Jimmy Sangster (1927–2011)

Great slice of psychological mystery from Hammer. Jimmy Sangster's story has the young wheelchair-bound Penny (Susan Strasberg) returning to the family home on the French Riviera to visit her estranged father and his new wife Jane (Ann Todd). On arrival Penny's told her father is away on business but she quickly feels that something is amiss and convinces herself that her father is dead. She enlists the friendly chauffeur Bob (Ronald Lewis) to help her while trying to steer clear of Jane and show more Jane's suspicious friend, Doctor Gerrard (Christopher Lee). "Scream of Fear" (aka Taste of Fear) is marvellously realised by director Seth Holt and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe. The pair bathe the film in moody, noir-tinged black and white effects conjuring up a superb shadowy atmosphere. They make great use of high contrast film stock to give the film a mildly expressionistic flavour. Their approach works well with Sangster's script which is full of neat twists, plenty of nerve-jangling sequences and an approach to character that ensures that nobody is quite what they seem. The film is superbly acted - Susan Strasberg is a bundle of neurotic nervousness; Ann Todd is perfectly-pitched as the too good to be true stepmother; Ronald Lewis is great as the sympathetic chauffeur and potential love interest and Christopher Lee is dark and menacing as the doctor keen on offering psychological advice to Penny. The climax may be a touch predictable and may have one twist too many for its own good, but this is still an excellent, stylish psychological chiller from Hammer. show less

Jimmy Sangster was a screenwriter, and occasional director, for Hammer Films in their heyday. He subsequently worked extensively in US television on such popular series as Wonderwoman and The Six Million Dollar Man. As if all that wasn’t enough he was also a prolific novelist with his output including a couple of espionage tales featuring air stewardess-turned-spy Katy Touchfeather. The first of these, the eponymously titled “Touchfeather” dates from 1968. Anyone expecting an “Austin show more Powers” style retro romp is in for a disappointment. Katy’s first person narration may make her seem like an ingenue at times but her adventures are surprisingly hard boiled involving torture with a lit cigarette end, being shot at, and cold bloodedly shooting a few people herself. Unsophisticated she may be, soft she most definitely isn’t. As Katy herself admits there’s more than a touch of the James Bond about her exploits (not to mention her libido with 3 regular boyfriends on the go at the same time). There’s also a hint of James Mitchell’s “Callan” in the fractious relationship with her cold blooded boss Mr Blaser.

Sangster’s background as a screenwriter is very evident throughout the book. It’s relatively short and zips along at a fast pace. We visit India, Egypt and America (with a couple of rest stops in the UK) and navigate numerous plot twists with hardly a word wasted. Katy is assigned to invesigate a British scientist who might be selling secrets to the Soviets. The truth turns out to be a little more complex than that. Katy eventually ends up at the Californian ranch/compound of a reclusive gay billionaire who staffs the place with an army of gunmen in cowboy outfits, complete with six guns. Needless to say neither the billionaire nor his costumed goons prove a match for our heroine. The ending is quite downbeat, told in flashback, and confirming Katy’s hard-as-nails credentials.

Overall I enjoyed this. It’s a fast unpretentious read and having a female protagonist is an interesting spin on the spy fiction of the era. Would certainly be interested in reading the sequel, “Touchfeather, Too”. show less

Buckle up and keep your seat in the upright position; with Katy Touchfeather as your airline hostess, you're in for a turbulent ride!

It was always Katy's dream to be an airline hostess, and when she succeeded in landing a job, she met the man of her dreams - an airline captain. But when he dies in an inexplicable car accident, Katy is approached by the mysterious Mr. Blaser, who asks if she would like to help him apprehend the people who murdered her husband.

After her first encounter with show more Mr. Blaser, Katy is never again just a simple airline hostess. She becomes an undercover operative, who must extricate herself from dangerous situations, and - sigh of relief - without all the technological bells and whistles of James Bond. And she does get into trouble, especially when she accidentally falls in love with the guy who's supposed to be leaking information to the Russians. Surely he can't be a traitor!. So when he gets nabbed on a flight on which she's posing as a hostess, it gets personal.

This is an exciting espionage page turner with depth and plenty of character development. Jimmy Sangster knows his writing craft, and he obviously knows more about aircraft than the average Joe. He also has a secure knowledge of geography, which serves him well as the reader is flown over half the globe. There's only one burning question left as I turn the last page: When is the next volume coming out??? show less

It's a film that deserves recognition, a sexually charged Gothic nightmare featuring standout performances from stalwarts Lee and Cushing, Hammer finally gave the Dracula legend the treatment it deserved, entrusting it to the brilliant director Terence Fisher, who injected glorious life into the familiar material thanks to a crisp, clean script by Jimmy Sangster complemented by a rapturous score from James Bernard.