Dead of Winter *** (1987, Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall, Jan Rubes) – Classic Movie Review 7311

Director Arthur Penn’s enjoyable 1986 thriller Dead of Winter stars Mary Steenburgen (in one of three roles) as a struggling actress called Katie McGovern, who is lured by the promise of an audition and possible work to a remote, old, dark, creepy New England mansion, where she is troubled by her two even more creepy hosts, Mr Murray and Dr Joseph Lewis, played by Roddy McDowall and Jan Rubes.

Katie is selected to replace the previously cast actress in the film, who looks like her, but she discovers that their film is to be highlighted by her death and she is in desperate danger.

Dead of Winter is an effective, suspenseful, quite satisfying horror thriller directed with zest and commitment by Arthur Penn, and well played by Steenburgen, McDowall and Rubes. The screenplay by Marc Shmuger and Mark Malone is partly based on 1945’s My Name is Julia Ross. Dead of Winter counts therefore as a loose remake of My Name is Julia Ross, which was based on the 1941 novel The Woman in Red by English crime writer Lucy Beatrice Malleson (1899-1973), writing under the pen name Anthony Gilbert.

Also in the cast are William Russ, Ken Pogue, Wayne Robson and Mark Malone, who has a small role as Katie’s brother Roland.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7311

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