Mr Pelham (Roger Moore) is your typical businessman. The bowler hat, suit and brolly type. We know he’s dependable because he wears his seat-belt (this wasn’t compulsory at this time), which he undoes when something within him makes him snap and begin to drive his reliable car at boy racer speeds. He inevitably crashes, and while on the operating table the doctors almost lose him. Bringing him back to life, they briefly notice two heartbeats on the machine that goes ping (it’s solved by a good old fashioned bash though).
As he goes back to work, people begin to act strange around him,” nudge nudging” him and telling him that they will keep quiet about seeing him in pool halls and the like. More and more of theses sightings lead him to think something’s afoot.
He is investigating a leak of sensitive material, critical to his companies financial future, and all fingers soon point to Pelham himself (a clandestine meeting on a paddle boat on the Serpentine is ludicrously brilliant). This espionage sub-plot plays well with the Pelham’s mounting paranoia, and the gradual loss of his faculties.
Moore is brilliant in the dual role, (but in fairness, he is a favourite of mine and yes, he’s my Bond) and the rest of the cast, which includes a few recognisable faces, are equally adept. When he bumps (literally) into a beautiful fashion photographer at the swimming pool, he even manages to drop in some shutterbug jargon based innuendo.
It’s directed with gusto by Basil Dearden, (who was responsible for both the linking and hearse stories in the Ealing classic Dead of Night (1945) and wrote several George Formby films), from a story by Anthony Armstrong. It had previously been adapted for TV for an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode, and it is to the credit of Dearden (and no doubt uncredited screenwriter/producer Bryan Forbes) that it doesn’t feel padded. It is naturally paced, and not short of shock moments, while never going over the top. The effects with the dual characters is remarkably well done also.
There’s a marvelous sequence with Freddie Jones as a hip, shades wearing, psychiatrist is shot brilliantly, creating a immense sense of claustrophobia and disorientation. Keep an eye open for a brief (uncredited) appearance from occasional Carry On girl Jacki Piper too.
Network DVD have once again come up trumps with the release. The glistening new transfer (in high definition too!) includes a commentary from a previous release, with Moore chatting with Forbes (who sadly recently died), moderated by Jonathan Sothcott, 34 minutes of the score, some image galleries and a SD DVD version of the film (which exclusively also includes a full frame version of the film, renamed the “maximum picture area” version).
For a 40 year old British film, seen numerous times on TV (it’s currently a staple on the Horror Channel in the UK) it surprisingly looks great, and is incredibly entertaining. It’s certainly worth checking out and putting in your collection. Be aware, the release is in the now standard Network slim-case, so will look out of place next to your standard Blu-rays, but it’s a small niggle. It’s an “A” certificate film, though, so don’t be expecting Hammer or Amicus style horror. This is more akin to a big budget version of an episode of Brian Clemen’s Thriller or Tales of the Unexpected, which in no way is meant as a negative. As a macabre and ironic footnote, director Dearden died in a car accident not too long after the film’s release. (screengrabs are from the DVD version, not the Blu-ray)
8 out of 10
