How Awful About Allan (1970) (TV)

Director:

Curtis Harrington

Writers:

Henry Farrell (novel)
Henry Farrell (teleplay)

Release Date:

22 September 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

After an eight-month stay in a mental hospital, a tormented man comes home to live with his sister; but a mysterious boarder may be trying to kill him.

Plot Keywords:

Boarder | Mental Hospital | Blindness | Fire | Tape Recorder

Cast

Anthony Perkins	...	Allan
Julie Harris	...	Katherine
Joan Hackett	...	Olive
Kent Smith	...	Raymond
Robert H. Harris	...	Dr. Ellins
Molly Dodd	...	Inmate
Billy Bowles	...	Harold Dennis
Trent Dolan	...	Eric
Bill Erwin	...	Dr. Ames (as William Erwin)
Jeannette Howe	...	Kathrine as a child
Kenneth Lawrence	...	Allan as a Child

MPAA:

Rated PG for some violent images and mild thematic elements.

Runtime:

USA:73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG

Company:

Aaron Spelling Productions

Trivia:

Anthony Perkins had special contact lenses made that he could barely see through, so he'd actually be nearly blind while filming his scenes. He popped the lenses in just prior to filming and was led onto the set by a crew member.

Goofs:

Continuity: Apparently set in dead of winter (everyone keeps talking about freezing temperatures and how cold it is), but grass, trees and bushes in exterior scenes are all green.

Quotes:

[after rescuing his sister from a house fire]
Allan: I'm blind.

A Blurry Good Time

Within the limitations of television, this was a tidy little entertainment. How Awful About Allan transcended the crummy cheapness that marred Made-for-TV movies from their historical onset. This pleasantly scary story was better than average because of its workmanlike performances, its unnerving story, and the fact that its main character, Tony Perkins, is not totally sympathetic.

Even if you peg the reasons that Perkins has hysterical blindness (and it's wonderfully frustrating seeing the blurred images he's seeing) from the start, the movie accomplishes what it must do right from the start--it causes you to give a damn. You watch because you must.

Finally, there's a special place in my heart for "Olive," played by the late, great Joan Hackett. She was a lovely woman whose quirky, passionate performances always seemed to lift the quality of a film an extra notch.

Anthony Perkins and Julie Harris are just fine, too.

So, get to a dollar store or the Wal-Mart dollar DVD kiosk, grab a copy of How Awful About Allan and swing by the warm blankey department--you're gonna need it.