Peter-Spotting
      Card #46

 
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1966

THE PSYCHOPATH

an Amicus Production
directed by Freddie Francis
starring Patrick Wymark, Margaret
Johnson, John Standing, Alexander Knox
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This psycho-thriller from Amicus
stars Patrick Wymark as a crumpled
detective on the trail of a twisted killer.
The perpetrator has been leaving
replica dolls next to the corpses
of his victims...

In may not be top-drawer horror, but
folks still remember those creepy dolls,
and the sinister stairwell climax.

Horror stalwart Freddie Francis directed
from a screenplay by the psycho master
himself, Robert Bloch.

Filming commenced at Shepperton
Studios in September 1965.

Peter was the stunt arranger on the
production, and he took on a small,
speaking role - er - sort of...
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Peter dons a duffel coat for his
role as Charlie the JUNK YARD
MAN. It's a talking role, but you'll
notice straight away it's not his
voice on the film. His lines have
been dubbed by someone speaking
in a mockney-cockney accent!

Peter's voice may have perished
in post-production, but his character
doesn't die. He doesn't get maimed,
beaten or injured, either - although
he does get a little hot under
the collar, as you'll see...



Peter first appears around the 44mins
mark. He's in his junk yard, stoking the
flames of a fire when ze artist Victor
Ledoux (Robert Crewdson) beeps
ze horn of his Rolls Royce.

"But I'm just going out
  for me dinner!"

Peter tells him to just mark up what
he wants, and he'll send it all up to his
studio - after dinner. So Ledoux sees
him drive off in his truck and begins to
explore...

But there's someone stalking Victor.
And that same someone is soon
strangling him with a noose!

We return to the yard at 51mins.
Now Peter's with Inspector Holloway
(Patrick Wymark), trudging past
Ledoux's abandoned Rolls Royce.

"I think we've seen all
  we  want to see. I'll get
  it driven away..."

"Well, I wish you would
  guv'nor - it's cluttering
  the yard up!"

The Inspector frowns and returns to
his own drab vehicle, only to find
one of those creepy dolls waiting for
him on the front seat-

"Get out of it! - Quick!"

He grabs Peter and ducks for cover,
just in time, because - KA-BOOM! -
the car explodes and is engulfed in
a huge fireball!



The shocked duo emerge, unharmed,
and as they gawp at the wreckage
Peter's mockney-cockney voice
quips:

"I'll make you an offer
  for it, guv'nor!"

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Did you know?

Peter worked on four Freddie
Francis movies, during the '60's...

• The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
• The Skull (1965)
• The Psychopath (1966)
• Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)