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The Nanny (Hammer Studios)A surprising gem from Hammer, though more of a thriller than a horror. Bette Davis stars in this 1965 film that came hot on the heels of such Nanny-related films as Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. However, it's like neither.
The film begins with Wendy Craig, as Virgie Fane, having a sobbing fit due to the imminent return home of their ten-year-old son, Joey. Joey, it transpires, has been away from home at some psychiatric institute for two years, and his mother is worried that all the trouble that happened before will not recur. What happened is not obvious, though we're given the impression of some tragedy befalling his sister. On Joey's return, it becomes obvious that he has no liking at all for the Nanny, played by Davis.
A battle of wills takes place between parents, child and Nanny. Nanny is consumately polite at all times, the child a devil to her, but one still wonders who the real villain is - will we see something more The Omen than The Hand That Rocks The Cradle? As the film wears on, and we find out more and more about the character's past, we see the direction that this goes. The ending is interesting, giving the eventual villain of the piece some modicum of sympathy in their motives.
The film is very well acted by all, especially William Dix, playing Joey. The film has some excellent shocker moments, and should probably be enjoyed by anyone with a Hitchcockian bent.
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