Stop Me Before I Kill! (1960) The Full Treatment (original title)

Director:

Val Guest

Writers:

Ronald Scott Thorn (novel)
Val Guest (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

October 1960 (UK)

Genre:

Mystery | Drama

Tagline:

A diabolical new technique in suspense!

Plot:

After surviving a traumatic car accident, a race car driver travels to the Cote D'Azur to recover but is plagued by an urge to strangle his wife.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | France | Surgical Instruments | Traumatic Accident | Punch In Mouth

Cast

Claude Dauphin	...	David Prade
Diane Cilento	...	Denise Colby
Ronald Lewis	...	Alan Colby
Françoise Rosay	...	Madame Prade
Bernard Braden	...	Harry Stonehouse
Katya Douglas	...	Connie
Barbara Chilcott	...	Baroness de la Vailion
Anne Tirard	...	Nicole
Edwin Styles	...	Doctor Roberts
George Merritt	...	Mr. Manfield

Directed by
Val Guest

Writing credits
Ronald Scott Thorn		(novel "The Full Treatment")
Val Guest		(screenplay) and
Ronald Scott Thorn		(screenplay)

Produced by
Val Guest	....	producer
Victor Lyndon	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Stanley Black

Cinematography by
Gilbert Taylor		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bill Lenny

Art Direction by
Anthony Masters		(as Tony Masters)

Set Decoration by
Scott Slimon

Costume Design by
Beatrice Dawson		(costumes by)

Makeup Department
Ivy Emmerton	....	hairdresser
Tony Sforzini	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Clifton Brandon	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kip Gowans	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bert Ross	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Vic Margutti	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
O.T. Hight	....	visual effects artist (remastered version)

Camera and Electrical Department
Moray Grant	....	camera operator

Music Department
Stanley Black	....	conductor

Other crew
Doreen Dearnaley	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Falcon
• Hammer Film Productions
• Hilary

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1961) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sinister Cinema (2009) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)
• Sinister Cinema (2009) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Included in "Hammer Films: The Icons of Suspense Collection")

Also Known As:

"The Full Treatment" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

120 min | USA:93 min (cut) | USA:107 min (Screen Gems print)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | UK:X | Norway:16

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Falcon

Trivia:

At 120 minutes, "The Full Treatment" was Hammer's longest film to date.

Quotes:

Connie:[Screaming] Ahhhhhhh!
Harry Stonehouse:[Annoyed] Now what?
Connie:A spider!
David Prade:Oh, it's quite harmless... unless you're a male spider. This is a female.
Connie:You sure have good eyesight!
David Prade:No, the male is always small, and, in case you're interested, he gets eaten by the female after he has performed his necessary function.
Baroness de la Vailion:[In French] Ooo lala!
David Prade:Ah, you know, women tend to do the same thing.
Baroness de la Vailion:I must say I have never tried it.
David Prade:[laughs] I mean mentally and psychologically.
[...]

Forgotten Gem from the Great Val Guest

Still recovering from serious head injuries sustained in a car crash, motor racing driver Alan Colby and his wife Denise go on holiday to the South of France. There, Alan is suddenly and unexpectedly struck with a compulsion to strangle his wife. Hearing about this, Dr. David Prade, a local psychiatrist, offers to help, but his offer is rejected by Alan and he and Denise return to London. The psychiatrist follows them there, convinced that sooner or later his services will be needed and that he should be close at hand. At first, all seems well with Alan, but then one morning he wakes from a long sleep to find that Denise has disappeared. Worse, all the evidence points to his having murdered her.

Beautifully filmed in black-and-white MegaScope by the great Gil Taylor and masterfully directed by Guest, who was always at his best working on suspense films, "The Full Treatment" is a minor classic.