EDGE OF FURY

US, 1958, 78 minutes, Black-and-white.
Michael Higgins, Lois Holmes, Jean Allison, Doris Fessette, Malcolm Lee Beggs, Mary Boylan, John Harvey.
Directed by Robert Gurney Jr.

Edge of Fury is a little seen supporting feature. It has a cast of character actors, not well known.

The film is a psychological drama, particularly low-key in retrospect. It is a case study of a man with mental and emotional problems, played by Michael Higgins.

The framework of the film is Higgins as Richard, an artist painting on the beach, a voice-over indicating that he has mental problems which has had consequences and the police are to arrest him on the beach. The narrator then goes back to describe Richard’s case.

Richard is not given much background except that he has had mental problems, works in a bookshop helped by a sympathetic but tough owner, is not always reliable. Walking along the beach, he has seen a for let sign near a hut and decides that it would be good for a studio and for him to be based there. He has befriended family, a mother with two adult daughters, and has identified with them, going to the agent for rental, mentioning the family as a guarantee. He then goes to visit the family to persuade them to rent the house.

The mother is sympathetic. The older daughter is somewhat aloof, with the touch of the glamorous. The younger daughter is sympathetic, attracted to Richard, even falling in love. They move to the house.

Richard is erratic in his behaviour towards them, but they are welcoming, especially the younger daughter. Richard wants to have his vacation with them but is warned off by the book shop owner. She gives him money and arranges that he goes to a supervised place for his holiday – but, of course, he goes off to the sea.

He is rather prudish in his behaviour, attracted towards the young daughter, but not wanting touch. Ultimately, he does break out and is somewhat brutal in his kissing the girl. He also arranges to host a meal, buying a great deal of kitchenware, inviting the mother, the two girls and their two escorts - and a humiliating failure in cooking crêpes with one of the visitors succeeding..

Richard’s mental state is communicated by his body language, his erratic behaviour, until the attack on the daughter which breaks him, his becoming more paranoid, suspicious of the family, of the mother, eventually killing her violently.

A film of the 1950s for the record, anticipating films of mental condition and violence (Hitchcock’s Psycho being released in 1960).