Schizo (1976)

Director:

Pete Walker

Writers:

David McGillivray
Murray Smith (adaptation)

Release Date:

March 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sport | Thriller

Tagline:

Schizophrenia... When the left hand doesn't know who the right hand is killing!!

Plot:

Samantha and Alan are getting married, but William Haskins isn't pleased. He grabs a train south to...

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Housekeeper | Stalking | Shower | Skating

Cast

Lynne Frederick	...	Samantha
John Leyton	...	Alan Falconer
Stephanie Beacham	...	Beth
John Fraser	...	Leonard Hawthorne
Jack Watson	...	William Haskin
Queenie Watts	...	Mrs. Wallace
Trisha Mortimer	...	Joy
Paul Alexander	...	Peter McAllister
Robert Mill	...	Maitre d'
Colin Jeavons	...	Commissioner
Victor Winding	...	Sergeant
Raymond Bowers	...	Manager
Pearl Hackney	...	Lady at Seance
Terry Duggan	...	Editor
Lindsay Campbell	...	Falconer
Diana King	...	Mrs. Falconer
Wendy Gilmore	...	Samantha's Mother
Primi Townsend	...	Secretary
Victoria Allum	...	Samantha as a Child
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John McEnery	...	Stephens (uncredited)

Directed by
Pete Walker

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David McGillivray
Murray Smith		adaptation

Produced by
Pete Walker	....	producer

Original Music by
Stanley Myers

Cinematography by
Peter Jessop

Film Editing by
Alan Brett

Art Direction by
Chris Burke

Makeup Department
George Partleton	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Edward Dorian	....	production manager
Matt McCarthy	....	post-production supervisor
Clifford Parkes	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Iain Cassie	....	third assistant director
Brian Lawrence	....	first assistant director
Glynn Purcell	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Tony Anscombe	....	dubbing mixer
Peter Brown	....	boom operator
Jack Davis	....	boom operator
Peter O'Connor	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Bellingham	....	still photographer
Ted Davis	....	gaffer
Peter Sinclair	....	camera operator

Music Department
Stanley Myers	....	conductor
Barry Guy	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Heritage
• Pete Walker Film Productions

Distributors

• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1976) (UK) (theatrical)
• Niles International (1977) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1977) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Media Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:109 min | USA:98 min | Argentina:100 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted | Norway:18 | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Italy:VM18

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Heritage

Trivia:

The last cinema film of John Fraser.

Movie Connections:

References Deep Red (1975)

Soundtrack:

Arkala

exciting and clever little movie

It seems a terrible indictment that Walker's films were treated so badly at the time of release for it is undeniable that, especially considering their low budgets, they achieve everything they set out to. Being a cinema goer of the period, I of course was also guilty in that I never went to one on it's UK release and have only caught up with them more recently. The time was probably not quite right for the large audiences but now that I have seen most of the Italian giallo, I can sit in wonder and gleefully enjoy this 'terror movie' and it's surprisingly generous amounts of bloody gore and violence. The acting is at times ponderous, John Leyton of sixties pop singing fame, struggles here and there but perhaps his part is underwritten. Lynne Frederick makes a few odd gestures but these are eventually explained, as is everything else in this exciting and clever little movie.