I recently saw this at the 2008 Palm Springs Film Noir Festival. Not exactly from the time period after the war to the late 50's associated with Film Noir it does have a Film Noir feel and look to it. This film was based on the 1957 novel by Marryam Morell about a single mother in New York's Upper East Side whose young daughter disappears from her school and the existence of the girl and sanity of the mother is brought into question. In the screenplay by John and Penelope Mortimer the setting is London in the mid 1960's and a new central character is added that changes the story and adds a different plot twist to this psychological thriller. Noted director Otto Preminger directs Carol Lynley as Ann Lake and Keir Dullea as her brother Stephen who have recently moved to London from the United States. Laurence Oliver is the wise and seasoned police superintendent Newhouse and Noel Coward is the seedy and lecherous Shakespearean stage star turned landlord. Lynley plays it fairly cold and lacking in the proper hysterical emotions for a mother whose daughter has disappeared so one doesn't know for sure if the daughter is real or in her imagination. Dullea is as creepy as Norman Bates as the straight-laced button down concerned brother with strong hints of an unnatural relationship between the brother and sister. Olivier is as smooth as silk as the inspector in charge of the case. Noel Coward is deliriously over the top in his performance and brief screen time as the landlord. The 60's British Invasion rock group the Zombies culled from an appearance on the BBC pop show "Ready, Steady, Go" get a lot of screen and soundtrack time in this and I never figured out how or why they are in this film. They did have a number one hit called "She's Not There" which could tongue-in-cheek tie in to the film's theme but the song isn't in this film. The plot takes a a sudden and disturbing twist that seems a little far-fetched but the film is interesting and Hitchcock-like but not one of Preminger's best. some great supporting roles from Martita Hunt as Ada Ford, the eccentric old spinster who owns the school, Anna Massey as Elvira Smollett as a school administrator and Finlay Currie as the elderly doll maker. Carol Lynley was on hand for the festival screening and did a Q&A for the audience following the film. I would give it a 7.5 out of 10 and recommend it.
Review of Bunny Lake Is Missing
