SCREAM OF FEAR aka TASTE OF FEAR

SCREAM OF FEAR (1961). Also known as Taste of Fear. Director: Seth Holt.

Penny (Susan Strasberg) arrives in France to live with her stepmother Jane (Ann Todd) and her father, whom she hasn't seen in ten years. She is befriended by the handsome chauffeur, Bob (Ronald Lewis), who kindly listens to her tales of strange goings on in the villa, including sightings-by-night of her father's dead body. Could her stepmother be cooking something up with the doctor (Christopher Lee) who frequently comes to dinner? This is a nice, suspenseful thriller with several neat twists, courtesy of screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, and good acting from the leads. While the story may not hold up under close scrutiny, it makes for an effective mystery, with a nifty sequence in a pool.

Verdict: You may not scream but it is entertaining nevertheless. ***.