THE NANNY
UK, 1965, 93 minutes, Black and white.
Bette Davis, Jill Bennett, William Dix, James Villiers, Wendy Craig, Pamela Franklin, Maurice Denham.
Directed by Seth Holt.
The Nanny is an effective Bette Davis horror vehicle of the mid '60s. Having made the change in her career with Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Bette Davis moved into Dead Ringer, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte and eventually The Anniversary. The Nanny is a brief British Film effectively directed by Seth Holt. It was written by Jimmy Sangster, author of many of the Hammer horror thrillers. The musical score is by Richard Rodney Bennett (Young Winston, Far From the Madding Crowd etc.). There is excellent support from the British cast especially Jill Bennett and Wendy Craig. William Dix, at 10, acts very effectively with Bette Davis. The tone of this film is more restrained than the other Davis horror vehicles of the time.
1. Enjoyable horror and murder story? The blend of horror and psychological disturbance? A drama of a character clash and false suspicions?
2. The success of the film as a Bette Davis vehicle? Her age, screen presence, atmosphere of menace and innocence. madness? Her mannerisms and style? The appeal for so many decades?
3. The English setting, the background of London, flats? The atmosphere of affluence contrasting with the poverty of Nanny's daughter? The British style. cast? Black and white photography? Bennett's score?
4. The film's reliance on the stereotypes of English nannies and the British tradition? Living in the home, taking care of detail, care of the children? Being part of the household? The irony of Nanny and her care for Joey and Susie? Her disregard of her own daughter? Her possessiveness of the children, of the family? The repercussions of the truth about her own child and tragedy for Joey and Susie? Guilt, responsibility. violence and madness?
5. Bette Davis' impersonation of an English nanny? Her work in the house, her decisions, her looking after Bill, mothering Virginia? Protecting Virginia and yet poisoning her? Her devotion to Pen and yet letting her die after confessing to her? The blend of menace and innocence? Her excusing Joey and being kind to him, saving him from the milkman and yet towards him? The credibility of her character, consistency of motive?
6. The portrait of British family life: Bill and his impatience and distance, Virginia and her breakdown and weeping, inability to fend for herself? The flashbacks for her love for Susie and her grief at her death?
7. Joey and his being in the institution, pretending to hang himself and frightening the nurses? The judgment of the head of the institute? His control of people, his fears and yet his rudeness? The clash with Nanny ? refusing to sleep, eat her meals, locking himself in his room, fear of the bath? The screenplay's building him up as evil in contrast to Nanny?
8. Joey and the neighbouring girl: their talk, smoking, putting the doll in the bath to frighten Nanny, their various plots to trick Nanny? Her father being a doctor and his intervention?
9. The build up to the dramatic night: Virginia and the meal and her being taken to hospital? Pen and her coming and playing draughts with Joey, getting up for the drink, Nanny trying to kill her with the pillow, her heart attack after hearing the truth? Joey and his locking his door? Nanny menacing him? His being saved from the bath?
10. The flashback about what really happened? Nanny and the truth about her daughter, her preoccupation, Susie's death, the flashback about Joey?
11. The final reconciliation for Joey and his mother?
12. Melodramatic material, entertaining treatment, acting and production more than the melodramatic treatment merited of itself? A good example of its genre?
