A disappointingly lacklustre psycho-thriller from the Hammer stable, penned by the ubiquitous Jimmy Sangster and directed by Alan Gibson, who gave us the camp classic Dracula 1972 AD. CRESCENDO is a middling film that goes over previously-covered ground; for instance one of the big "surprise" twists is that there's a psychopathic twin living locked in a hidden room. Hmm, now where have we heard that one before? The script is heavy on the dialogue and exposition and it's fair to say that not a lot happens during the running time.What we're stuck with is a single-location thriller with plenty of fairly obvious character secrets, some occasionally intense acting and a lack of horror content all-round: there are only three murders in the film, and none are particularly gory (the producers compensate by throwing in lots of gratuitous nudity instead). The film's best parts are probably the recurring surreal and artistic dream sequences/nightmares that Olson's character suffers; these slow-moving segments are the only powerful moments in the entire film.The rest of the movie consists of plenty of sinister glances, cover-ups and a general lack of non-activity all round. Sometimes action-free films can be interesting and CRESCENDO does have a few points in its favour. Technically it's perfect, with excellent camera-work and editing throughout. Sangster's script creates some interesting character motivations and idiosyncrasies to have some fun with and the classical score is above average for genre standards.Cast-wise, most actors here are familiar from later roles but were just starting out when this film was made. Stefanie Powers (TV's HART TO HART) is the young, attractive American student come to write her thesis, and Sangster gets her to go through the paces, although she doesn't get menaced enough for my liking, except at the finale. Margaretta Scott plays the popular role of "ageing female loony" (joining others like Bette Davis and Lana Turner from the period) to some degree of success whilst the seductive Jane Lapotaire (THE ASPHYX) is excellent as a saucy French maid, playing up to all the clichés her seedy character cries out for.Acting honours go to James Olson (AMITYVILLE II), an always-underrated actor putting in one of his finest turns here, playing both roles of a pair of twin brothers. One is mad and the other's crippled in a wheelchair, so he has lots of material to work with and performs admirably. A young Joss Ackland (LETHAL WEAPON 2) is also on hand, putting in a nice turn as the ever-sinister butler. Despite a myriad of flaws, CRESCENDOis a mildly watchable film suffering from a fair case of boredom. Fans who like their horror old-fashioned and plot-focused rather than exciting and bloody might get a kick out of this; I would say it's okay, but nothing special.

Stefanie Powers got more than she was wishing for when she meets and stays in the home of a wealthy widow, whose husband was a great composer. Powers is there to do research on the latter in order to obtain her master's degree; however, she encounters much more as the film descends quickly into the macabre.James Olson is the paralyzed son in this way over-the-top drama. Margaritta Scott does quite an imitation of Joan Fontaine here. She sounds just like her, and she can become quite eerie as well.Powers realizes quickly that it's time to exit as all sorts of strange things seem to happen. There is absolute mayhem, drug addiction, murder, seduction, you name it.Of course, we have the resolution of the twin. Normally, a cop-out, but the film is so dreadful by then that you just don't care.

Crescendo is directed by Alan Gibson and written by Alfred Shaughnessy and Jimmy Sangster. It stars Stefanie Powers, James Olson, Margaretta Scott, Jane Lapotaire and Joss Ackland. Music is by Malcolm Williamson and cinematography by Paul Beeson.Susan Roberts (Powers) travels to the South of France to stay with the Ryman family as she researches the work of late composer Henry Ryman for her thesis. Once there at the villa, Susan finds that the remaining family members are a little strange…Out of Hammer Films, Crescendo came at the end of the studio's cycle of psycho-thrillers that had begun so magnificently with Taste of Fear in 1961. Filmed in Technicolor, Crescendo has more than a passing resemblance to Taste of Fear. We are in a remote French villa in the company of some shifty characters. A wheelchair features prominently, there's spooky goings on, skeletons in the closet and our lead lady who is the outsider at the villa is in grave danger. So it's Taste of Fear but in colour then!Crescendo is not a great film, it's ponderously paced by Gibson, meandering through the first half set up and it's all a bit too obvious as to what is going to unravel. That said, the finale is a good pay off in its construction, the Ryman villa set is suitably designed for some creepy shenanigans, while the colour photography is deliciously lurid with the zesty oranges and ocean greens particularly striking the requisite campo composition.Then there's the cast! Powers is just dandy, having had her trial run in the disappointing Die! Die! My Darling! in 1965, she hits the required "woman in confused peril" notes even though the script does her absolutely no favours. Olson gets to don the worst hair cut in Hammer history as Georges, but the character is pungent with emotional disturbances. Wheelchair bound and having a penchant for hard drugs administered by the sultry maid…Ah yes! Lapotaire as the housemaid Lillianne, she steams up the screen with her teasing sexuality, positively revelling in her ability to have poor Georges eating out of her hand. Scott handles the batty Ryman matriarch well enough, while Ackland does a damn fine Lurch impression. The film has some qualities that put it above average, but it's a bit too bloodless to be a must see horror film, and much too laborious to be a thriller. It sits in some sort of Hammer Film purgatory, a picture that asks you to take the rough with the smooth. But all things considered, you probably should watch Taste of Fear instead. 6/10

In musical terms, a crescendo is an increase in intensity as a piece nears its end. In this little-seen Hammer thriller from 1970, the title has a double meaning – there's the musical meaning as just described, but there's also the fact that the film-makers try to intensify the film's suspense and air of mystery as it draws to its climax. Directed by Alan Gibson, and written by Hammer regulars Jimmy Sangster and Alfred Shaughnessy, this busy thriller is a departure from the Gothic horror entries most associated with the studio. It feels much more akin to a Hitchcock-style piece, with Psycho the most obvious source of inspiration.Music student Susan Roberts (Stephanie Powers) visits the home of a deceased composer in order to write a thesis on his life and works. The home is an elegant but remote villa in France, peopled by the various family members and housekeepers of the dead man. It isn't long before Susan realises that she is surrounded by some pretty weird characters. The composer's widow Danielle (Margaretta Scott), the nymphomaniac housemaid Lillianne (Jane Lapotaire), and the sinister butler Carter (Joss Ackland) in particular seem strange. But at least the composer's son Georges (James Olson) – a wheelchair-bound drug addict – offers a sense of normality to the place, as he helps Susan through her first days. Alas, even Georges turns out to have disturbing demons of his own – there's his recurring nightmare about making love to a rotting corpse for starters, not to mention the fact that his disability seems to come and go when it pleases. Weirder still, his outlandish nightmares usually end with him being shot by an identical double who creeps up on him with a shot-gun. Seems Georges' drug-fuelled mind is plagued by some pretty bizarre desires and phobias. Soon enough, Susan realises she is effectively the prisoner of these assorted junkies and weirdos – but her predicament gets even scarier when the villa is plunged into panic courtesy of a series of gruesome murders.Crescendo features some sex and drug abuse that was daring for the time of its release (though time has certainly made such scenes seem dated). Apart from that, it is fairly derivative stuff – the links with Psycho (sane but vulnerable female finds herself at the mercy of weird person/people with identity issues) are there for all to see. Heck, Crescendo even borrows liberally from earlier Hammer pictures (Paranoiac and Maniac, for instance), therefore making itself almost a rip-off of a rip-off! The performances are OK, with Powers holding things together quite well as the only truly normal character with whom the audience can identify. Debutant Jane Lapotaire spends a good deal of the film naked, but her character is so unattractive and irritating that it makes her nudity feel peculiarly un-erotic. Olson handles the role of the disabled drug addict reasonably well. If you're a veteran of these kinds of movies, you might see the twist coming before it arrives, but others will probably be pleasantly surprised by the film's climactic ingenuity. On the whole, Crescendo is passable but unremarkable fare – it's a hard one to track down, but is probably worth a look if you can find it.