Ava Gardner unmasked in Roddy McDowall’s directorial debut, TAM LIN aka THE DEVIL’S WIDOW.
London widow who lives only to play games and have her dreams and fantasies realized by a coven of young, pleasure-seeking spongers (including Madeline Smith, Joanna Lumley and Jenny Hanley). One day, she decides to liven things up by relocating to her mansion in Scotland, where her current fa­ vorite, Tom (lan McShane), makes the fatal mistake of fall­ ing in love with the local vicar’s daughter (Stephanie Beacham). When Tom’s feelings lead to a complete redemption of heart, a return to church-going, and a refusal to betray his beloved by servicing Mickie, the coven dose him with LSD and give him a three-minute head start before commencing a murderous game of hide-and-seek.
22 The notion of mixing an ac­
tress from Hollywood’s Golden Age with psychedelics was also tried with Rita Hayworth (THE HOOKED GENERATION), Jen­ nifer Jones (CULT OF THE DAMNED) and Shelley Winters (WILD IN THE STREETS), with typically shrill and exploitative results. What is interesting, in contrast, about McDowall’s film is that he has no interest in degrading Gardner or her im­ age, and uses her sultry per­ sona as a kind of ageless death mask, familiar yet disturbingly new, creating a sense of tres­ pass into areas of personality better left unknown. Also com­ mendable is his depiction of hallucinogenic imagery, which is always organic, generating from the character’s feelings
rather than from stock footage of Fillmore light shows; conse­ quently, the film seems com­ paratively undated. The only area of directorial unease is the romance between McShane and Beacham, which is too misty, pretty, and sexless (with Truf- fautian mannerisms like freeze­ framing) to seem worth all the vicious mayhem that ensues. But McDowall’s knowledge of acting and photography serve the film well; the main perfor­ mances are strong and detailed, and the film has a look of stylish confidence, courtesy of cam­ eraman Billy Williams (WOMEN IN LOVE, THE EXORCIST). While certainly not a great film, it hangs hauntingly in the memory and will likely inspire second viewings.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84