Themes: Nannies and Caregivers, Unlikely Criminals
Main Cast: Bette Davis, Wendy Craig, Jill Bennett, James Villiers, William Dix
Release Year: 1965
Country: UK
Run Time: 93 minutes
Plot
In this thriller (which represented something of a departure for Hammer Films, noted for their gothic period pieces), Joey Fane (William Dix) has returned home after two years in an institution for mentally ill children. His sister drowned, and his family believes that Joey was to blame, despite his claims of innocence. Joey is convinced that the family's Nanny (Bette Davis) was responsible and refuses to have anything to do with her, but only neighbor girl Bobby (Pamela Franklin) agrees that there's something sinister about the woman minding the house. When Joey's neurotic mother Virginia (Wendy Craig) nearly dies after eating tainted food prepared by the Nanny, Virginia's sister Penelope (Jill Bennett) comes by to help. Penelope soon witnesses the bad blood between Joey and the Nanny, though before long she begins to think that the boy might be right about her after all. Jimmy Sangster adapted the screenplay from a novel by Evelyn Piper. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
This tidy little suspense film is one of Hammer Films' better non-supernatural outings of the 1960's. The strongest element of The Nanny is Jimmy Sangster's well-crafted script, which infuses the usual chills with a bit of social commentary on the English class system and sets the viewer's expectations on their ear more than once with some inspired twists. Seth Holt's careful direction does justice to this script, easing the viewer into a false sense of security with a subtle first half and then making a deft transition into the surprise revelations of the second half. The Nanny also benefits from good performances: William Dix turns in some unexpectedly subtle work in the difficult role of the problem child and Wendy Craig cuts a sympathetic figure as the vulnerable and much put-upon mother. However, the standout is Bette Davis in the title role: her performance seems low-key at first but she adds new layers to her role as the story progresses, managing to turn a character that could have been a mere plot device into a haunting and unexpectedly sympathetic figure. On the downside, some of the film's twists have become old hat and the film's slow-burn pacing might throw off viewers used to the frenetic pace of modern horror films. That said, viewers who can overlook these age-related problems will be rewarded with a skillfully made film that remains pretty chilling on its own terms. In short, The Nanny is a worthwhile thriller for viewers in search of old-fashioned thrills. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Rosemary Burrows - Costume Designer, Seth Holt - Director, James Needs - Editor, Richard Rodney Bennett - Composer (Music Score), Philip Martell - Musical Direction/Supervision, Tom Smith - Makeup, Edward Carrick - Production Designer, Harry Waxman - Cinematographer, George Fowler - Production Manager, Jimmy Sangster - Producer, Jimmy Sangster - Screenwriter, Evelyn Piper - Book Author
