I Thank a Fool

Stripped of her medical credentials after being convicted of manslaughter for the mercy killing of her ailing married lover, Canadian doctor in London serves 18 months behind bars, only to be hired by the prosecutor once she's released. His child-like wife requires a companion after suffering brain damage from a car accident, but the doctor (very slowly) discovers the wife's real problem is mental illness, specifically paranoid schizophrenia. Middling adaptation of Audrey Erskine-Lindop's 1958 novel, ostensibly a good vehicle for star Susan Hayward, though she's rather colorless as the physician who uncovers a house full of secrets. Moderately engrossing melodrama, handsomely produced on-___location in London and Ireland, but saddled with a far-fetched explanation at the finish line. ** from ****

People like me who are Susan Heyward's fans would not miss that."I thank a fool" begins as a melodrama,a genre where Heyward won renown ,but soon becomes a "psychoanalytic " thriller ,in the grand tradition of the forties " Freudian" flicks ("Cat People" "Spellbound" "Gaslight" "secret beyond the door" "dark mirror" "leave her to Heaven" and countless others) with echoes of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" thrown in for good measure.

This does not renew the genre but it is very well acted by the two leads and an excellent supporting cast.The lines are often intriguing ,particularly when Diane Cilento tells Heyward they are both in a prison.The ending is a bit artificial and finally disappointing,compared to those of the movies I mention above,but the movie should appeal to Susan Heyward's fans as well as psychological thrillers buffs.

The premise of I Thank a Fool is very intriguing, so don't be surprised if you rent it on that alone. Add in the cast of Susan Hayward and Peter Finch and you're in for a dramatic treat. Suzy plays a doctor who mercy-kills her boyfriend and gets sent to jail. When she's released, she doesn't know what kind of new life she'll have, since she obviously can't practice medicine anymore. She gets summoned to a large, beautiful estate to interview for a caretaking position. Diane Cilento seems normal enough, but her husband, Peter Finch, says she's not all there. . . Suzy's very reluctant to take the job - because Peter was the prosecutor who sent her to jail in the first place!

This movie really is as exciting as it sounds. I was hoping for a little more romantic tension between the two leads, but it's not that kind of movie. With the exception of the last five minutes, I was riveted and kept wanting to watch more. I'm always forgiving when a movie doesn't end the way I want it to, because you never know what got altered during screenplay revisions, studio insistences, and preview screenings. So, with that in mind, I'll recommend I Thank a Fool for anyone who likes the cast and is in the mood for a drama with a slightly mysterious and thrilling edge to it.

Audrey Erskine-Lindop wrote in a variety of genres and has proved popular with film makers. Although having seen all of them I must confess to having read none of the originals but judging by a synopsis of her 1958 novel 'I thank a Fool', this film adaptation is quite another story!

Unusually for the time it introduces the emotive and controversial issue of 'mercy killing' and the film is topped and tailed by a trial and an inquest. One would hazard a guess that these were inserted by uncredited contributor John Mortimer. The leading female character has been considerably changed to accommodate the age and persona of the customary American import but as she is played by the splendid Susan Hayward, who's complaining? The always-good-value Peter Finch plays the barrister whose prosecution puts her behind bars for manslaughter and who later proceeds to hire her to look after his schizophrenic wife! Yes, it's that sort of movie. The wife is played by Diane Cilento and although her Irish accent is rather in-and-out, she engages our sympathy and acquits herself well in a very demanding role. Playing her drunken, despicable father is Cyril Cusack who succeeds once again in stealing all of his scenes. Both Athene Seyler and Richard Wattis impress and there are brief but brilliant cameos by Miriam Karlin as a tart and Peter Sallis as a lecherous doctor. Even cigar store Indian Kieron Moore shows signs of life.

Superlative camerawork by Harry Waxman and what is for him an unusual score by Ron Goodwin which includes the tried and trusted Theramin for 'atmospheric' purposes.

There are a few plotholes along the way whilst the ending is somewhat contrived but very much in keeping with the melodramatic mood of the piece. Rather like the curate's egg, it is not all bad but is particularly good in parts.

Whatever its weaknesses it is infinitely preferable to director Robert Stevens' next collaboration with Peter Finch, 'In the cool of the Day' but that quite frankly would not be difficult.

This is an odd, somewhat offbeat film, best appreciated if you're in the mood for a satisfying guilty pleasure. It helps to have a certain taste for this sort of thing - an atmospheric adult melodrama of the kind they don't make anymore. The plot meanders and the suspense falls flat, but there's enough going on to keep the viewer interested. Susan Hayward looks beautiful and though she has a tendency to overact in many of her movies, here she's a bit more subdued while still maintaining her tough-as-nails persona. Peter Finch brings his reliably commanding presence to his role. Diane Cilento looks great and gets to act crazy. The ending tries to be a clever twist but is rather ludicrous, just like the rest of the film. Overall "I Thank a Fool" provides a pleasant diversion.