Assault (film)

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Assault
J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors
Release date
11 February 1971
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$550,000[1]

Assault is a 1971 British thriller film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Suzy Kendall, Frank Finlay, Freddie Jones,[2] and Lesley-Anne Down; David Essex also has a small role. It is based on the 1962 novel The Ravine by Kendal Young, and tells about a police attempt to track down a dangerous rapist/killer on the loose. In the U.S., it was retitled In the Devil's Garden.[3]

Plot

Schoolgirl Tessa Hurst is raped on her way home from school. She is so traumatised she is unable to speak, despite the efforts of Dr Lomax. Some weeks later, another girl, Susan, is raped and killed.

Art teacher Julie West stumbles upon Susan's corpse when she is with some other students and glimpses the killer, who has glowing eyes and demonic appearance. Julie decides in conjunction with a reporter to offer herself up as bait for the killer. Sgt Milton is assigned to be Julie's bodyguard.

Possible suspects include Leslie Sanford, husband of the owner of the school, Lomax, and Bartell, head of the hospital where Lomax works.

The killer is revealed and is electrocuted.

Cast

Production

The film was based on The Ravine, a 1962 novel by Kendal Young, the pen name for Canadian author Phyllis Bretty Young. The Guardian called it "painfully American".[4] The Ottawa Journal claimed "you will enjoy it for its skilled horror suspense or you will reject it for its brutal motivation."[5]

Peter Rodgers produced the Carry On series for the Rank Organisation and made an arrangement to produce other films for them "thrillers and romantic subjects".[1]

Filming started 22 June 1970 at Pinewood Studios. It was the first major film for James Laurenson (who had impressed on stage in Edward II) and Lesley Anne Down.[6] It was followed shortly afterwards in production by Revenge and All the Coppers Are... from the same producer and director.[7]

Reception

The Guardian called it "a straightforward British thriller whose only concession to modernity is nice colour and a bit more bra-tearing than was once permissible. Otherwise it remains firmly rooted in the B picture traditions of the fifties."[8] The Evening Standard said "barring a bit of bra groping it's the kind of film they were making years ago."[9] Variety called it an "unpretentious action offering.. which, with the right companion film, should make a successful double-bill... the type of film which used to fulfil a useful function in earlier screen days and can well do nowadays."[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Assault". Variety's film reviews. Bowker. 1983. p. 28.
  2. ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | ASSAULT (1970)". Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  3. ^ "Assault(1971)". Yahoo Movies. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  4. ^ Iles, Francis (9 February 1962). "Criminal Records". The Guardian. p. 7.
  5. ^ "Novel of the week". The Ottawa Journal. 7 April 1962. p. 40.
  6. ^ "New stars, new talents in a new thriller". Runcorn Weekly News. 25 June 1970. p. 8.
  7. ^ Bright, Morris (2000). Mr. Carry On : the life and work of Peter Rogers. BBC. p. 242.
  8. ^ Malcolm, Derek (11 February 1971). "Sending up sexpertise?". The Guardian. p. 8.
  9. ^ Walker, Alexander (8 March 1971). "Local film guide". Evening Standard. p. 19.

External links