Scott LeBrun Stefanie Powers of later 'Hart to Hart' fame co-stars here as Patricia Carroll, whose previous husband had perished in a traffic accident. Now involved with a man named Alan Glentower (Maurice Kaufmann), she goes to visit her late husbands' mother, Mrs. Trefoile (Tallulah Bankhead, in her last on-screen feature film role). She thinks that the visit will be brief, but the crazed old lady is a strict religious fanatic devoted to her routines, and she keeps Pat prisoner, convinced that the girls' wanton ways led her husband astray, and that she needs to save both their souls.Directed by Silvio Narizzano, this Hammer production seems to promise more entertainment than its alternate title "Die! Die! My Darling!" might have one think. Scripted by Richard Matheson, from the novel by Anne Blaisdell, it's a decent story & film but not a great one, at least if one has seen stories (or characters like Mrs. Trefoile) before. It does have one curious, because if one is not familiar with the material, it may have them wondering where it's going to go, or what plot twists might be revealed. Ultimately, however, it sets off no real fireworks.The main asset is a quintet of solid performances. Powers is good as a fairly tough cookie who's not about to feel guilty for the way she lives her life. The wonderfully named Yootha Joyce is compelling as the housekeeper Anna, and the great English character actor Peter Vaughan is amusing as the leery-eyed Harry. "Fanatic" is also noteworthy for offering an okay showcase to a young Donald Sutherland, as the mentally impaired houseboy Joseph. But the real reason to watch this one is to see another great example of a veteran actress making the most of a meaty role in a genre film, as people saw so often during this era. Ms. Bankhead does seem determined to go out in a blaze of glory, tearing down the scenery and then putting it back up just so she can tear it down again.Hammer delivers mild doses of sex appeal (with a lot of opportunities to admire Powers' gorgeous gams) and a little bit of gore, which had always given them an edge when they did their Gothic horrors.Other than Bankhead, there's nothing truly special here, but fans of her and Hammer will still want to give it a look.Seven out of 10.

tomgillespie2002 After Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) made cinematic waves and raked in the profits as a result, studios were eager to deliver their own take on mad-man horror cinema. Hammer's unique brand of British Gothic and literary monsters was begin to wobble as audience's tastes moved on as a result of the leaps and bounds being made in the genre in Europe and the U.S.. Robert Aldrich's What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) made a success out of bringing a once- Hollywood great, Bette Davis, out of a forced early retirement and turning her into a screen psychopath. Hammer pinched Davis for themselves in The Nanny (1965), and repeated the trick again the same year with Tallulah Bankhead in Die! Die! My Darling!, or to give it its blander, more widely-used alternative title, Fanatic.American Patricia Carroll (Stefanie Powers) arrives in London to marry her handsome beau Alan (Maurice Kaufmann). After admitting that she has been exchanging letters with the mother of her former, now-dead fiancé, she heads off on her own to pay a visit to her would-be mother-in- law when Alan disapproves. Patricia believes that she is doing a nice thing. and the old lady Mrs. Trefoile (Bankhead) seems harmless enough at first, if a little nutty. She is being guilt-tripped into staying the night, and ends up staying much longer than she had planned, as the true extent of Mrs. Trefoile's religious zealotry reveals itself. There are no mirrors in the house as vanity is a sin, lip-stick and red clothing are banned, and the food consists of unrecognisable slop. Just as Patricia is about to leave, she lets slip of her intention to re-marry, causing Mrs. Trefoile to lock the poor young lady away until she learns the evil of her ways.It may not be the most memorable entry into the fleeting 'psycho- biddy' fad, but Die! Die! My Darling! has its fair share of moments courtesy of a tight and witty script by Richard Matheson, and a fiery performance by Bankhead, in what turned out to be her final appearance (she died the following year). Powers cuts a likable but frustrating lead, as she fails time and time again to make any real attempts to escape outside of making the occasional feeble struggle. Any in the audience used to the hardened, capable heroines we tend to get nowadays will no doubt be shouting at the screen. There's a terrific supporting cast, which includes husband-and-wife servants Harry (Peter Vaughan) and Anna (Yootha Joyce), and a young Donald Sutherland as the simple-minded Joseph. You may not have the desire to see it more than once in your lifetime, but it makes for a cosy Saturday afternoon B-movie.

Syl Until I saw her name on the final credits, I thought that she was one of Britain's legendary leading ladies of the stage. Tallulah Bankhead was an American actress more known for her off stage parties and sexuality but she was also a very talented actress on stage and in film. In this delicious role, she plays British woman, Mrs. Trefoile, a disturbed and distraught older woman. When American actress Stefanie Powers who played Patricia Carroll, who visits her after her son's tragic death. Patricia is soon held prisoner in the large country estate. Harry and Anna are a couple who work for the old lady. They follow orders with regards to their demented employer. Bankhead gives an unforgettable performance. Powers also holds her own against her. Peter Vaughan and Yootha Joyce play the couple who serve Trefoile. It's an interesting film especially for Bankhead's performance. She spent most of her acting career on stage than film.

bkoganbing Although Tallulah Bankhead did a whole lot of very serious acting on stage and less so in film sad to say, she did love to caricature herself so to speak. The best role that woman ever had was as Tallulah. So I suppose it's fitting that her farewell performance be one over the top full blown Tallulah for Hammer Films in the UK.Bankhead and Stefanie Powers are the only Americans in this Hammer film that has no unearthly creatures or devil's spawn as villains. The only villains are quite human and a bit balmy as they say across the pond.Stefanie Powers who was engaged to Tallulah Bankhead's son when he died decides to pay a condolence and courtesy call on mother while over in Great Britain with her new fiancé Maurice Kaufman. She'll join him in London in a day or two. But Tallulah has way different plans for Stefanie. Bankhead's a religious fanatic and she wants to keep Powers as a permanent house guest and convert her to her rather narrow point of view, especially about sex. Her household staff consists of a pair of husband and wife crooks, Peter Vaughn and Yootha Joyce, and a mentally retarded Donald Sutherland. Powers isn't going to get any help from this bunch, she's got to rely on her own wits to survive and hope her new fiancé comes to get her.Fanatic is done slyly tongue in cheek. And for those of you who like Tallulah unfettered by any direction, Fanatic is your kind of movie. She was ill while making it, but she looks like she's enjoying herself immensely. The rest of the cast looks in awe of her.