THE FOUR-SIDED TRIANGLE

UK, 1953, 81 minutes, Black and white.
Barbara Payton, James Hayter, Stephen Murray, John Van Eyssen, Percy Marmont.
Directed by Terence Fisher.

Terence Fisher was famous as the director of the early Hammer horror films, Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein and The Revenge of Frankenstein. He had quite a prolific career during the 1970s, especially with horror films at Hammer Studios. However, from 1948 (The Astonished Heart, based on Noel Coward’s play) to 1953 he directed a great number of small-budget British films. He also directed television in the 1950s, especially Robin Hood.

This film begins as a typical British film of the 1950s, James Hayter as the local doctor doing the voice-over commenting on the ordinariness of the village and the friendship of three young children. However, when the two men return from science studies at Cambridge, they set up a secret laboratory and invent a machine which can duplicate every bit of matter exactly. When their invention is to be used by the government, one of them, who is in love with their childhood sweetheart, who is actually engaged to his friend, decides that with her help and the doctor’s assistance, he will reproduce her.

The film moves then into the realm of science fiction as well as ordinary drama. The key point is that in reproducing the original girl, he reproduces all her emotions – still in love with his friend rather than himself. There is a dramatic fire at the end in which the inventor and one of the women dies.

This film anticipates some of the B-budget American science fiction dramas of the later 1950s.

1.An entertaining drama? Science fiction? The plausible explanations of the duplicator?

2.The ordinary British settings, Doctor Harvey and his description of the village, the visuals – the ordinary traditional English town? The locations? The laboratories, the experiments? The musical score?

3.The title, the irony with the duplication of Lena? Making a four-sided triangle?

4.Doctor Harvey, the genial old English doctor, serving all the people in the village in ordinary ways? His encountering the children? His delight in them? His adopting Bill, educating him? His pride in the boys going to Cambridge? Their return, the laboratories? His putting in a good word to Robin’s father for money? His selling his practice, giving them the money? The duplicator and his amazement? His listening to the scientific explanations? The relationship between matter and energy? His agreement to help with the reproduction of Lena? His support of them, the final fire, the identification of Lena at the end?

5.The three children, playing games in the barn, knighthood, battles? Robin as quiet and devoted, Bill as a wild child? Lena and the affections of both? Their growing up, Bill and his response to Doctor Harvey? Robin and his wealthy father? Lena returning to America? Their going to Cambridge, the years of study?

6.The return, the laboratory, the secret experiments? The strong friendship between the two? Lena’s return? Explaining the experiments, her helping them out, meals, knowledge? The visit to Sir Walter, his withdrawing the money? His being persuaded when the duplicator was a success? His relation in parliament, the dinner, his speech? The safeguards for the duplicator?

7.The possibilities of the duplicator – scientifically speaking? The hopes for reproduction of medicines etc to help the world? The dangers?

8.Robin and the announcement of the engagement? Bill and his discussions with the doctor and his intended proposal? His living with disappointment?

9.Robin going to London to talk with the politicians? Bill remaining at home, his extending the duplicator? His intention of duplicating Lena? The discussions with Doctor Harvey, the doctor’s helping? Lena and her agreement?

10.Helen, the exact replica? Bill and his explaining the situation to her? In love with her? Going for the holiday? Sailing? Helen and her attempted suicide at the beach? Her explanation that she had exactly the same feelings as Lena and therefore was in love with Robin? Bill and his disappointment?

11.The scientific experiment, the electric shock to erase the memory? The success of the procedure? The smoke, the explosions, the destruction of the laboratory? Bill’s death? The death of one of the two women?

12.The hospital sequence, the test whether the survivor was Lena or Helen? The happy ending?