Persecution

Films

Persecution (Made by Tyburn Films in England 1974)

"Come Sheba..."

Sheba and an unidentified co-star in 1974's "Persecution" Lou Valentino Collection.

Release Date: Unknown.

Credited Cast and Crew:

Lana Turner, Trevor Howard, Ralph Bates, Suzan Farmer, Sheba (as herself)

Directed by: Don Chaffey

Writing Credits: Robert Hutton, Frederick Warner and Rosemary Wooten

Produced by: Kevin Francis

Original Music by: Paul Ferris

Cinematography by: Kenneth Talbot

Synopsis: David Masters has a problem: His mother Carrie loves her cat, Sheba, more than she loves him. A very strange little film but enjoyable nonetheless.

My Review: Midnight movie making at it's finest, this one is perfect for 3 a.m. on a Saturday night. When I first discovered this film about 3 or 4 years ago, I thought it would be boring and cheesy, but as I became more engrossed in it, I couldn't turn it off. Not that it doesn't have it's share of contrived and cheesy moments (Lana drowning in a bowl of milk, come now) mind you. Ralph Bates and Lana DO have a sort of interesting chemistry and Bates rises to the occasion, especially when he slowly starts to go mad. Lana Turner is so committed to this film that she is a sheer joy to watch. When she meows like a kitty and starts lapping up her cats milk or she starts savagely beating Bates with her cane you will fall on the floor with laughter. Peyton Place it's not.

But one question arises though: Why is it that Ralph Bates, playing her son, talks with an English accent, but Lana playing his mother, talks like a regular American???? Things that make you go hmm. (Carrie is American born! Of course! Thanks Louis for reminding me of that!)

Your Review: What are YOUR thoughts on this film? Contact me at Liza@lanaturneronline.com

Reviewed By Chad Edwards on October 30, 2005

Following in the footsteps of other youth-challenged leading ladies such as Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, 53-year-old Lana Turner took a stab at the horror genre. Carrie Masters (Turner) is a wealthy widow who languishes affection on her cat while making life a living hell for her son David (Ralph Bates), whom she holds responsible for the incident that left her partially crippled. When Carrie's vendetta against David goes to far, his mind snaps and he decides it's payback time. This British thriller doesn't quite belong in the same class as Robert Aldrich's horrific masterpiece WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, but Turner gives a very fine performance (she won the Best Actress prize at the Festival of Horror Films in Spain) and she's matched all the way by the much underrated Bates. Don Chaffey directed from a script concocted by Robert B. Hutton, Rosemary Wooten, and Frederick Warner.Highlights and Trivia

*Lana won the Silver Carnation Award for best actress at the Sitges Festival of Horror Films in Spain in 1975 for her work in this film (Thanks Louis for sending that in).

*The script was originally titled I Hate You Cat!

*Lana publicly declared this film a "bomb" at New York's Town Hall in 1975.

*Filmed in 1972 but not released in the US until 1975 (!)

*Lana Turner hated cats.

*Producer Kevin Francis' (son of horror director, Freddy Francis) career before producing this film was running a fish and chips shop.