Displaying items by tag: William Sylvester

THE HAND OF NIGHT/BEAST OF MOROCCO

UK, 1968, 90 minutes, Colour.

William Sylvester, Diane Claire, Alizia Gur, Edward Underdown, Terence De Marney.

Directed by Frederic Goode.

The Hand of Night is a small budget blend of horror and adventure in Morocco. It was filmed on location in Morocco, directed by Frederic Goode who also made The Syndicate in Kenya the same year – and using the same star, William Sylvester (who, also in that year, starred in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: a Space Odyssey).

The film opens with sinister nightmarish behaviour – which turns out to be a nightmare for the central character on a flight. The fellow traveller in the next seat, played by Edward Underdown, also appeared in the dream, carrying a cough and in a sinister cave.

The central character was driving when his wife and daughter were killed in an accident and this haunts him, escaping to Morocco, becoming involved with archaeologists, a sinister presence called Omar, and the tomb of the vampire Princess. He becomes involved with the vampire and finds it hard to tell whether this is reality or fantasy.

On the one hand, this is 1968 in Morocco, a modern city, a lot of sequences are driving around the city and through the countryside. On the other hand, with the excavations, the story of the vampire Princess, her threats, and the involvement of the niece of the archaeologist, the film builds up touches of romance, the abduction of the niece, her final rescue – and the decision to finally impale the vampire.

Of historical interest for those who wonder about small budget filmmaking in England in the late 1960s.

THE SYNDICATE

UK, 1968, 63 minutes, Colour.

William Sylvester, June Ritchie, Robert Urquhart, Christian Doermer, John Bennett.

Directed by Frederic Goode.

A small-budget action adventure film, shot on location in Kenya. The release was delayed and the initial version, over 100 minutes, was edited to 63 minutes for general release.

A team go to Kenya for uranium exploration. The leader is alcoholic, Robert Urquhart overacting, travelling with his wife and very suspicious of her, June Ritchie perhaps under acting. The principal character is a failed American pilot, William Sylvester, in with the British team, falling in love with the wife, having to take final action. There is a young German entrepreneur explorer, Kristian Dermer.

Most of the action takes place in travelling to the uranium site, the locals digging, suspicions and a whole range of suspicious accidents. Perhaps it is the editing that makes this rather confused. Clashes, personality fights, the husband suspicious of his wife, her wanting out of the marriage.

At the end, the young German goes to Nairobi, teams up with various business interests, guns produced, attacks and violence, the threat to the uranium – and the pilot and the wife making their escape by plane.

Not necessary viewing.