The Full Treatment * (1960, Claude Dauphin, Diane Cilento, Ronald Lewis, Françoise Rosay, Bernard Braden) – Classic Movie Review 11,932

Producer-director Val Guest’s 1960 British thriller The Full Treatment [Stop Me Before I Kill!] is a contrived and unbelievable Riviera-set yarn about suave, philandering psychiatrist David Prade (Claude Dauphin) making disturbed British racing driver Alan Colby (Ronald Lewis) think he has bumped off his lovely wife Denise Colby (Diane Cilento).

Alan and Denise were involved in a seriously traumatic car accident a year ago. Alan is still trying to recover from his bad head injury, and the couple have gone on holiday to the South of France to rest and relax. They meet Dr Prade, who also comes from London. Alan is having trouble resisting his violent impulses, plagued by an urge to strangle his wife. But, back in London, the psychiatrist offers to help, Alan reluctantly agrees, and after many sessions cries Stop Me Before I Kill!

The Full Treatment is a murky brew of cardboard people, dull dialogue, artificial plot and tricksy mystery that fails to involve and defeats a good-enough cast, who have the talent to do it if only they had the script.

Director Guest gives it the full treatment but it is dead on arrival.

Val Guest and Ronald Scott Thorn’s screenplay is based on Ronald Scott Thorn’s 1959 novel The Full Treatment.

Also in the cast are Françoise Rosay, Bernard Braden, Katya Douglas, Barbara Chilcott, Ann Tirard, Edwin Styles and George Merritt.

Gilbert Taylor shoots in black and white and widescreen (Megascope).

The Full Treatment [Stop Me Before I Kill!] is directed by Val Guest, runs 109 minutes or 93 minutes, is made by Hilary, Falcon and Hammer Film Productions, is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Val Guest and Ronald Scott Thorn, based on Ronald Scott Thorn’s novel The Full Treatment, is shot in black and white and widescreen by Gilbert Taylor, is produced by Val Guest, is scored by Stanley Black, and designed by Scott Simon.

The cast are Claude Dauphin as David Prade, Diane Cilento as Denise Colby, Ronald Lewis as Alan Colby, Françoise Rosay as Madame Prade, Bernard Braden as Harry Stonehouse, Katya Douglas as Connie, Barbara Chilcott as Baroness de la Vailion, Ann Tirard as Nicole, Edwin Styles as Doctor Roberts, and George Merritt as Mr Manfield.

Columbia Pictures cut the film to 93 minutes for US release but their TV arm Screen Gems syndicated a toned down 107 minutes print on US television.

It was shot at Associated British Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, and on location in the French Riviera. Sean Connery, who was dating Diane Cilento, visited the French Riviera set during filming.

The BBFC website shows this at 120 minutes, but the Monthly Film Bulletin of March 1961 states 109 minutes, which is right by the programme times on its February 1961 UK release on the ABC circuit.

Ronald Lewis was cast to his alleged real-life type of a man given to rages and outbursts of violence, notably against women. Val Guest called Lewis and co-star Diane Cilento ‘two neglected stars… and I shall go all out to un-neglect them both.’ Hammer employed him again on another thriller, Taste of Fear (1961), and was back in the lead for Jigsaw (1962), a thriller directed by Guest. Lewis’s image suffered in 1965 when his wife alleged he had assaulted her.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,932

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