The Nanny

Adapted from a novel by Evelyn Piper (pen name of Merriam Modell), this film stands out as one of the most interesting of Hammer’s psycho-thrillers. A large share of the credit goes to the screenplay written by Jimmy Sangster (he also produced), in which he proves to be quite gifted at plumbing the depths of the characters’ psychological dimension while keeping a plot that leans heavily on uncertainty and suspicion on an even keel.

Numerous flashbacks in which past events are replayed according to the divergent viewpoints of different protagonists is a highly effective narrative technique here. A claustrophobic chamber film that sees the action unfold amidst oppressive rooms and vague menaces – the Baroque flavor of the art direction plays an important role in that respect – “The Nanny” features an excruciating build-up of tension until the final act arrives and the dramatic element surprisingly takes the upper hand.

Bravura portrayals from the cast, children included. Bette Davis, exceedingly restrained, offers a subtly disquieting performance in one of the most sinister roles of her long career.

Compare and contrast with “A Taste of Fear” (1961), another Hammer thriller written by Sangster and directed by Holt.