Violent Midnight

Available DVDs

Also Known As

• Black Autumn
• Psychomania

Main Details

• Released in 1963
• Black and White
• Running time: 92 Min.

• Distribution Co: Victoria Films | Emerson Film Enterprises (pick-up)

Cast and Crew

• Directed by Richard L. Hilliard
• Written by Del Tenney
• Starring Lee Philips, Sheppard Strudwick, James Farentino, Dick Van Patten, Jean Hale, Lorraine Rogers, Margot Hartman, Sylvia Miles
• Produced by Del Tenney

Film Review

Del Tenney's production of the 1962 slasher film Violent Midnight also went by the alternate titles: Psychomania and Black Autumn. It was filmed in and around Connecticut. Its one of the proto-slasher films that came out after Psycho (1960) and you can also see its influence on the Italian giallo genre since the killer dons a trenchcoat, driving hat, black gloves and uses a knife. It also influenced the slasher films of the late 70s and early 80s like Halloween and Friday The 13th. This film was Del Tenney's first production, he went on to make the drive-in classics: The Curse of the Living Corpse and The Horror of Party Beach, both of which are now on DVD thanks to to the folks at Dark Sky Films.

Elliot Freeman (Lee Phillips) is a Korean War veteran who has come home and become a painter. When we first meet him he is creating a portrait of a beautiful woman posing for him in the nude named Dolores Martello (Kaye Elhardt). We can see that Dolores is attracted to Elliot, but he has a very no nonsense attitude. Dolores wants something to eat, so Elliot sends her back to his home to get a bite, but when shes inside, she notices a dark figure peering through the window behind her. She is startled. When she opens up the front door she sees a large strange looking man. This is just Elliot's lawyers chaffeur. Elliot's lawyer, Adrian Benedict (Shepherd Strudwick) has come to visit.

Dolores and Elliot go to town one night for dinner and drinks. This is where we meet Charlie Perone (James Farentino) who is clearly jealous of Elliot. Charlie starts a fight with Elliot, but quickly Elliot defends himself and knocks Charlie down. This guy isnt your typical quiet painter. His time in the War taught him to think fast and act faster! Elliot and Dolores return back to her apartment, where Dolores tries to seduce Elliot, but it doesnt work. She then tells him shes pregnant with his child, but Elliot doesnt believe its his. Elliot abruptly leaves. Suddenly, a dark figure enters Dolores' apartment and in silouette, we see the killer stab her brutally.

A local detective, Inspector Parma (Dick Van Patten) is on the case and he begins tracking down any leads including Elliot, Charlie as well as a mysterious man named Professor Melbourne (Day Tuttle) who seems to turn up in the strangest of places. Meanwhile, Elliot's sister Lynn (Margot Hartman), has come to visit him from Montreal. While she is there, she decides to attend a local all girls school. This is where we meet the sexy co-ed Alice St. Clair (Lorraine Rogers) who steals the film whenever she appears. The killer could be anyone, and while Inspector Parma searches for clues, the thrills abound as Charlie hides from the cops with his current fling Silvia (Sylvia Miles) and Elliot falls in love with one of the other girls school students, Carol (Jean Hale).

Violent Midnight looks spectacular 40 + years later. While I was watching I noticed that the film had an unsual amount of nudity for a film from this period. On the DVD's audio commentary, Del Tenney explains that this was made before the MPAA began cracking down on films, so if you shot nudity in a non sexual fashion, it could be shown. This film was obviously influenced by Hitchcock's Psycho, but it also has its own flavor and style.

Violent Midnight is a well made low budget thriller from the early 60s with plenty of sexiness and excitement. The use of special FX was at a minimum because of the budget constraints and the directors had to create entertaining stories by using the basic tools of cinema like direction, editing and music. Violent Midnight is a prime example of great independent genre filmmaking from the 60s.

Reviewed by Popeye Pete - 2/10/08