Die! Die! My Darling! (1965) Fanatic (original title)

Director:

Silvio Narizzano

Writers:

Richard Matheson (screenplay)
Anne Blaisdell (novel)

Release Date:

21 March 1965 (UK)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

She's One Mean Mother-in-Law!

Plot:

A young woman is terrorized by her fiance's demented mother who blames her for her son's death.

Plot Keywords:

Religious Fanatic | Fanatic | Suicide | Death | England

Cast

Tallulah Bankhead	...	Mrs. Trefoile
Stefanie Powers	...	Patricia Carroll
Peter Vaughan	...	Harry
Maurice Kaufmann	...	Alan Glentower
Yootha Joyce	...	Anna
Donald Sutherland	...	Joseph
Gwendolyn Watts	...	Gloria
Robert Dorning	...	Ormsby
Philip Gilbert	...	Oscar
Winifred Dennis	...	Shopkeeper
Diana King	...	Woman Shopper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry McGee	...	Rector (uncredited)

Directed by
Silvio Narizzano

Writing credits
Richard Matheson		(screenplay)
Anne Blaisdell		(novel "Nightmare")

Produced by
Anthony Hinds	....	producer

Original Music by
Wilfred Josephs

Cinematography by
Arthur Ibbetson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Dunsford

Production Design by
Peter Proud

Makeup Department
Olga Angelinetta	....	hair stylist
Roy Ashton	....	makeup artist
Richard Mills	....	makeup artist

Production Management
George Fowler	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claude Watson	....	assistant director
Peter Beale	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Stuart Black	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Nigel Wooll	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roy Hyde	....	sound editor
Ken Rawkins	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Wilson	....	camera operator
Tom Edwards	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Gibson	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
James Needs	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Philip Martell	....	musical supervisor

Other crew
Renée Glynne	....	continuity (as Renee Glynne)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Hammer Film Productions (producer) (as Hammer Film)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1965) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1965) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Cinema Classics (video)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (2010) (USA) (TV)

Also Known As:

"Fanatic" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

Australia:95 min | USA:97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:(Banned) (1965) | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | UK:15 (DVD rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:TV-14 | West Germany:18 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The producers considered replacing Tallulah Bankhead during filming when she became ill and was unable to work. However, Bankhead put up her salary for the film as a guarantee she'd finish if she wouldn't be replaced.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Patricia is first locked into her room, she tries to open the door, jiggling the handle, and we see a slender gold bracelet on her right wrist. However, the next time she tries the door a few moments later, the bracelet is gone, and we find it is on the left wrist, where it remains.

Quotes:

Mrs. Trefoile:Come, my dear. I must confess I'm disappointed in your church attendance. My late husband, he was a truly religious man. More so than some who wear the cloth!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Suddenly Susan: Lie! Lie! My Darling (#1.6)" (1996)

You gotta admire Tallulah!

Two ways we enjoy movies are 1) to share the emotional life of characters in a great story, regardless of the performer, and 2) to watch a great performer, regardless of the story. "Die! Die My Darling" [or "Fanatic"] falls into the latter category; here, Tallulah Bankhead is the great performer. Bankhead was, it is popularly believed, in the depths of alcohol abuse when she made this classic melodramatic thriller. Yet, she turns-in a terr(or)ific performance. Alcohol abuse may have helped her to slur some lines in that unique drawl of hers, but the well-experienced actress that she is - underneath the numb - shines thru by having clearly planned ahead to alternate her episodes of sweetness and rage, and performs them with well-crafted notes. It's an absolute tour-de-force: That ET-like bourbon voice of hers croaking out commands to her servants; like a witch shrieking "Liar!" to Stefanie Powers (and slapping her silly!); and looking like a backsliding soul at her most pitiful digging in her closet for a secret stash. And my favorite image: force-feeding a sermon to Stefanie Powers at gunpoint (Bankhead holding the Bible *and* a gun in her hands!). The story that sets all this into motion: Bankhead receives a visit from her dead son's one-time fiance, played by Stefanie Powers. Bankhead, a religious fanatic [thus the other title to this movie], presumes her son's betrothal to Powers means that they *are* husband and wife - FOR ETERNITY! Powers plays along, at first, but reveals little truths that counter the religious Bankhead's plans for her son's eternal peace; Bankhead, then, turns determined to "save" her son's Grace by keeping Powers pure. And so it goes from that, with escalating animosity. Bankhead is great. The production design is great (sets and color), and Yootha Joyce as the housemaid Anna is also terrific. Powers, however, grossly overacts; but, to her credit, she lets Yootha Joyce really lay into her with obviously no stunt-doubles between them. That was fun. Oh, there's also a couple homage to PSYCHO: recall that scene in Psycho when Vera Miles screams and flails an arm to set swinging the overhead lamp upon entering the fruit cellar. There's an instance when Powers screams and does the same with an overhead lamp. At that moment, listen to the soundtrack: it shrieks for a measure or two like Psycho's shower scene shrieking violins. Cool. I'll let you find the second "borrowing" from Psycho; it's not as obvious. For some campy fun, definitely rent this'n. Powers is a snitty over-acter, and she'll annoy you, but you'll feel she gets what she deserves when the Ol' Lady smacks the stuffing out of her. Plus, Bankhead simply saying the line "Milk?!" will make it all worthwhile - and that's just at the beginning...!