The Nanny (1965)

There's just something not quite right when Bette Davis stars as an English nanny. And is her 10-year-old charge an emotionally disturbed murderer or just an insolent brat?

Director:

Seth Holt

Writers:

Jimmy Sangster (screenplay), Marryam Modell (novel) (as Evelyn Piper)

Stars:

Bette Davis, Wendy Craig, Jill Bennett

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bette Davis	...	Nanny
Wendy Craig	...	Virginia Fane
Jill Bennett	...	Aunt Pen
James Villiers	...	Bill Fane
William Dix	...	Joey Fane
Pamela Franklin	...	Bobbie Medman
Jack Watling	...	Dr. Medman
Maurice Denham	...	Dr. Beamaster
Alfred Burke	...	Dr. Wills
Harry Fowler	...	Milkman
Angharad Aubrey	...	Susy Fane
Nora Gordon	...	Mrs. Griggs
Sandra Power	...	Sarah

Storyline

Bette Davis is an English nanny whose charge is a rude 10-year-old Joey, just discharged from a disturbed children's home where he'd spent two years undergoing treatment for drowning his little sister in the bath. He returns to an unloving father, fragile mother, and doting nanny -- whom he hates. Suspicion arises again when his mother is poisoned, and Joey continues to insist Nanny is responsible. Joey contends the nanny was responsible for his little sister's death, and only the upstairs neighbour girl believes him.

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Plot Keywords:

london england | nanny | drowning | woman dies from abortion | dead woman with eyes open | 

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Taglines:

Nanny wasn't responsible . . . WAS SHE?

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Genres:

Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 1966 (Italy)

Also Known As:

A merced del odio

Filming Locations:

Walmer Road, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$1,300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to writer Marcus Hearn in "The Hammer Vault", Davis unsuccessfully tried to seduce producer Jimmy Sangster.

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Goofs

In the scene where they put the doll into the bathtub to scare the nanny: When they first pick up the doll, it has blonde hair, then when they put it into the bathtub, it has black hair, then when the nanny finds it, it has blonde hair again. This is a technique that is repeated throughout the second half of the film, whenever the bathtub death is revisited by the characters.

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Quotes

Aunt Pen: Nanny, what are you doing?
The nanny: I'm taking Master Joey an extra pillow... what are you doing up so late?
Aunt Pen: I couldn't sleep, I'm going to make a cup of tea.
The nanny: It's bad for you this late at night... you go back to bed and I'll bring you a glass of milk.
Aunt Pen: I don't want a glass of milk, I want a cup of tea.
The nanny: Allright.
Aunt Pen: Nanny, don't take Joey that pillow... he'll never go back to sleep.
[leaves the room and reenters a few seconds later]
Aunt Pen: You don't approve of pillows, I remember you saying when we were small '...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The World of Hammer: Hammer (1994)

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Soundtracks

Focus on Fame
(uncredited)
Music by Sam Fonteyn
Brull Music Ltd

User Reviews

Wonderful classic British thriller

The Nanny (1965, Dir. Seth Holt)

With Joey Fane (Dix) back home, all Virginia (Craig) and Bill (Villiers) Fane want is a calm and respectful atmosphere amongst the house. Only something is still disturbing Joey and that one thing is Nanny (Davis). Whilst Nanny is a loving woman who helps around the house, Joey sees her as someone else someone who believes is responsible for the death of his sister (Aubrey).

Wonderful classic British thriller which still keeps you hooked in now. Bette Davis creates a wonderful 'Nanny', which really gets you involved in the character. With a wonderful supporting cast, Horrors don't involve you anymore like this did.

What was so bad about Mrs. Griggs? – Nanny (Bette Davis)

She was like you. – Joey Fane (William Dix)