Blind Terror (1971)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1971
Running Times: 88 mins     89 mins
Length: 7895 ft     2434 metres
Format: Eastmancolor     35mm
Ratio:
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures Corporation / Filmways Pictures / Genesis Productions Ltd
Producers: Leslie Linder, Martin Ransohoff
Associate Producer: Basil Appleby
Production Manager: Jilda Smith

SCRIPT
Script: Brian Clemens

DIRECTION
Director: Richard Fleischer
Assistant Director: Terry Marcel

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gerry Fisher
Camera Operator: Bernard Ford

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Thelma Connell

MUSIC
Music: Elmer Bernstein

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Ken Schrivener
Sound Mixer: Bob Allen
Sound Editor: Colin Miller
Foley Editor: Brian Hickin (uncredited)

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Stuart Freeborn
Hair: Betty Glasow
Costume Designer: Evelyn Gibbs

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: John Hoesli
Set Decorator: Hugh Scaife

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Pamela Carlton

LOCATIONS
Locations: Berkshire, England, UK

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Max Faulkner
Stunts: Greg Powell (uncredited)

CAST
Mia Farrow (Sarah)
Dorothy Alison (Betty Rexton)
Robin Bailey (George Rexton)
Diane Grayson (Sandy Rexton)
Brian Rawlinson (Barker)
Norman Eshley (Steve Reding)
Paul Nicholas (Jacko)
Christopher Matthews (Frost)
Max Faulkner (Steve's man 1)
Scott Fredericks (Steve's man 2)
Reg Harding (Steve's man 3)
Lila Kaye (gypsy mother)
Barrie Houghton (gypsy Jack)
Michael Elphick (gypsy Tom)
Donald Bisset (doctor)

A young blind woman is visiting relatives at their mansion in the English countryside when her family suddenly goes missing, leaving her alone and vulnerable. She realises that her relatives have been murdered and that she is the only survivor - and the killer is now looking for her...

Well directed by Fleischer, who mounts some creditable suspense scenes - much is made of Farrow's possession of the killer's identity bracelet which she, of course, can't read - Blind Terror works in spite of a script that is rather too mechanically contrived to allow any real deviance from a well-worn (almost threadbare) course. It's well paced and contains enough twists and turns to appease even the most demanding of thriller fans and red herrings abound as Clemens tries to divert attention away from the real culprit, though he needn't have bothered as the perpetrator is finally revealed to be a fairly minor character. Farrow is excellent, acting her socks off in a difficult role, and some of Fleischer's tricky camerawork is inventive enough to keep us on our toes. An altogether enjoyable - if modest - thriller.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Picture Corporation Ltd

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Video Distributor: RCA / Columbia
Laserdisc Distributor: Image

Finland
Rating: K-16

Norway
Rating: 15 (1971); 16 (1972)

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: X

USA
Rating: PG

1972
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
Edgar: Best Motion Picture (Brian Clemens) - nominated

1971
September
Day Unknown: USA - theatrical release

November
15: Sweden - theatrical release
19: Finland - theatrical release

1972
May
2: Norway - theatrical release

Keep your eyes on what she can not see

See No Evil - UK DVD / US title
Sokea kauhu - Finnish title
Stiefel, die den Tod bedeuten - German title
Terrore cieco - Italian title

MAGAZINES

Films and Filming vol.18 no.2 (November 1971) pp.58, 60 (UK)
review

Films in Review no.10 (December 1971) p.631 (USA)
article

Hollywood Reporter vol.19 no.12 (1971) p.283 (USA)
note

Hollywood Reporter vol.217 no.41 (3 September 1971) p.3 (USA)
review

Kine Weekly no.3336 (18 September 1971) p.13 (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.38 no.453 (October 1971) p.192 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Today's Cinema no.9851 (27 October 1970) p.23 (UK)
credits

Today's Cinema no.9940 (17 September 1971) p.13 (UK)
review

TV Times 14-20 July 1984 pp.21; 48 (UK)
credits, review

Variety 8 September 1971 p.16 (USA)
credits, review

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Again p.341
credits, review

Ten Years of Terror pp.84-85
credits, reviews (by Harvey Fenton; Nigel Burrell)

blindness, gypsies, mass murderers

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009