Straight On till Morning (film)

Hammer Film Productions

Company type	Film production company
Industry	Film
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Films
Parent	EMI Films

Straight On till Morning—also released under the titles Victim and Dressed for Death—is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Peter Collinson, featuring performances by Rita Tushingham, Shane Briant, and James Bolam. Produced by Hammer Film Productions, the narrative centers on a reserved young woman who becomes involved with a charming yet mentally unstable man.

Plot

Brenda, an unassuming young woman from Liverpool, relocates to London in search of a father for her unborn child. Following a chance meeting with the attractive Peter, she moves into a modest bedsit, lands a job at a trendy boutique managed by Jimmy Lindsay, and rents a room from her colleague Caroline, hoping to encounter potential partners at Caroline’s social gatherings.

Peter shares his home with an older alcoholic woman and invites Brenda upstairs, where she lets out an unseen scream. After witnessing Caroline with Joey—a co-worker Brenda had feelings for—Brenda leaves distressed and comes across a scruffy dog owned by Peter. She returns the dog to him, expressing her wish to meet him again and have his child. Peter proposes that Brenda move in with him.

While Brenda gathers her possessions, Peter kills the dog using a utility knife. Brenda informs Caroline that she is returning home to care for her sick mother. Upon her return, Peter presents Brenda with gifts for the baby. Worried about Brenda’s silence, her mother contacts the police after visiting Caroline, who discovers the dog’s broken leash bearing Peter’s address.

Caroline visits Peter’s residence and is subsequently murdered by him with the utility knife for being "too beautiful." After undergoing a makeover intended to appeal to Peter, Brenda returns; Peter insists he loves her as she originally was. He recounts a fairy tale interspersed with flashbacks implying multiple murders. They then become intimate.

News reports reveal several missing persons cases, including Brenda and Caroline. Peter forbids Brenda from leaving. When signs of pregnancy appear, both seem content. Peter shocks Brenda by playing recordings of himself killing the dog and Caroline, causing her to panic and attempt escape; however, all exits are locked. Peter pursues her, claiming he means no harm.

The film concludes with Peter alone in his home; Brenda’s ultimate fate remains uncertain.

Cast

• Rita Tushingham as Brenda Thompson
• Shane Briant as Peter
• James Bolam as Joey
• Katya Wyeth as Caroline
• Annie Ross as Liza
• Tom Bell as Jimmy Lindsay
• Claire Kelly as Margo
• Harold Berens as Mr Harris
• John Clive as newsagent
• Lola Willard as customer

Production

Funding for the film was provided by EMI Films.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin remarked that the movie struggles to consolidate Peter Collinson’s directorial style, describing it as an uneven blend of influences reminiscent of A Taste of Honey, The Penthouse, and with hints of Peeping Tom. The storyline suffers from implausible coincidences and a fragmented narrative flow. Rita Tushingham’s depiction of the innocent Brenda is considered excessively sentimental, whereas Shane Briant delivers a more credible portrayal of the disturbed Peter.

The Radio Times Guide to Films awarded it 3 out of 5 stars, highlighting its daring fusion of kitchen sink realism and psychosexual thriller elements. The film sought to revive Hammer’s trademark horror suspense, showcasing Tushingham as a naive woman who falls for a gigolo only to discover he is a serial killer. Directed by Collinson, it provides an effectively chilling shock.

Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide labels it an "offbeat thriller, but not terribly effective," while Leslie Halliwell describes it as an "unappealing suspenser with erratic direction."