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IMDbPro

A Taste of Evil

  • TV Movie
  • 1971
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 13m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
808
YOUR RATING
Barbara Parkins in A Taste of Evil (1971)
HorrorThriller

On her way home to California from a stay at a Swiss mental institution after a traumatic rape seven years earlier, twenty-year-old Susan Wilcox realizes that someone is deliberately trying ... Read allOn her way home to California from a stay at a Swiss mental institution after a traumatic rape seven years earlier, twenty-year-old Susan Wilcox realizes that someone is deliberately trying to drive her insane. Written by Jimmy Sangster.On her way home to California from a stay at a Swiss mental institution after a traumatic rape seven years earlier, twenty-year-old Susan Wilcox realizes that someone is deliberately trying to drive her insane. Written by Jimmy Sangster.

  • Director
    • John Llewellyn Moxey
  • Writer
    • Jimmy Sangster
  • Stars
    • Barbara Stanwyck
    • Barbara Parkins
    • Roddy McDowall
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    808
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Llewellyn Moxey
    • Writer
      • Jimmy Sangster
    • Stars
      • Barbara Stanwyck
      • Barbara Parkins
      • Roddy McDowall
    • 27User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos6

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    Top cast9

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    Barbara Stanwyck
    Barbara Stanwyck
    • Miriam Jennings
    Barbara Parkins
    Barbara Parkins
    • Susan
    Roddy McDowall
    Roddy McDowall
    • Dr. Lomas
    William Windom
    William Windom
    • Harold Jennings
    Arthur O'Connell
    Arthur O'Connell
    • John
    Bing Russell
    Bing Russell
    • Sheriff
    Dawn Frame
    • Young Susan
    Kathryn Janssen
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Leoda Richards
    Leoda Richards
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Llewellyn Moxey
    • Writer
      • Jimmy Sangster
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews27

    6.3808
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    Featured reviews

    willowgreen

    Barbara Stanwyck Chiller

    Although I've only seen this film once, it lingers in my memory: I saw it at age 1O in 1971 when it was originally broadcast on television. Although the rest of the cast, i.e. William Windom, Roddy McDowall & Barbara Perkins, etc. did fine jobs with their roles, it's Stanwyck's playing of Miriam Jennings which lingers in my memory: talk about an unsympathetic role for an older Hollywood star to take! If fans of Davis and Crawford doing their bits in the macabre thought Stanwyck stopped with THE NIGHT WALKER, think again! This is definitely her tour-de-force in the thriller genre. Although it probably looks a bit tired and dated today, I remember the diabolical twist as being memorably sadistic and cruel plus there was a helping of LES DIABOLIQUES in the plotline. The atmosphere was creepy - thunder and lightning and all - and I remember sinister Barbara dismissing her gardener (Arthur O'Connell) thusly: "You have until noon"...
    7Coventry

    An easy paycheck for sneaky Jimmy Sangster

    In case you want to watch a horror movie for the first time and need to be sure from beforehand that you won't be disappointment with the outcome, it always helps to research the names that are involved. For example, in the case of "A Taste of Evil", I felt pretty comfortable thanks to the involvement of three reliable names (excluding the cast). The film comes from the nearly inexhaustible stable of producer Aaron Spelling. Long before he produced sappy TV- series like "Beverly Hills 90210" and "7th Heaven", Spelling was responsible for a large number of genuinely tense and spine-chilling TV-thrillers, including this one. The man in the director's chair is named John Llewellyn Moxey and his repertoire is also quite astounding, with legendary titles such as "Horror Hotel", "The Night Stalker", "Nightmare in Badham County" and about three dozen of other worthwhile titles. Then, last but certainly not least, the script was penned down by Jimmy Sangster. He was one of the creative masterminds behind the awesome British horror studios Hammer and wrote some of their greatest classics ("Horror of Dracula", "The Curse of Frankenstein") as well as some of their underrated but ingenious gems. How could "A Taste of Evil" possibly go wrong, especially if you also take into consideration that cast features a few impressive names like Barbara Stanwyck, Arthur O'Connell and Roddy McDowall?

    Well, "A Taste of Evil" certainly doesn't disappoint and I won't hesitate for one second to recommend it to fellow horror fans, but still one of the aforementioned prominent names cheated a little bit… As the story slowly unfolded and tension mounted, I suddenly became more and more conscious that the plot felt familiar. Poor Susan Wilcox returns home to her mother Miriam and the parental house, after she spent seven long years in a Swiss mental hospital to recover from the trauma of getting assaulted in her garden playhouse at the tender age of 13. Although her mother and Susan herself are determined to get her life back on track, Susan's tangled nerves are soon put under pressure again since she repeatedly spots the corpse of Miriam's second husband Harold all around the estate. She must somehow suffer from hallucinations, as Harold is very much alive, although on a business trip and corresponding with his wife and stepdaughter via the phone. Now, where have I seen this plot before? Oh that's right… it's as good as identical to that of the unsung Hammer treasure "Taste of Fear / "Scream of Fear". Sneaky Jimmy Sangster must have thought that nobody in the United States ever saw or even heard about this film that already got released in 1961, so if he changed a few details left and right and gave different names to the main characters, he could cash a quick and easily earned paycheck!

    And yet, I certainly don't blame Jimmy. The story is still solid as a rock and capable of evoking a handful of genuine scares and mild shocks. The build-up takes quite long and feels overly derivative, because you know of course that somebody is deliberately trying to push Susan into another mental breakdown and that her hallucinations are staged. But then the script offers not one but two twists that are surprisingly effective and quite unconventional for a made-for- TV flick. "A Taste of Evil" touches upon a few sensitive themes, like child molesting and family rivalry, and the extended climax (taking place during a good old-fashioned pouring rain thunderstorm) is action-packed and wild.
    7HorrorFan1984

    A Taste of Evil

    A Taste of Evil is a 1970's Made-For-TV film that had some very serious and dark themes for a movie at that time. It's plot revolves around the rape of a young child, and the discovery of who her assailant really was.

    After being assaulted by someone she couldn't identify, Susan spent years in an institution trying to revere the trauma. We meet an adult version of her who is returning home for the first time since the attack many years prior. Her mother Miriam (played by Barbara Stanwyck) has since married a family friend that Susan used to call an uncle after the passing of Susan's father.

    As soon as she settles in at home, she begins to think she is being stalked by someone she can't see. First she is chased by a man in the woods, and then she believes hears someone breathing in the darkness and the shadows in her large family house. The question is has the rapist come back to silence Susan or is she simply imagining someone coming after her. All is revealed in an explosive second half to the story.

    A Taste of Evil is a VERY spooky and well done made for TV film from ABC. Terrific acting from legend Barbara Stanwyck and Barbara Parkins. She plays the trauma riddled Susan extremely well. We get all the beats of Susan's trauma of the rape and coming home. We also get the creepy mystery of who the assailant was years ago. There are some twists and turns throughout the film, and some eerie stalking scenes when the attacker comes for Susan. Overall, a great little horror gem from the 70's that deserves a proper DVD release.

    7/10
    6Tera-Jones

    Nice Little Late Night Chiller

    Not a bad little late night chiller-mystery to keep me interesting throughout the entire film. Atmospheric, thrilling and with a couple of plot twists.

    It's always nice to see Barbara Stanwyck grace the screen and she's good as usual. Roddy McDowell is a delight! I love these old made for TV films.

    6.5/10
    terri-20

    overall good suspense!

    As this movie does not appear to have been released to video, you may not find it anywhere. If you do PLEASE contact me! There were some classic jump up and scare-you-silly scenes as only Barbara Stanwyck could do. I remember sitting in front of my T.V. and jumping backwards across the room! If anyone knows where I can get a copy of this movie, I'd be truly grateful. Thanks Terri (e-mail address) longer1@home.com

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Writer Jimmy Sangster says on the audio commentary for the Anchor Bay DVD of Les horreurs de Frankenstein (1970) that producer Aaron Spelling thought "A Taste of Evil" was awfully similar to the earlier Sangster-scripted Hurler de peur (1961), a.k.a. "Scram of Fear". Sangster basically admitted that it was the same script, with characters and settings changed to American ones.
    • Goofs
      In the outdoor pool scene with Miriam and Susan having breakfast.
    • Quotes

      John: I was very fond of Miss Susan.

      Miriam Jennings: Fond enough to assault her when she was 13 years old?

      John: You said you'd not bring that up!

      Miriam Jennings: I've been quiet about that for 7 years, haven't I?

    • Connections
      Featured in Dateline (1992)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 12, 1971 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Hauch des Bösen
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production companies
      • Aaron Spelling Productions
      • American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 13m(73 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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