The Very Edge

The Very Edge is a 1963 British drama film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Anne Heywood, Richard Todd, Jack Hedley, Jeremy Brett and Maurice Denham. The screenplay concerns a young woman who is assaulted and stalked by a maniac.[1]

The Very Edge
Original British quad poster
Directed byCyril Frankel
Produced byRaymond Stross
Written byLeslie Bricusse
Vivian Cox
StarringAnne Heywood
Richard Todd
Jack Hedley
Jeremy Brett
Music byDavid Lee
CinematographyRobert Huke
Edited byMax Benedict
Distributed byBritish Lion Film Corporation
Release date
30 April 1963 (UK)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Happily married couple Tracey (Anne Heywood) and architect Geofrey (Richard Todd) are expecting their first child, when one fateful day a maniac (Jeremy Brett) breaks into their home and assaults Tracey, causing her subsequent miscarriage. Unable to cope with life after the attack, Tracey starts to find all men alienating and repulsive, including her husband. Her trauma does not heal easily, and sooner rather than later, Geoffrey starts an affair with his secretary. In the meantime, Scotland Yard detective McInnes (Jack Hedley) has been unable to find the psychopath responsible for the assault, and Tracey's safety is still in question as she is constantly stalked by the criminal.

Cast

Critical reception

The Radio Times noted, "Another British cheapie that hoped to lure audiences into auditoriums with the sort of sensationalist story they devoured in their Sunday papers";[2] whereas TV Guide called it "An effectively handled psychodrama";[3] and Movie Magazine International wrote, "The intriguing element about "The Very Edge", under Cyril Frankel's assured direction, was that Tracey Lawrence had more of a psychic bond with her attacker than she did with her own husband. ... She had a compassion for his illness and she was, ironically, less of a victim around Mullen than she was around Geoffrey. ... Brett was riveting as the tortured psycho...";[4] and Sky Movies wrote, "Producer Raymond Stross put his wife Anne Heywood through her most strenuous acting test to date when he and Leslie Bricusse thought up this dramatic thriller...The plot bears a strong resemblance to the previous year's Return of a Stranger with John Ireland, although that didn't have the benefit of the distinguished supporting cast here, which includes Nicole Maurey, Jeremy Brett, Barbara Mullen, Maurice Denham, William Lucas, Gwen Watford and Patrick Magee."[5]

References
  1. BFI.org
  2. "The Very Edge - Film from RadioTimes".
  3. "The Very Edge".
  4. www.jeremybrett.info. "Jeremy Brett Information :: Archive - Film".
  5. "The Very Edge".


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