MovieChat Forums > Thriller (1960) Discussion > 'The Storm' - muy scary + riveting perfo...

'The Storm' - muy scary + riveting performance by Nancy Kelly


I *never* get scared during horror films/thrillers but this one had my nerves in tatters, due in no small part to Nancy Kelly's completely convincing performance. Really strong episode for this series, which tended to be a bit hokey at times.

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"Really strong for this series, which tended to be a bit hoeky at times."

That, my friend, is an understatement. But I agree wholeheartedly. I
caught this last night on Youtube. And while the story is loaded with
cliches (woman home alone in a storm at night with rattling shutters
and the power going out), it was beautifully paced and gorgeously lit.
Strong direction, too. And, yes, it helps to have a real actress in
the lead. Had "Thriller" gone the all-too-common route of pretty-but-
she-can't-act ladies, the episode wouldn't have worked. Ms. Kelly
carried it with her usual class and intelligence (I was struck by
how strong the character was; she wasn't frightened at all by the creepy
cab driver and held her own until she came across the dead body).

How cool to see an episode where some old witch isn't behind the antics
(too many episodes resorted to this and these old bags aren't scary;
they're laughable).

Kudus, too, to the actor who played her husband. He was creepy.

Now that more episoes have been uploaded on Youtube, can anyone else
suggest some shows?? I caught "Waxworks" today, but found the story
pretty dumb, despite a creepy atmoshere.

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Unusual story and strong performances, especially by the lead actress whose character evolves from an aging, Mansfield-esque floozy to... well, I won't spoil it for you.

Warning: may contain hags

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[deleted]


Ugh. Caught this last night on Youtube and thought it was awful...slow...
boring and just plain silly. The final shot is a shocker, but what
precedes it is talky, padded and lame.

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Excellent non-horror episode, though arguably some might see it as borderline horror. I've seen The Storm just once and have vivid memories of it. Nancy Kelly was outstanding, and the presence of character actor James Griffith didn't hurt, either.

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For anyone interested... the original story was also included by Karloff in his anthology ... And The Darkness Falls (World Publishing Co., 1946, pp. 77-88).

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The Storm is one of my favorite episodes, mainly because it’s so different and simple. The deep, dark b&w cinematography really adds to the spooky atmosphere.

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It does get really tense. Last week I saw the 1972 TV Movie remake. 'The Victim' with Elizabeth Montgomery. I like them slow and atmospheric which 'The Victim' is.

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I bought the Blu-ray of The Victim earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I’d never seen it before. I’m with you about slow and atmospheric. Movies that take time to build their story are the best, and that usually makes the payoff more powerful.

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Miss Kelly was excellent in The Storm. She was peerless in overwrought mode. Also, she could elicit sympathy, in me anyway; and empathy, which is more difficult. I have great respect for her talent, and I wish she'd done more on film, whether big screen or little.

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