Starring:
Richard Attenborough
Kim Stanley
Nanette Newman
Mark Eden
Patrick Magee

Based on the novel by Mark McShane.
Music by John Barry
Directed by Bryon Forbes

Of all the films I have seen in my sixty odd years, this one has stayed with me.
An English black and white film, seemingly unassuming, but packed with tension.

The story is about a woman named Myra Savage (Kim Stanley), who makes a meagre living holding afternoon séances in the front room of her dingy home. Her husband Billy (Richard Attenborough) unable to work much because of asthma, helps her with the preparation for these séances. From the start the audience can see that Myra is an unstable woman and that despite this, her husband loves her very deeply.

Myra cooks up a plot to kidnap the young daughter of a local wealthy couple. Myra fools herself into thinking that she’s only 'borrowing' the child to become famous by helping the police with their enquiries. Her husband dislikes the plan from the start, but it's obvious he would do anything for his wife.

The pair decorate their spare room as a hospital ward and Myra dresses as a nurse to fool the child into thinking she’s been ill and is in hospital.

As the story continues the husband becomes more and more tortured, especially when the young, distraught and vulnerable mother of the child (Nanette Newman) begs Myra to help contact her little girl.

The amazing core of the film, is the kidnap scene itself. It has a dark silence to it, with perfect atmospheric music throughout that makes you lean forward in your seat, almost holding your breath while Billy goes through the twists and turns of the plan.

The film ends as you watch Myra’s mental stability completely unravel, as her poor husband tries desperately to cope.

It’s a good story and a good film which I highly recommend, especially to British Film aficionados