Paranoiac (1964)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1964
Running Times: 80 mins
Format: black and white 35mm CinemaScope
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: stereo

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Hammer Film Productions for Universal-International
Distributed by: Rank Organisation
Produced by: Anthony Hinds
Associate Producer: Basil Keys
Production Manager: John Draper

SCRIPT
Screenplay: Jimmy Sangster
Novel: Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (uncredited)

DIRECTION
Directed by: Freddie Francis
1st Assistant Director: Ross MacKenzie
2nd Assistant Director: Hugh Harlow
3rd Assistant Director: Ray Corbett (uncredited)
Continuity: Pauline Wise

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Bernard Robinson
Camera Operator: Moray Grant
Focus Puller: Robin Higginson (uncredited)
Camera Assistant: David Osborne (uncredited)
Stills Cameraman: Curtis Reeks
Laboratory: Denham Laboratories

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Supervising Editor: James Needs
1st Assistant Editor: Chris Barnes (uncredited)
Assistant Editor: Alan Willis (uncredited)

MUSIC
Music Composed by: Elisabeth Lutyens
Musical Supervisor: John Hollingsworth

SOUND
Sound (Recordist): Ken Rawkins
Sound Camera Operator: Al Thorne (uncredited)
Boom Operator: Ken Nightingall (uncredited)
Boom Assistant: Roy Mingaye (uncredited)
Sound Maintenance: Charles Bouvet (uncredited)
Dubbing Editor: Jim Groom (uncredited)
Sound System: RCA Sound Recording

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Wardrobe Supervisor: Molly Arbuthnot
Wardrobe Mistress: Rosemary Burrows
Make Up: Roy Ashton
Hair: Frieda Steiger

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Les Bowie, Kit West (uncredited)

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Bernard Robinson
Art Director: Don Mingaye
Assistant Art Director: Ken Ryan (uncredited)
Scenic Artist: Burt Evans (uncredited)

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Secretary: Maureen White
Transcription: H.C. Allen (uncredited)
Publicity Director: Brian Doyle (uncredited)

LOCATIONS
Made at: Bray Studios, England

CAST
Janette Scott (Eleanor Ashby)
Oliver Reed (Simon Ashby)
Alexander Davion (Tony)
Sheila Burrell (Harriet)
Liliane Brousse (Françoise)
Maurice Denham (John Kossett)
John Bonney (Keith Kossett)
John Stuart (Williams)
Colin Tapley (vicar)
Harold Lang (RAF type)
Laurie Leigh (1st woman)
Marianne Stone (2nd woman)
Sydney Bromley (tramp)
Jack Taylor (sailor)

PLOT SUMMARY

Missing for eleven years, Tony Ashby suddenly turns up at the family estate. But as he tries ingratiate himself with his brother and sister, several attempts are made on his life. Who is the culprit - and is Tony really who he claims to be?

One of so called Hammer "psycho chillers" and the dullest. The "is the person crazy or are people conspiring against them" plot is stolen from Les diaboliques (1955) but the story it supports is a dull English aristocratic family tussle. Reed, then steadily employed by Hammer as its young male lead, is charismatic as the returning scion. The film sat around for a couple of years before release as part of Hammer's produced film pile up in 1962 / 63. The title is not a recognised medical term!!

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Universal International
Video Distributor: Universal Home Video Inc
Laserdisc Distributor: MCA Home Video (42439 - on double bill with The Kiss of the Vampire (1964))

Finland
Rating: K-16

Sweden
Rating: 15

1963
May
15: USA - theatrical release

November
18: Sweden - theatrical release

1964
January
26: UK - theatrical release

May
22: Finland - theatrical release

1995
July
18: USA - laserdisc release (MCA Home Video (42439))

2007
July
24: UK - shown at the BFI Southbank as part of a tribute to Freddie Francis

El alucinante mundo de los Ashby - Spanish title
Lukitun kammion salaisuus - Finnish title
Il rifugio dei dannati - Italian title

MAGAZINES

Daily Cinema no.8809 (6 September 1963) p.5 (UK)
review

Dark Terrors no.9 (November 1994) pp.18-21 (UK)
illustrated article

Fangoria no.148 (November 1995) p.33 (USA)
illustrated note

Film Daily vol.122 no.69 (10 April 1963) p.5
review

Hollywood Reporter vol.175 no.18 (13 May 1963) p.3 (USA)
review

The House That Hammer Built no.4 (August 1997) pp.186-189 (UK)
illustrated credits, synopsis, review

Kine Weekly no.2919 (12 September 1963) p.9 (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.30 no.357 (October 1963) p.146 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Motion Picture Herald vol.229 no.9 (1 May 1963) p.803 (USA)
review

Variety 10 April 1963 (USA)
credits, review

BOOKS

British National Film Catalogue vol.1 (1963) (UK)
credits, synopsis

The Hammer Story p.62
review (by Marcus Hearn and Alan Barnes)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

press kit
credits

KEYWORDS

imposters, paranoia

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009