THE FACE OF FEAR

US, 1971, 72 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Ashley, Ricardo Montalban, Jack Warden, Dane Clark.
Directed by George Mc Cowan.

The Face of Fear is an interesting and entertaining suspense telemovie. A teacher from Idaho, thinking she has leukaemia, hires an assassin to kill her -but discovers that the diagnosis was a mistake. She appeals to the police to protect her. The psychopathic killer hired for her is relentless. While the material may seem melodramatic, the stuff of television series (and it is), it is treated excellently on San Francisco locations but has fine performances by Elizabeth Ashley as the teacher and Ricardo Montalban as the policeman. Jack Warden is the Lieutenant and Dane Clark has a guest role as a bartender. Direction is by George Mc Cowan, director of a number of interesting telemovies and small-budget films (The Love War, Frogs). (This plot was used in 2003 for Emmett's Mark.)

1. An entertaining thriller? Suspense? The plausibility of the plot?

2. Telemovie style, for the home audience? The use of San Francisco locations, streets, hotels, San Francisco Bay? Atmosphere of authenticity? Musical score for excitement? Editing and pace for suspense, fear, chases?

3. The focus on Sally? The visit to the doctor, her reassurance about her health - and her strange behaviour, her fear in the street? Her desperation, going to the police? The audience understanding what had happened to her? The friendship with Frank? Explaining the situation to him? Persuading the Lieutenant? Frank's plans, his skill, treatment of her? In hiding, in the San Francisco streets, the tracking down of leads, the bars, the bartender and his contacts? The questionings and the subsequent killings? The build-up of suspense? The time element? The attempts on her life? Her rashness? The hotel room, her believing the phone call, her going out and being tracked by the killer? The long chase? The confrontation? Frank's help, strategy, fear, success? Her learning to trust him, the Mid-West? spinster and her experience of San Francisco? Understanding of Frank? The portrayal of the terrified spinster, her final weeks of life, taking a contract on her own life?

4. Frank Ortega as a San Francisco policeman, relationship with the Lieutenant, his assignment, taking it seriously, by the book, understanding the rules? The contacts, the interrogation, the bartender? The deaths? Putting together the case? Explaining himself to Sally? Her explaining herself to him? The effect of working with her, trying to protect her? Her rashness? His finally meeting her, the strategy for confronting the killer, defying him, the shots? The Lieutenant, his disbelief, trust in Frank, confronted by the evidence? His support?

5. The killer and his relentlessness? Background, contracts? Stalking his victim, skills? Lack of skills? The final confrontation on the beach and his being outwitted?

6. The gallery of minor characters, shady people, seedy characters, the bartender? Their fencing with the police? The contacts in for killers and contracts? Hotel management? Police?

7. A satisfying entertainment with something to say about human nature?