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Paranoiac (1963)

Not Rated | | Drama , Horror , Mystery | 15 May 1963 (USA)
Paranoiac Poster
Loosely based on Josephine Tey's "Brat Farrar;" a man long believed dead returns to the family estate to claim his inheritance.

Director:

Freddie Francis

Writer:

Jimmy Sangster (screenplay)

Stars:

Janette Scott, Oliver Reed, Sheila Burrell | See full cast & crew »
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ON DISC
1 nomination. See more awards »

Photos

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Cast

Cast overview:
Janette Scott ... Eleanor Ashby
Oliver Reed ... Simon Ashby
Sheila Burrell Sheila Burrell ... Aunt Harriet
Maurice Denham Maurice Denham ... John Kossett
Alexander Davion ... Tony Ashby
Liliane Brousse ... Françoise
Harold Lang Harold Lang ... RAF Type
Arnold Diamond ... Publican
John Bonney ... Keith Kossett
John Stuart ... Williams
See full cast »
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Storyline

Eleven years earlier, the wealthy Ashby family was shattered when Mr and Mrs Ashby died in an airplane crash and their grieving son Tony committed suicide. All that remains of the family is cruel Simon, an alcoholic in desperate need of funds; his mentally fragile sister Eleanor; and his protective aunt Harriet. Simon is just weeks away from receiving his inheritance, but there is a hitch in his plans when the long believed dead Tony Ashby suddenly arrives. Written by L. Hamre

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

inheritance | secret room | hidden room | imposter | eavesdropping | See All (32) »

Taglines:

Chilling Terror of a PSYCHO KILLER See more »

Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1963 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Haus des Grauens See more »

Filming Locations:

Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Liliane Brousse is dubbed by Christine Finn. See more »

Goofs

As Simon plays the congregational hymn on the organ in the opening scene at the church the music shown on his stand in the organ loft is an oratorio/anthem music score with SATB lines (soprano/alto/tenor/bass) and a two-stave orchestral/keyboard reduction, emphatically not a church hymn. See more »

Quotes

Simon Ashby: [stumbles through the door inebriated]
Aunt Harriet: Where have you been?
Simon Ashby: [smirk on his face] I've been drinking.
[Looks at the liquor on the bar in the entryway]
Simon Ashby: Now I need to drink some more.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood! (1987) See more »

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User Reviews

 
great plot twists
12 November 1998 | by Elliot-10 – See all my reviews

You've often seen suspense movies in which a sudden revelation reverses everything that's come before. (Vertigo, for example.) In Paranoiac -- one of a raft of Psycho-inspired suspense thrillers from the early 60s-- these reverses come along practically every minute. The plot twists and re-twists itself over and over: Oliver Reed's brother is dead; no, he's alive, his sister saw him; no, his sister is crazy; no, Reed is trying to to make people think his sister is crazy so he can steal her inheritance; no... and that's just the first 10 minutes or so of this ingenious thriller. Highly recommended.
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