Thursday, September 9, 2021

Spell of Evil - Series 1, Episode 10, Saturday 16th June 1973


The story....

The action starts with the sudden and mysterious death of Tony Mansell's wife. Some months later he unexpectedly decides to write to Modernmates, a marriage bureau. Almost as soon as he sends the letter he receives a reply from the seductively-voiced, glamorous Clara Panton. When they meet they immediately hit it off. That same afternoon Tony asks her to marry him.

The marriage is a happy one. However Tony's housekeeper Mrs Roberts and secretary Liz are both suspicious of Clara whose background is a mystery. There are a few strange events and small accidents. However later things take a much more violent turn. Tony's secretary feels she must investigate while he seems totally unaware of the terrible danger he faces.

Review

This was the final episode in the UK of the first series of Thriller. I first saw it as part of the Bravo repeats in 1996 and remember having high hopes thanks to an enticing story premise. However it didn't live up to that promise and that underwhelmed response is common among fans. Despite those feelings it still is quite entertaining viewing, just below par by the standards of the show.

There are some powerful elements in place but the episode doesn't really seize the imagination or frighten in the way that some other supernatural outings do and in particular it tends to be seen as paling in comparison to the later witchcraft episode Nurse Will Make It Better. This is chiefly due to the central character of Clara. Clara, played by Diane Cilento, can be very disturbing, notably when she is casting her spells (these scenes are very skilfully directed). However her over-the-top outfits, make-up and jewellery - she literally rattles at times - make her hard to take entirely seriously. A more understated look would have helped. An interesting comparison is with Diana Dors's witch in Nurse who was a far more unsettling figure. Maybe the difference is partly due to the acting or perhaps Cilento was directed to perform in such an extravagant way. She still turns in a decent performance all the same but it could have been rather better.

An unnerving meeting with Clara for Tony's employees Liz (Jennifer Daniel) and Suzy (Linda Cunningham)

The casting perhaps is the main reason for the failure to turn a good episode into a great one. All the performances are sound but nobody really excites. The climax is quite effective but hampered by mediocre special effects. Another notable feature is a brief but important role for William Dexter as an eccentric witchcraft expert with a broad Welsh accent - it was very unusual to hear any regional accents in Thriller.

To conclude, while this would certainly not be my first choice of Thriller viewing it does have some merit and is worth just over an hour of your time if chance arises.

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