Hysteria (1965) User Reviews (28)

More like Hitchcock than Hammer

[carlin4737 · 7/10 · 19 January 2004]

I really liked this film, lots of suspense with an interesting story line full of twists and turns as the plot unfolds.

I quickly recorded this on late night TV in the UK without knowing anything about it just because i seen it listed as a hammer film and seen it stared Robert Webber who i knew from "12 Angry Men". I thought that would make a interesting combination but when you think of the kind of films that Hammer are more well known for this dose`nt quite fit in now that i`ve seen it. But i`m glad i did record it.

What i like about it is Robert Webber seems to be going mad but is he? is he going mad or are we being made to think he is going mad? more to the point is someone trying to make him think he is mad ..... try and find a copy and find out, fans of psychological mysteries will love this one.

Unusual Hammer film but definitely worth checking out!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 5 April 2004]

Hammer studios gained fame and fortune by producing tons of eerie horror films, filled with monsters, madmen or classic gothic influences. In short, films high on adrenalin and action. Hysteria is one of their least known films just because it's the exact opposite. It's a mysterious, slow-moving thriller that requires a little more thinking and involvement from the viewer. An American (Robert Webber, known from cinema classics like `12 Angry Men' and `Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia') wakes up in a British hospital after a car-accident. He suffers from a bad case of amnesia and he has to start digging into his own past and personality. The only thing he was carrying at the time of the accident was a picture of a stunningly beautiful, mysterious girl! Also, someone is paying for his hospital bills and arranged an apartment for him but he has no idea who that is.

Hysteria contains a few nice and unpredictable twists and the screenplay is overall solid and realistic. Alfred Hitchcock influences are never far away. Jimmy Sangster, who delivered many decent scripts for Hammer productions in his career, wrote the film and co-produced. There's a compelling atmosphere to detect and the cheap black and white photography helps increasing the suspense. Too bad about the constant guiding Jazz music which isn't really appropriate for this type of film. Judging by modern standards, the film is now pretty dated and heavily flawed, but with the right state of mind, you'll be enjoying this old-fashioned, low budgeted film. Freddie Francis is a professional director, not afraid to bring a little diversity in his career. He directed famous Hammer stories (Dracula has Risen from the Grave, the Creeping Flesh) as well as modest, more story driven tales like this one but also `Paranoiac' and `Nightmare'. Good acting as well! Robert Webber is very convincing and the gorgeous beauty Lelia Goldina (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) portrays a terrific muse. Recommended!

The "Hammer" strikes again

[mdewey · 7/10 · 12 January 2012]

This is by no means an esoteric, deeply psychological thriller, but entertain it does, and well at that. Not an unfamiliar plot thesis here but it is a cleverly laid out amnesia story and suitably paced melodrama with a lot of the usual mid 60's ambiance, including a nicely orchestrated jazz score, (from Don Banks & co.), which ever so deftly weaves in and out of a given scene with subtle acuity. Special kudos to the tenor sax player in the orchestra for his gorgeous musical renderings.

It was nice to see the "Hammer" people opt for Robert Webber as the lead here, something he rarely got a chance to do stateside. The other cast members were more than competent in fulfilling the requirements of their respective roles which also helped make for a nice 90 minute flashback to an earlier time. The story itself takes a twist or two in the plot development to keep things interesting.

Thanks go to TCM for airing films like this which would probably never be shown anywhere else.

Dated but appealing psychological mystery

[Eva Ionesco · 7/10 · 4 December 1999]

Those who love the psychological twisters of the sixties will find this one of the best, with its masterful twists and turns of the plot. The question in this film is: Is our hero (played with aplomb by Robert Webber) really going mad, or is someone trying to convince him he's mad? Is he seeing things and hearing voices or is someone playing ghastly tricks on him? If so, for what purpose?

The ending leaves no strings untied, which in this case is a feat Hitchcock would be proud of, and in fact, you can see the influence of the Hitchcock films throughout this one. It especially reminds me of "Dial M for Murder". The film does seem very dated by today's standards, but is well worth a screening.

"Gripping psycho-thriller from Hammer"

[jamesraeburn2003 · 28 August 2003]

Hysteria concluded the trilogy of psychological thrillers that Freddie Francis directed for Hammer. The series began with Paranoiac (1963) and Nightmare (1964). The plot concerns an American amnesia victim Chris Smith (Robert Webber), whom is being used as a tool by the ruthless Dr Keller (Anthony Newlands) and his beautiful mistress (Lelia Goldoni). Between them they plan to frame Chris for the murder of Keller's wife, but their clever plan proves to be their own outdoing. In 1965, it was poorly received by critics and the public, but it's a gripping thriller and Freddie Francis directs the somewhat far fetched script by Jimmy Sangster with pace, building it neatly to it's climax. The black and white Cinematography by John Wilcox manages some decent compositions of a gray and dank 1960's London. The only criticism is the somewhat unsuitable music score by Don Banks, which is too jazzy for this type of film.

Not that bad suspense film

[slayrrr666 · 7/10 · 15 December 2008]

"Hysteria" is a decent and enjoyable thriller that serves it's purpose well.

**SPOILERS**

Awakening in an English hospital, American Chris Smith, (Robert Webber) confides in Dr Keller, (Anthony Newlands) about his inability to remember anything before a recent car accident. Released from the hospital after finally healed, he finds that all of his accommodations are being met by a mysterious benefactor, including a nice apartment. Determined to solve the mysteries surrounding him, he hires Hemmings, (Maurice Denham) a private detective, to help unlock his history, only for more revelations to come up that make the case even weirder. When he starts to piece together the events of the past, all it does is manage to make it even harder to figure out. Finally unlocking the key piece of evidence to make the whole thing fit together, he is soon on the run for his life from a mysterious figure in his life trying to frame him for several murders as he tries to clear his name of the crimes.

The Good News: This is actually much better than expected, and has some good points to it. The most telling aspect to this one is the fact that the story to it is so strong. This one has a lot of rather intriguing questions that keep it going along, from who his mysterious benefactor is to why the rest of the apartment building is empty except for him that are dealt with earlier on in the film, which make these parts of the film highly enjoyable. The questions that come from the later half, the mysterious, arguing voices he hears emanating nightly from the empty apartment next door to the bloodied knives to the photograph and the model's death are all nicely tied together with the amnesia angle, creating an effective mystery that must be solved which does it's job well. That the amnesia angle is so well-played as well makes it fun, since it's a normal plot-element that here is taken to rather fun extremes with the name-mishap and more coming to light to produce a really nice mystery that moves the film along. The film also manages to get a little excitement going along when they feature these aspects, specifically the arguing-neighbors subplot as that one tends to elicit the most exciting scenes from the film, making for some fun times in here. Of special note is the walk-through with the running shower and the bloody knife on the floor and a later one where he tears through the apartment looking for the cause of the noises. Both are the best bits of injecting some energy into the proceedings and are quite enjoyable. The last plus here is the fact that the film has an incredibly enjoyable ending that gets a lot right. From the revelations about the whole scenario to the reasons and motivations for it, which are nicely spelled out and get a couple of good points out of it, and it ends the film on a high-note. These are the film's good points.

The Bad News: There wasn't too much really wrong with this one, yet those flaws are pretty big. One of the biggest flaws is that it's just not that fast-paced a film, leading many scenes to be slow-going and quite dull. The film is quite the opposite of those looking for some excitement in their films, tending to take the mostly-through-talking approach, preferring to spell everything out through dialog than anything else that could've helped this one, which is really where most of the problems with it come from. These are the film's biggest revelation scenes, yet here it does nothing for the film except draw out the boredom by not doing anything all that exciting or interesting, and that doesn't make for very enjoyable times. This one really could've moved along much faster and not been as dialog-heavy. The other flaw to this is the fact that the middle of the film is a lengthy flashback scene that doesn't really do much of anything. It is supposedly put there to explain what's been going on at the time, but instead of clarifying the confusion, it doesn't do anything other than show how the accident happened at the end of a scene where he meets up with an unknown woman and manages to sneak into the country in order to be able to have the whole situation happen to him. It's not unnecessary, but it doesn't do what it should've done by clearing away the confusion. These here are the film's biggest flaws, although the pacing one will be the hardest to overcome.

The Final Verdict: Not exactly the most energetic of horror films, but as a thriller it's not that bad and actually quite entertaining. Give it a chance if you're into these kinds of films, a fan of Hammer horror or are in the mood for something different, while those looking for straight-up horror should look at the company's other output.

Today's Rating-PG: Violence

No hysterical histrionics here, just solid hysteria.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 22 October 2013]

Hysteria is directed by Freddie Francis and written by Jimmy Sangster. It stars Robert Webber, Anthony Newlands, Jennifer Jayne, Maurice Denham and Lelia Gordon. Music is by Don Banks and cinematography by John Wilcox.

From the long line of Hammer Thrillers with one word titles that followed in the wake of Psycho, Hysteria is a decent addition to the roster. Plot in simple terms finds Webber as Chris Smith, a survivor of a car crash who is suffering with amnesia. Upon finding out some mysterious benefactor has been footing the hospital bills for him, he is naturally intrigued as to who it is. Following the bare minimum of clues, while struggling with angry voices he hears in his head, Smith finds himself in a vortex of mystery and shifty shenanigans.

What follows is a monochrome murder mystery laced with psychopathic tendencies, paranoia, dangerous attractions, twists and extended flashbacks. It's all a bit flimsy if you wanted to dissect it as a viable story, but Sangster comes up with some good ideas in the name of entertainment, and Francis is able to eek out suspense at regular intervals. Cast are fine, including the sometimes maligned Webber who sits the role well, while Denham offers up a good one as the detective who is not to be taken lightly.

Good solid twisty thriller from Hammer. 7/10

Enjoyable Hammer Film

[whpratt1 · 6/10 · 3 June 2008]

Always enjoy the acting of Robert Webber, (Chris Smith),"Twelve Angry Men" who gets himself in a car accident and is unable to remember anything about himself or where he came from. Chris is an American in England and finds himself in a hospital being treated by a British Doctor, named Dr. Keller, (Anthony Newlands). Dr. Keller does everything he can for Chris and informs Chris he has a penthouse to go to and can live there until he gets well with all expenses paid by the person who caused the accident. Chris enjoys his new surroundings, but he has no one to visit him except his nurse who is a good looker and she has fallen in love with Chris, which he is not aware of. The story has many twists and turns and Chris begins to think he is crazy or has lost his mind. Gina McConnell, (Jennifer Jayne) plays the sexy nurse and there is another gal who keeps Chris quite busy. Enjoy.

I thought it was alright but not brilliant.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 17 January 2008]

Hysteria starts in London where car accident victim Chris Smith (Robert Webber) is about to leave hospital after four months of recovering, he has total amnesia & cannot remember anything about himself not even his proper name. When brought into the hospital Chris had no wallet or form of identification & had no possessions other than a photo of a woman. While in hospital someone has been paying his medical bills & has sent the keys to a penthouse flat for him to live in rent free, Chris decides to accept his mysterious benefactor's hospitality & moves into the flat. There he sets about discovering who he was before he lost his memory although everything that he remembers might not be pleasant as several strange occurrences begin to happen...

This English production was a link up between Hammer studios & MGM, directed by Freddie Francis this is a unusual little thriller although you shouldn't read too much into the fact it's a Hammer film as it's not the sort of thing you would typically associate with them. The script by producer Jimmy Sangster is a mysterious psychological thriller that builds up the plot about someone who can't remember anything about himself & has all these strange & peculiar things happen to him before everything is turned upside down where just about everyone is revealed to not be who you originally thought they were in a contrived & silly multiple twist ending that is only partially successful in my opinion. At only 85 minutes in length it moves along at a decent pace, the story is quite intriguing at times although I have to say I wasn't really ever gripped & that ending really is rather far fetched & hard to swallow. The character's are alright even if some are a bit optimistic in terms of what they think they can get away with! It's watchable enough I suppose but nothing brilliant & the ending just didn't surprise or impress me enough.

Director Francis does alright here, the black and white photography is nice enough. I personally don't think Hysteria gains anything from being shot in black and white & it was almost certainly a decision made for financial rather than artistic reasons. There's no blood or gore & little horror in Hysteria which is a surprise since the 50's & 60's was when Hammer studios was having so much success with their horror films & I don't really understand why they would try to deviate from a successful & proved formula. The film reminds of Hictchcock's Psycho (1960) the way it's shot & the constant unsubtle references to dead women in shower's.

Technically the film is good, it's well made on location in England & in the studio. The acting is solid although I doubt anyone is going to win any awards for it.

Hysteria is a decent time waster, I didn't think it was outstanding & I didn't think the twist endings were all that great either, I certainly think the twists in more recent films like The Sixth Sense (1999) & Fight Club (1999) are much more effective.

Slick well constructed thriller that tries a bit too hard to be 'noir'.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 4 February 2006]

This is an unusual little surprise from the Hammer Studio's and horror director Freddie Francis. It's a thriller in the style of Hitchcock.

The movie and story are well constructed and there are quite some plot twists and mysterious elements in the movie. It truly leaves you guessing till the end so fans of the genre will be absolutely delighted.

However the movie notably tries to create a film-noir kind of atmosphere and story and characters. It fails in it mainly because the backdrop of this movie, London, simply is no New York, Chicago or San Fransisco. Also director's Freddie Francis inexperience with this genre doesn't help much. It's too bad because the movie and certainly story were already good enough on it's own, it didn't needed extra style and atmosphere.

The actors do their jobs well and they are believable enough in their roles. The cinematography by John Wilcox is also truly great at times. Director Freddie Francis himself of course also was a much famed director of photography and later did some well known movies such as; "The Elephant Man", "Glory" and "Cape Fear (1991)". So his skill almost certainly had something to do with the at times great cinematography in this movie.

The Jazzy musical score of the movie however was awful. There are only two things I hate in this world; hospital clowns and Jazz. So, yes obviously I'm biased of course.

A very surprising, watchable thriller.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Oh Dear! A poor film noir.

[Zipper69 · 2/10 · 1 June 2008]

Having just watched this mess on TCM (for the second time) my opinion is unchanged. It's a poor attempt to make a sub-Hitchcock mystery/murder film that misses the mark by a mile.

The basic plot of an amnesiac American awaking in a London hospital with no idea who he is or how he got there has genuine possibilities and Robert Webber puts in a sterling performance.

But, Oh my! The gaping plot holes allow the film to sink quickly into a visual mess and clichéd dialogue. Let's overlook the Americanism of "I woke in hospital and somebody had paid all the bills"- News Flash, back in '64 the National Health Service actually worked and medical treatment was FREE. In real life he would have contacted the US Embassy and got them researching his identity, but no he uses the keys to the penthouse (a rather chi-chi set out of Times Furnishing..)and accepts all the free wardrobe, gold watch and apparently unlimited food and booze without question.

The obligatory "mystery woman" appears and he chases fruitlessly after her but then she in turn pops up in the apartment (how? Did she have a key? Isn't that odd?)and claims to be the widow of the man in the car wreck that started the whole thing. Meanwhile He is haunted by strange headaches, visions and disembodied voices from the next (empty) apartment.

SPOILER ALERT

Major plot holes: How did the French whore not only remove his wallet but get it out of the room? What are the odds on a British girl driving a convertible just outside when he escapes the whore's toughs? Overnight he turns the frosty English girl into a love slave willing to do anything for him - must get that technique... Realising it's not a Homeland Security organisation but sneaking into England in the trunk/boot of a car - erm...think Customs just MIGHT look there... The switch into the stranger's Bentley - what line did he spin to get invited to jump in? The poorly setup "accident" - the stereotyped English family, car jacked-up on grass verge, only legs of Husband visible, Wife setting out the picnic on the verge(??) the two kids listlessly throwing a ball backwards and forwards to each other whilst only ten feet apart, the balls is mis-thrown across the road, kid runs after it and has the world's worst fake fall in the middle of the road (car is about a quarter mile away), Wife runs to pick up child, drops bottle in road, car apparently driven by a blind man simply speeds into the middle of this, hits broken glass, blows tyre, skids off road and crashes - we then see the beautiful Bentley convertible transformed into an old junker, on fire (no further sight of Verge Family). The Maurice Denham private eye character apparently follows Webber and the girl out into the country by bicycle, when they drive a Jaguar (we need him for the British Olympic cycle team!)

This was rubbish when it was made and time has not improved it.

It gets 2 points for having the sexy Jennifer Jayne (although totally wasted).

Clever little mystery flick from Hammer studios!

[The_Void · 8/10 · 1 June 2006]

Hammer studios are best known for their campy horror efforts such as the Frankenstein and Dracula series', but in the mid-sixties they also produced a number of satisfying little thrillers (mostly directed by Freddie Francis) and this film belongs to that side of the studio's output. The film is not as appealing as Francis' earlier Paranoiac, but Hysteria works primarily because of the swinging sixties atmosphere and the mysterious plot, which is played to the maximum and finishes with a great twisted climax. It's amazing that this film was produced by Hammer studios, as it feels much more like a Hitchcockian mystery/film noir than anything else that the studio produced. The plot follows an American who wakes up in an English hospital, unable to recall what has happened to him and how he got there. All we know about the man is that he was involved in a car accident, and he has a mysterious benefactor who's paying all of his hospital bills and has paid for a penthouse suite for him to stay in upon his release. His only real link to his past is a newspaper cut-out of a mysterious French model...

It's obvious that this film was an attempt to mimic the successful American mystery movies of the sixties. Robert Webber's suave performance isn't a world away from Cary Grant, while Lelia Goldoni does her best Audrey Hepburn impression, and actually does rather well with it. Hammer films are distinctly English, but despite being set in the home nation; this one feels more like an American film overall. Of course, the lead character's accent helps this greatly. The film may be a disappointment to die-hard Hammer fans who prefer the colourful imagery of their most successful horror films, but Hysteria is good because it shows that the studio have some diversity. Freddie Francis was certainly one of Hammer's most capable directors, and in his hands this story is allowed to show some characterisation and present a good mystery. Hysteria keeps its audience on the edge of their seat throughout, and manages to deliver just the right amount of humour to be funny, without taking anything away from the mystery. The conclusion is well worked and makes sense, and overall; although this isn't a classic Hammer film, it's certainly a very good one!

amnesia victim must track down his own past

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 19 December 2019]

Robert Webber is "Smith" (perfect name for this role!), an american, who finds himself in a british hospital, with no memory of what happened. Webber is the lead in this one, although he usually played supporting roles in some real big films.. Dirty Dozen, Twelve Angry Men, Midway. "Smith" only has a newspaper clipping of a girl, and a free apartment, provided by an anonymous donor, so he hires a private eye to track down what the newspaper photo means. Co-stars Jennifer Jayne, british bombshell, who also wrote screen plays, and worked with director Freddie Francis many times. In the film, Smith may or may not have overheard someone being murdered, but has a hard time convincing others... the evidence keeps disappearing! Also co-stars (american) Lelia Goldoni as the chick in the photograph. some obvious plot-holes, but otherwise pretty good. Director Freddie Francis was a two time oscar winner, although neither one was for his best known films, Cape Fear and Elephant Man! this one is pretty good stuff. Francis made Hysteria about mid-career. suspense, lots of peppy, jazz from the 1960s. giant hair-do's. just go along for the ride.

It's worth watching BUT it's also overly complicated and familiar.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 28 January 2021]

"Hysteria" is a very enjoyable and watchable mystery from Hammer Films. But it also is very familiar material, with similar films like "Gas Light", "Fear in the Night", "Experiment Perilous", "High Wall", and "36 Hours". In fact, it's so familiar that I found myself, from the onset, pulling apart the film and guessing well ahead of time what was going to happen next. Second, the conspiracy here is so complicated, so expensive and so prone to falling to pieces that you wonder why they didn't streamline the plot to make it at least somewhat feasible!

The film begins with Chris (Robert Webber) about to be released from a long-term care hospital. It seems he was in an awful wreck and he was horribly injured....including a massive head injury. Oddly, Webber's character had no scars and looked EXACTLY the same pre- and post-accident. Now come the very implausible parts. First, although no one knows who Chris is and he cannot even remember his name (the hospital chose this name for this amnesiac), some unknown benefactor has paid all his hospital bills and arranged for him to have a fancy apartment and clothes. This must have cost a fortune...and no one really seems to question this....though I sure did!! Second, the plot that follows is VERY complicated and there are many parts of the plot that have unpredictable outcomes....which makes no sense considering all the time, effort and money that went into setting up Chris to take the fall for a murder! Third, there's a flashback scene where Chris remembers a few details of his old life...including a portion where he jumps into a woman's car. She does NOT know him and he appears to be kidnapping her....and only moments later, they are friendly and she helps him sneak out of France! Huh?!?! There are more moments like this....as well as a woman who is viciously decked by an evil man...yet later she has no bruises, no broken nose....even though the blow was severe and knocked her out!! In fact, a lot of what happens in the film really shows that the script was unfinished and should have undergone some edits before filming began. Overall, an interesting idea ruined by sloppy writing and little that you could actually believe. A misfire that should have been better and is just too predictable and stupid at time.

The man is obviously a complete lunatic

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 2 June 2008]

**SPOILERS** Having survived a fiery car crash just 40 miles outside of London city limits Chris Smith, Robert Webber, a name given to him by his physician Dr. Keller, Anthony Newlands, has completely lost his memory of everything about himself before his accident. Chris is told by Dr. Keller that his medical bills are being paid for in full by some unknown benefactor as well as a luxury penthouse apartment rented for him in a London suburb.

Acting a bit aloof and not at all interested in who this mystery man, who taking care of all his bills, is Chris checks into his already paid for pad and expects to take it easy until his memory returns. It's not that long that Chris starts to hear noises in the next apartment of a couple fighting with each other. Chris running to see what happened he finds a bloody knife and running shower in the empty apartment next door.

Therse spats of the fathom couple go on for a couple of nights where Chris starts to believe that he in fact is, or is going, insane. With only a torn out photo of a woman, from a fashion magazine, found on him after his accident Chris checks out all the fashion photographers in town to who this woman is. Finding out from photographer Marcus Allen, Peter Woodthrope, that the mystery woman is Denise James, Leli Godoni, who in fact modeled for him and was murdered some six months ago about the time that Chris had his near-fatal accident! What Chris also finds out from Allan is that Denise was murdered in the same building, in fact on the same floor, that he's staying in now!

Feeling that he's somehow being set up-in a possible murder-by someone behind the scenes Chris goes to see private dick Hammings, Maurice Denham, to get to the bottom of all these weird happenings. Hammings in the end uncovers just what's behind all these strange events which, as it turned out, Chris was subconsciously wise to.

Chris in fact does later meet Denise, the woman of his dreams or hallucinations, who turned out to be the person paying his bills! Denise was married to the man Mr. James, John Arnatt, driving the car that Chris was in when he drove it off the road and thus killing himself.

****SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON**** It also turns out that Denise is only interested in Chris for reasons other then his health in fact she, and her secret associate, are planning to frame him in a murder that they'll soon commit! The shower murder of Denise's lover and accomplice's wife, Irene Richardson!

The movie "Hysteria" gets very muddled and confusing at the halfway point where we see Chris recalling a trip he had, before his car accident, in France. Getting ripped off by a local hooker,Sue Lloyd, at a French cat-house was bad enough but when her boyfriend, Kiwi Kingston, showed up Chris almost ended up breaking his neck, jumping out of a second floor window, getting away.

With no money or passport Chris ends up being picked up, by forcing his way into her car, by this English tourist Sandra Doizer who for some strange reason, it couldn't have been his bubbling personality, falls in love with the rude and pushy Chris. Snuck out of France and across the English Channel in the trunk of her Bently Chris shows his gratitude for the star-struck Sandra by leaving her the first chance available to him. It's then that Chris was picked up by Mr. James and that's when all his troubles in the movie began.

Very over-plotted but at the same time predictable ending with Chris, together with private dick Hammings, breaking this very strange murder case wide open. But by them it seemed like that nobody, both on the screen and in the audience, was all that interested, already knowing who the killer or killers were, anyway.

OK psychological thriller from Hammer

[preppy-3 · 6/10 · 10 June 2008]

This is one of the low-budget black & white thrillers Hammer Studio in England made in the early 1960s. Chris Smith (Robert Webber) is an American in London and has complete amnesia after a car crash. An anonymous person pays for his medical treatment and buys him a penthouse in a deserted high rise. Almost immediately he starts hearing voices and sees hints of a murder--but is it real or is he imaging things? There are a few major problems with this movie--there's a pointlessly loud jazz score that was totally at odds with the subject matter, Webber smirks his way through his performance, the plot was needlessly convoluted and it was pretty easy to guess who was doing what. Still this is an OK thriller. It was beautifully shot in moody black and white and well-directed by talented cinematographer Freddie Francis. The first half of the movie is also very good when Webber tries to figure out what's going on. When everything is revealed this starts to really unravel. Ultimately the plot is just too unbelievable to take seriously. This (understandably) got a bad reaction when released in 1965 and disappeared quickly. Still, there are far worse movies out there and this is fun in a turn off your brain kind of way. I give it a 6.

Hammer Borrows from Hitchcock

[Michael_Elliott · 10 September 2012]

Hysteria (1965)

** (out of 4)

Nice direction and fine performances can't save this Hammer thriller, which owes a few things to fellow Britishman Alfred Hitchcock. Chris Smith (Robert Webber) wakes up after a near fatal car crash and realizes that he can't remember a thing about himself. After getting out of the hospital he tries to learn about his past and starts with a magazine photo he had of a woman. It turns out this woman was brutally murdered but soon Chris sees the woman and something just isn't right. HYSTERIA owes a lot to VERTIGO and if you're seen that Hitchcock movie then this here is just going to feel like a very cheap rip-off. Around the fifteen-minute mark I realized that there were only two ways this story could work out. There was going to be a true way or there was going to be a cheat. I won't reveal which one actually happens but I found this film to be well made but its story was just so lazy and boring that I often found myself losing focus. Director Freddie Fisher does a very good job keeping the film moving at a nice pace and this here is something that's pretty hard to do when the story is boring. He also brings a nice touch of style to the scenes but there's only so much he can do. Webber, best known for his role in 12 ANGRY MEN, offers up a good and believable performance as does supporting players Anthony Newlands, Lelia Goldoni and Jennifer Jayne. The biggest criticism would have to go to the jazz music score, which is so wrong for this picture that I'm amazed that no one cut it. If you've ever seen a silent picture from a cheap public domain company you know they'll just throw any jazz score on it even if it doesn't fit the picture. Well, it seems like Hammer did that here.

It even has a shower and a carving knife.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 19 September 2023]

When Psycho proved to be a huge success for Hitchcock, gothic horror experts Hammer Studios clearly saw pound signs and turned their attention to the psychological thriller genre, giving viewers a series of films with similar one word titles: Maniac, Paranoiac, Nightmare, and this film, Hysteria, in which an American with amnesia (Robert Webber) finds himself caught in a web of intrigue and murder.

Written by Jimmy Sangster and directed by Freddie Francis, the film builds an atmosphere of suspense and utter bewilderment, side-stepping logic for much of the time, leaving the viewer wondering how the hell matters will be resolved satisfactorily before the end credits roll. Short answer: they're not. In the final act, Sangster and Francis reveal what is really going on, and it is so utterly ridiculous (even more silly than being able to sneak into the UK in the trunk of a car) that one has to admire the film-makers for actually trying to pull it off.

Noirish, with a hint of the giallo about it, Hysteria might not make a whole lot of sense, but commendable performances (especially Maurice Denham as private detective Hemmings) and a willingness to carry on regardless of how daft it gets makes me like this film more than I probably should.

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

Hysteria

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 1 November 2023]

An American wakes up in an English hospital unable to remember anything of his life before a recent car accident. With only a photograph torn from a newspaper to guide him, and an unknown benefactor, he attempts to unravel what looks increasingly like a bizarre murder.

Hysteria is a murder mystery laced with psychopathic tendencies, paranoia, dangerous attractions, twists and extended flashbacks, and a groovy jazz score - it's a clever, engaging thriller with some tense moments, however it's not as sharp as the other two Hammer thrillers - Paranoiac and Nightmare, and Robert Webber comes across as a bit of a cad and isn't really a nice guy, but he plays his part well. The actresses are great as is Anthony Newlands - he plays Webber's shrink.

Hysteria

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 30 June 2021]

Produced by Hammer and released by MGM, this Freddie Francis-directed movie is kinda sorta a nascent giallo, in that a foreigner in a strange land must overcome amnesia and solve a crime that the police are ineffectual at investigating.

Chris Smith wakes up in an English hospital after a car accident, unable to recall much of his life. Even four months later, he still can't remember much and is under the care of Dr. Keller and his bills and apartment are being paid by a mysterious benefactor.

Also - he may hallucinate from time to time. And he keeps seeing a woman in a photo that he's sure that he knows. And oh yeah, before we forget, dead bodies start showing up in the shower.

This was written by Jimmy Sangster, Swho also wrote The Legacy; Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? And tons of stuff for Hammer including Dracula Prince of Darkness, The Revenge of Frankenstein; The Mummy and more. He also wrote one of the best non-Bond Eurospy films, Deadlier than the Male as well as some great made for TV movies that also have a giallo feel like Scream, Pretty Peggy; A Taste for Evil and No Place to Hide.

There are better noir, giallo and Hammer movies for you to seek out, but hey - it's not a total waste of time. I'm a Freddie Francis and Jimmy Sangster fan, so I enjoyed it.

UNREMARKABLE HAMMER PSYCHOLOGICAL MYSTERY-THRILLER...AVERAGE

[LeonLouisRicci · 6/10 · 8 September 2021]

Director Freddie Francis delivered this Mid-60's Psychological Thriller for Hammer Studios Riding the then Trend of the Type Inspired by "Psycho" (1960).

A Lower-Budget than Usual for Hammer Relinquishing Their Trademark Color Pallette.

More On-Location Footage with some Stark Sharp Images and a Fine Performance from Robert Webber as the Amnesiac Head-Trauma Victim.

But the Story is Somewhat Predictable and the Shocks are Few with Red Herrings and Double-Crosses Proliferating in a Muddled Screenplay.

Nothing Special but an OK Entry in the Genre.

Worth a Watch, as are All Hammer Films.

lots of logic skips

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 15 April 2020]

American Chris Smith (Robert Webber) suffers from amnesia after a car crash and is being treated by psychiatrist Dr. Keller in an English hospital. He is physically fit and gets released but he still can't remember anything. All he has is a glamor photo of a beautiful woman. He hires private investigator Hemmings to find the woman. Strange things keep happening. He discovers that the woman in the photograph was supposedly murdered but he keeps getting glimpses of her.

The first misstep happens with Hemmings quitting. It makes no sense. He shouldn't care whether Chris is hallucinating or not. Money is money. Chris needs to be smart enough to proclaim that and accuse him of being bribed. He needs to be better written. Money is an issue with this movie. It needs to explain how he paid for that big apartment or Hemmings or a prolong hospital stay. Again, Chris must be smart enough to ask these questions. OK! Hemmings quit. So hire somebody else. There are lots of logic skips along the way. If it could fix some of that, this could be a fun mystery. It is better than most Hammer but it still needs some work.

Excellent thriller

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 1 June 2008]

Robert Webber is "Christopher Smith," an amnesiac accused of "Hysteria" in this 1965 low budget film directed by Freddie Francis, known mostly for his fine cinematography work. An American wakes up with amnesia in a British hospital after a car accident in which the driver was killed. After working with a psychiatrist (Anthony Newlands) on staff at the hospital, he's released, the doctor unable to do any more for him to regain his memory. His hospital bills have been paid by an unknown benefactor who pays in postal drafts, and this same benefactor has provided him with a place to live. It turns out to be the penthouse of a high-rise. As he tries to sleep, he hears the people next door having terrible fights... except there isn't anyone next door. He also finds a bloody knife in his apartment.

The only clue Chris has to his identity is a magazine photo of a model that was found in the car. He hires a detective (Maurice Denham) to find out who paid his hospital bills and who the woman is but also embarks on his own investigation. He tracks down the photographer of the photo, who tells him the woman is dead from multiple stab wounds. Then he sees the woman drive by him in a car, and she finally shows up at his apartment. She's the wife of the driver and Chris' benefactor. She sets out to help him find out what happened and who he is.

Though this is a low-budget film with very little in the way of production values, it is a completely absorbing film with some fascinating twists and turns.

The actors are all good. Robert Webber was a good-looking character actor who died of Lou Gehrig's disease in 1989 and is probably best-remembered now for playing Cybill Shepherd's father on Moonlighting, though he had a very prolific career. He's very effective in the lead. Maurice Denham is appropriately down and out looking as the detective, and Leila Goldoni is quite beautiful as the model.

Highly recommended for a great story.

I'm not enamored over their sense of the dramatic.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 27 October 2023]

This one's going to impress, depress or disgust individual viewers, many of whom will be intrigued, some of whom will be bored, others rolling their eyes over psychological mumbo jumbo and the rest possibly praising this for its daring nature. I certainly agree that this was certainly an ambitious Hammer thriller, not colorful or in a period setting, and not a horror film even though Robert Webber's character does face a number of horrific situations.

Sitting through this and waiting desperately for something to happen, I was intrigued, frequently bored, and ultimately not really surprised by the twists and turns of what happens. Some of the situations aren't believable, with Webber suffering from amnesia after a car accident and ending up becoming romantically involved with the sultry Lelia Goldoni, an obvious femme fatale type, unaware that his assistant Jennifer Jayne is in love with him. Anthony Newlands is a darkly handsome man of mystery while Maurice Denham seems to be a doddering old man who's on his case. A jazzy score helps, but the photography is dull and lifeless. Overall, it's a complex story with convoluted elements that takes too long to unfold and frustrated me for the messy wrap-up.

Swinging Sixties!!!

[kidboots · 9/10 · 6 May 2012]

Beautiful Lelia Goldini looks as though she has just stepped off the cover of a 1965 edition of Vogue!!! This terrific movie was produced by Hammer films in the style of "Charade" (the movie with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant) which happened to be in the style of Hitchcock but was directed by Stanley Donen. Anyway "Hysteria" was directed by Freddie Francis and seemed like it should have been written by Brian Clemens (it was written by Jimmie Sangster who wrote the screenplay of "The Nanny" and a lot of those Hammer chillers from the late 1950s). I didn't know anything about this movie, only that I could vividly remember Robert Weber being the brash Madison Avenue ad man in the original "Twelve Angry Men".

Weber plays Chris Smith, also a brash opportunist (maybe a bit of typecasting)!! There is one sequence where he has to get out of France in a hurry so he insinuates himself into the good graces of an English girl who is driving back to Britain (it was definitely Sue Lloyd). She smuggles him out of the country at great risk to herself and he repays her at a service station by.....!!! I kept wondering whether this was the way Britain viewed the Americans in their country and if so they obviously didn't like what they saw.

The movie starts out as Weber, an amnesiac victim, grasps for clues to his identity from a patient psychiatrist. A mysterious benefactor is paying for his medical bills and for a luxury penthouse apartment (the estate agency is clearly displayed on a sign, wouldn't it have been easier just to make inquiries off them)?? But no, Chris hires the services of a quirky private detective (Maurice Denham) and when a mysterious beauty (Goldini) keeps appearing, the same girl whose picture was found on Chris and who was, presumably, killed a few weeks before, nobody believes him. There is also the problem of raised voices that Chris hears from the vacant flat, always late at night!!

Just when you think you know where the plot is going, Chris's confession turns everything on it's head. Jennifer Jayne as the nurse plays the film's only sympathetic character. This movie has such a swinging sixties London look from the opulent penthouse to Goldini's wardrobe to the offbeat jazz soundtrack.