlier time. The story itself takes a twist or two in the plot development to keep things interesting.

Thanks go to TCM for airing films like this which would probably never be shown anywhere else.

Those who love the psychological twisters of the sixties will find this one of the best, with its masterful twists and turns of the plot. The question in this film is: Is our hero (played with aplomb by Robert Webber) really going mad, or is someone trying to convince him he's mad? Is he seeing things and hearing voices or is someone playing ghastly tricks on him? If so, for what purpose?

The ending leaves no strings untied, which in this case is a feat Hitchcock would be proud of, and in fact, you can see the influence of the Hitchcock films throughout this one. It especially reminds me of "Dial M for Murder". The film does seem very dated by today's standards, but is well worth a screening.

Hysteria concluded the trilogy of psychological thrillers that Freddie Francis directed for Hammer. The series began with Paranoiac (1963) and Nightmare (1964). The plot concerns an American amnesia victim Chris Smith (Robert Webber), whom is being used as a tool by the ruthless Dr Keller (Anthony Newlands) and his beautiful mistress (Lelia Goldoni). Between them they plan to frame Chris for the murder of Keller's wife, but their clever plan proves to be their own outdoing. In 1965, it was poorly received by critics and the public, but it's a gripping thriller and Freddie Francis directs the somewhat far fetched script by Jimmy Sangster with pace, building it neatly to it's climax. The black and white Cinematography by John Wilcox manages some decent compositions of a gray and dank 1960's London. The only criticism is the somewhat unsuitable music score by Don Banks, which is too jazzy for this type of film.

Always enjoy the acting of Robert Webber, (Chris Smith),"Twelve Angry Men" who gets himself in a car accident and is unable to remember anything about himself or where he came from. Chris is an American in England and finds himself in a hospital being treated by a British Doctor, named Dr. Keller, (Anthony Newlands). Dr. Keller does everything he can for Chris and informs Chris he has a penthouse to go to and can live there until he gets well with all expenses paid by the person who caused the accident. Chris enjoys his new surroundings, but he has no one to visit him except his nurse who is a good looker and she has fallen in love with Chris, which he is not aware of. The story has many twists and turns and Chris begins to think he is crazy or has lost his mind. Gina McConnell, (Jennifer Jayne) plays the sexy nurse and there is another gal who keeps Chris quite busy. Enjoy.

Hysteria is directed by Freddie Francis and written by Jimmy Sangster. It stars Robert Webber, Anthony Newlands, Jennifer Jayne, Maurice Denham and Lelia Gordon. Music is by Don Banks and cinematography by John Wilcox.

From the long line of Hammer Thrillers with one word titles that followed in the wake of Psycho, Hysteria is a decent addition to the roster. Plot in simple terms finds Webber as Chris Smith, a survivor of a car crash who is suffering with amnesia. Upon finding out some mysterious benefactor has been footing the hospital bills for him, he is naturally intrigued as to who it is. Following the bare minimum of clues, while struggling with angry voices he hears in his head, Smith finds himself in a vortex of mystery and shifty shenanigans.

What follows is a monochrome murder mystery laced with psychopathic tendencies, paranoia, dangerous attractions, twists and extended flashbacks. It's all a bit flimsy if you wanted to dissect it as a viable story, but Sangster comes up with some good ideas in the name of entertainment, and Francis is able to eek out suspense at regular intervals. Cast are fine, including the sometimes maligned Webber who sits the role well, while Denham offers up a good one as the detective who is not to be taken lightly.

Good solid twisty thriller from Hammer. 7/10

This is an unusual little surprise from the Hammer Studio's and horror director Freddie Francis. It's a thriller in the style of Hitchcock.

The movie and story are well constructed and there are quite some plot twists and mysterious elements in the movie. It truly leaves you guessing till the end so fans of the genre will be absolutely delighted.

However the movie notably tries to create a film-noir kind of atmosphere and story and characters. It fails in it mainly because the backdrop of this movie, London, simply is no New York, Chicago or San Fransisco. Also director's Freddie Francis inexperience with this genre doesn't help much. It's too bad because the movie and certainly story were already good enough on it's own, it didn't needed extra style and atmosphere.

The actors do their jobs well and they are believable enough in their roles. The cinematography by John Wilcox is also truly great at times. Director Freddie Francis himself of course also was a much famed director of photography and later did some well known movies such as; "The Elephant Man", "Glory" and "Cape Fear (1991)". So his skill almost certainly had something to do with the at times great cinematography in this movie.

The Jazzy musical score of the movie however was awful. There are only two things I hate in this world; hospital clowns and Jazz. So, yes obviously I'm biased of course.

A very surprising, watchable thriller.

7/10

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Hammer studios are best known for their campy horror efforts such as the Frankenstein and Dracula series', but in the mid-sixties they also produced a number of satisfying little thrillers (mostly directed by Freddie Francis) and this film belongs to that side of the studio's output. The film is not as appealing as Francis' earlier Paranoiac, but Hysteria works primarily because of the swinging sixties atmosphere and the mysterious plot, which is played to the maximum and finishes with a great twisted climax. It's amazing that this film was produced by Hammer studios, as it feels much more like a Hitchcockian mystery/film noir than anything else that the studio produced. The plot follows an American who wakes up in an English hospital, unable to recall what has happened to him and how he got there. All we know about the man is that he was involved in a car accident, and he has a mysterious benefactor who's paying all of his hospital bills and has paid for a penthouse suite for him to stay in upon his release. His only real link to his past is a newspaper cut-out of a mysterious French model...

It's obvious that this film was an attempt to mimic the successful American mystery movies of the sixties. Robert Webber's suave performance isn't a world away from Cary Grant, while Lelia Goldoni does her best Audrey Hepburn impression, and actually does rather well with it. Hammer films are distinctly English, but despite being set in the home nation; this one feels more like an American film overall. Of course, the lead character's accent helps this greatly. The film may be a disappointment to die-hard Hammer fans who prefer the colourful imagery of their most successful horror films, but Hysteria is good because it shows that the studio have some diversity. Freddie Francis was certainly one of Hammer's most capable directors, and in his hands this story is allowed to show some characterisation and present a good mystery. Hysteria keeps its audience on the edge of their seat throughout, and manages to deliver just the right amount of humour to be funny, without taking anything away from the mystery. The conclusion is well worked and makes sense, and overall; although this isn't a classic Hammer film, it's certainly a very good one!

Robert Webber is "Smith" (perfect name for this role!), an american, who finds himself in a british hospital, with no memory of what happened. Webber is the lead in this one, although he usually played supporting roles in some real big films.. Dirty Dozen, Twelve Angry Men, Midway. "Smith" only has a newspaper clipping of a girl, and a free apartment, provided by an anonymous donor, so he hires a private eye to track down what the newspaper photo means. Co-stars Jennifer Jayne, british bombshell, who also wrote screen plays, and worked with director Freddie Francis many times. In the film, Smith may or may not have overheard someone being murdered, but has a hard time convincing others... the evidence keeps disappearing! Also co-stars (american) Lelia Goldoni as the chick in the photograph. some obvious plot-holes, but otherwise pretty good. Director Freddie Francis was a two time oscar winner, although neither one was for his best known films, Cape Fear and Elephant Man! this one is pretty good stuff. Francis made Hysteria about mid-career. suspense, lots of peppy, jazz from the 1960s. giant hair-do's. just go along for the ride.

This is one of the low-budget black & white thrillers Hammer Studio in England made in the early 1960s. Chris Smith (Robert Webber) is an American in London and has complete amnesia after a car crash. An anonymous person pays for his medical treatment and buys him a penthouse in a deserted high rise. Almost immediately he starts hearing voices and sees hints of a murder--but is it real or is he imaging things? There are a few major problems with this movie--there's a pointlessly loud jazz score that was totally at odds with the subject matter, Webber smirks his way through his performance, the plot was needlessly convoluted and it was pretty easy to guess who was doing what. Still this is an OK thriller. It was beautifully shot in moody black and white and well-directed by talented cinematographer Freddie Francis. The first half of the movie is also very good when Webber tries to figure out what's going on. When everything is revealed this starts to really unravel. Ultimately the plot is just too unbelievable to take seriously. This (understandably) got a bad reaction when released in 1965 and disappeared quickly. Still, there are far worse movies out there and this is fun in a turn off your brain kind of way. I give it a 6.

Hysteria (1965)

** (out of 4)

Nice direction and fine performances can't save this Hammer thriller, which owes a few things to fellow Britishman Alfred Hitchcock. Chris Smith (Robert Webber) wakes up after a near fatal car crash and realizes that he can't remember a thing about himself. After getting out of the hospital he tries to learn about his past and starts with a magazine photo he had of a woman. It turns out this woman was brutally murdered but soon Chris sees the woman and something just isn't right. HYSTERIA owes a lot to VERTIGO and if you're seen that Hitchcock movie then this here is just going to feel like a very cheap rip-off. Around the fifteen-minute mark I realized that there were only two ways this story could work out. There was going to be a true way or there was going to be a cheat. I won't reveal which one actually happens but I found this film to be well made but its story was just so lazy and boring that I often found myself losing focus. Director Freddie Fisher does a very good job keeping the film moving at a nice pace and this here is something that's pretty hard to do when the story is boring. He also brings a nice touch of style to the scenes but there's only so much he can do. Webber, best known for his role in 12 ANGRY MEN, offers up a good and believable performance as does supporting players Anthony Newlands, Lelia Goldoni and Jennifer Jayne. The biggest criticism would have to go to the jazz music score, which is so wrong for this picture that I'm amazed that no one cut it. If you've ever seen a silent picture from a cheap public domain company you know they'll just throw any jazz score on it even if it doesn't fit the picture. Well, it seems like Hammer did that here.

When Psycho proved to be a huge success for Hitchcock, gothic horror experts Hammer Studios clearly saw pound signs and turned their attention to the psychological thriller genre, giving viewers a series of films with similar one word titles: Maniac, Paranoiac, Nightmare, and this film, Hysteria, in which an American with amnesia (Robert Webber) finds himself caught in a web of intrigue and murder.

Written by Jimmy Sangster and directed by Freddie Francis, the film builds an atmosphere of suspense and utter bewilderment, side-stepping logic for much of the time, leaving the viewer wondering how the hell matters will be resolved satisfactorily before the end credits roll. Short answer: they're not. In the final act, Sangster and Francis reveal what is really going on, and it is so utterly ridiculous (even more silly than being able to sneak into the UK in the trunk of a car) that one has to admire the film-makers for actually trying to pull it off.

Noirish, with a hint of the giallo about it, Hysteria might not make a whole lot of sense, but commendable performances (especially Maurice Denham as private detective Hemmings) and a willingness to carry on regardless of how daft it gets makes me like this film more than I probably should.

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

Director Freddie Francis delivered this Mid-60's Psychological Thriller for Hammer Studios Riding the then Trend of the Type Inspired by "Psycho" (1960).

A Lower-Budget than Usual for Hammer Relinquishing Their Trademark Color Pallette.

More On-Location Footage with some Stark Sharp Images and a Fine Performance from Robert Webber as the Amnesiac Head-Trauma Victim.

But the Story is Somewhat Predictable and the Shocks are Few with Red Herrings and Double-Crosses Proliferating in a Muddled Screenplay.

Nothing Special but an OK Entry in the Genre.

Worth a Watch, as are All Hammer Films.

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.

Hysteria is a murder mystery laced with psychopathic tendencies, paranoia, dangerous attractions, twists and extended flashbacks, and a groovy jazz score - it's a clever, engaging thriller with some tense moments, however it's not as sharp as the other two Hammer thrillers - Paranoiac and Nightmare, and Robert Webber comes across as a bit of a cad and isn't really a nice guy, but he plays his part well. The actresses are great as is Anthony Newlands - he plays Webber's shrink.

American Chris Smith (Robert Webber) suffers from amnesia after a car crash and is being treated by psychiatrist Dr. Keller in an English hospital. He is physically fit and gets released but he still can't remember anything. All he has is a glamor photo of a beautiful woman. He hires private investigator Hemmings to find the woman. Strange things keep happening. He discovers that the woman in the photograph was supposedly murdered but he keeps getting glimpses of her.

The first misstep happens with Hemmings quitting. It makes no sense. He shouldn't care whether Chris is hallucinating or not. Money is money. Chris needs to be smart enough to proclaim that and accuse him of being bribed. He needs to be better written. Money is an issue with this movie. It needs to explain how he paid for that big apartment or Hemmings or a prolong hospital stay. Again, Chris must be smart enough to ask these questions. OK! Hemmings quit. So hire somebody else. There are lots of logic skips along the way. If it could fix some of that, this could be a fun mystery. It is better than most Hammer but it still needs some work.

Robert Webber is "Christopher Smith," an amnesiac accused of "Hysteria" in this 1965 low budget film directed by Freddie Francis, known mostly for his fine cinematography work. An American wakes up with amnesia in a British hospital after a car accident in which the driver was killed. After working with a psychiatrist (Anthony Newlands) on staff at the hospital, he's released, the doctor unable to do any more for him to regain his memory. His hospital bills have been paid by an unknown benefactor who pays in postal drafts, and this same benefactor has provided him with a place to live. It turns out to be the penthouse of a high-rise. As he tries to sleep, he hears the people next door having terrible fights... except there isn't anyone next door. He also finds a bloody knife in his apartment.

The only clue Chris has to his identity is a magazine photo of a model that was found in the car. He hires a detective (Maurice Denham) to find out who paid his hospital bills and who the woman is but also embarks on his own investigation. He tracks down the photographer of the photo, who tells him the woman is dead from multiple stab wounds. Then he sees the woman drive by him in a car, and she finally shows up at his apartment. She's the wife of the driver and Chris' benefactor. She sets out to help him find out what happened and who he is.

Though this is a low-budget film with very little in the way of production values, it is a completely absorbing film with some fascinating twists and turns.

The actors are all good. Robert Webber was a good-looking character actor who died of Lou Gehrig's disease in 1989 and is probably best-remembered now for playing Cybill Shepherd's father on Moonlighting, though he had a very prolific career. He's very effective in the lead. Maurice Denham is appropriately down and out looking as the detective, and Leila Goldoni is quite beautiful as the model.

Highly recommended for a great story.