The Deadly Bees * (1966, Suzanna Leigh, Guy Doleman, Frank Finlay) – Classic Movie Review 3098

Director Freddie Francis’s slow and tepid 1966 British horror thriller for Max J Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky’s Amicus productions stars Suzanna Leigh as Vicki Robbins, an exhausted dim and demented pop singer who takes a supposed rest-cure holiday at a farm on a British island, Seagull Island.

Vicky’s doctor has sent her to stay with his colleague and bee-keeper Ralph Hargrove (Guy Doleman), who is arguing with his wife Mary (Catherine Finn). But, when a woman is stung to death, Vicky realises that Ralph is growing a special breed of attacking bees and takes refuge with friendly bee-keeper H W Manfred (Frank Finlay) in her desperate fight for survival.

Even though the screenplay is co-written by Robert (Psycho) Bloch (with Anthony Marriott), based on H F Heard’s novel A Taste for Honey, there is no sting in the tale. The film seems far too long at 123 minutes and uncontrolled, with muddled exposition and fumbled suspense sequences. And the acting is pretty hokey too, matching the hokum of the movie.

The search is still on for a decent bee film: certainly The Deadly Bees, The Bees, Killer Bees and The Swarm didn’t provide one. It was cut by 40 minutes to a 83-minute release version.

The score is by Wilfred Josephs and there is music from The Birds pop group (the songs ‘Stop the Music’ and ‘That’s All I Need’). And, talking of birds, bird impersonator Percy Edwards provides the voice of the dog.

Also in the cast are Katy Wild, John Harvey, Michael Ripper, Maurice Good, Tim Barrett, Anthony Bailey, James Cossins, Alister Williamson, Frank Forsyth, Michael Gwynn, Greta Farrer and Gina Gianelli.

Director Freddie Francis’s 1967 Amicus chiller Torture Garden 1967 is the first of Robert Bloch’s three compendium films of four horror tales. The House That Dripped Blood (1971) and Asylum (1972) are the other two Amicus portmanteau films written by Bloch and based on his own stories.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3098

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