STRAIGHT ON TILL MORNING

UK, 1972, 96 minutes, Colour.
Rita Tushingham, Shane Briant, Tom Bell, Annie Ross, James Bolam.
Directed by Peter Collinson.

Straight on Till Morning comes from a quotation of Peter Pan to the children. However, this is no fairy tale despite, the fact that the heroine, Brenda, wishes that life could be a fairy tale. In fact, this is a horror film from the Hammer Studios. It is different from the regular Hammer films which are derived from the classic genres. This is a contemporary horror story about a psychopathic killer - with echoes, for instance, if Michael Powell's Peeping Tom.

Rita Tushingham is the naive girl who comes from Liverpool to London wanting to meet Prince Charming. Shane Briant (later to appear in many Australian and New Zealand films) is the psychopathic Prince Charming. The film is shot and edited in the razzamatazz style of the late '60s - which,. in later years, gives an impression of ever-disruptive fragmentation.

While the plot is hard to take as realism, the film has a certain fascination of pitting the naive Brenda against the charming psychopathic Peter.

The film was directed by Peter Collinson, a director noted for his thrillers and their rather flamboyant style (The Penthouse, Open Season). He also directed a wide range of films including The Italian Job and, in Australia, The Earthling.

1. Interesting psychological horror story? Ironic romance? A film of the early 1970s?

2. The director's flair, flamboyance? The fragmented style of the screenplay and the photography? Editing and pace? The demands on audience attention? The style conveying the mood of the film? The atmosphere of Liverpool contrasting with London? The ugly city, swinging London? Flats, shops?

3. The title and its focus? The fairy tales? Brenda living in a Never-Never? Land? Peter as an ironic Prince Charming?

4. The focus on Brenda, her age, ugly, Liverpool. the ugliness of the city, her relationship with her mother, pretending to be pregnant, the clash with her mother. leaving home? Her arrival, finding accommodation. a job. friendship with Caroline, flatting with her? Jimmy and Caroline's attraction towards her? Brenda’s moods? Taking the dog, returning it and wanting to meet Peter? Her plan for the baby? Her moving in? Her not knowing anything about Peter? Her pregnancy? Peter pampering her? Her being left alone? The discovery of the tapes? Her terror? Peter reassuring her? What happened to her? A portrait of a naive girl?

5. Peter and his isolation? The blond Prince Charming, Our seeing him murder the women, his covering his tracks, the taping? His seeing Brenda. her returning the dog, his waiting for her? His .;invitation? Brenda's becoming pregnant? Caroline's visit, the seduction, his killing her? His avoiding his home? The police? His discovery of Brenda'sisearchi4ng, the playing of the tapes, terrorising her?. Sitting alone mad, listening to the tapes?

6. The young people in London of the '70s: Caroline and her work, friendship with Brenda, flat, Jimmy, the visit to Peter, seduction, death? Jimmy and friendship with Brenda? Caroline? Joey, Liza, Margot? The world of apartments, boutiques? Fashion?

7. The fragmented style of the film - corresponding to the characters' perceptions of reality? Sanity? Madness? Obsessions? Reality and fantasy? Violence?