Thriller (TV Series) Cry Terror (1975) User Reviews

Poor Boy

[analoguebubblebath · 7/10 · 28 September 2005]

While 'Kill Two Birds' is widely regarded as the most richly-budgeted Thriller episode, it ranks somewhat below the impressive standards set in series three and while reasonably gripping, suffers from some flat performances from the female leads.

David Daker plays the part of Charlie Draper, a released convict who calls to a friend, Busby only to discover him dead. A trio of unsavory crooks await, led by the refined but sadistic Gadder (Dudley Sutton excels), who are intent on determining the location of monies stolen by Daker some ten years ago. After a struggle Daker escapes and makes his way to the house of an alcoholic struck-off doctor named Kemp with whom he is acquainted. After a quick consultation Daker leaves only for the unfortunate Kemp to be visited by Gadder and his sidekicks, Tosher and Freddie.

Running parallel with is the storyline featuring two most attractive American ladies - Tracy (Gabrielle Drake, sister of the late, lamented Nick) and Sally (Susan Hampshire) whose car breaks down after they dine in a ramshackle snack bar run by Bob Hoskins whom we discover is Charlie's brother, Sammy. Enter Granville Saxton as Farrow, a down and out hippy, and the two plot lines begin to converge.

Gadder and his henchmen are waiting for Charlie to show up and decide that Sammy's premises is where he will come to. Sally and Tracy unwittingly get dragged when they return to the snack bar seeking assistance for their breakdown. Gadder has taken Sammy's wife Carrie hostage at gunpoint and the scene is set for a dramatic and unpleasant ordeal.

The pace is exciting but the female leads are somewhat disappointing and do not add much value to the story. The conclusion is neatly wrapped up with some emotion and a little irony.

Overall - one of the final series' better episodes and well worth a look.

Plenty of threat in this great production.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 2 September 2018]

A very impressive cast, some great production values, and a decent story make for a very good episode.

The cast is impressive, the performances perhaps don't live up to the standard, Bob Hoskins is decent without having a huge amount to do, Susan Hampshire is good, even if her American accent is a little off. I don't understand why the need for a token American in every episode, particularly if they're British.

I don't mean to sound negative highlighting those faults, because this is a very good episode, I've mentioned the cast and strong production values, but the success of this one comes from the fact that there are multiple threat sources, you have no idea initially where the main threat is coming from, as plenty of characters seem to represent a threat.

Not vintage, but still very good. 7/10

Slow to start

[kris-gray · 5/10 · 28 May 2018]

There can't have been any B or C list has been American actors available for this episode slated almost at the end of the last series. Instead we have two British actresses with cod American accents filling in. Nothing against Gabriele Drake or Susan Hampshire, both very good in many other things but just shoe horned into this one to fill the female and American gaps, their characters are superfluous.

There are some well known faces, Bob Hoskins in an early part with the excellent Dudley Sutton as the sadistic Gadder, worth watching if only to see him.

A Rather Unusual "Thriller"

[all-briscoe · 1 July 2004]

A middling but still impressive episode of "Thriller" towards the end of its final season. In style it is very different to the others. It focuses largely on disputes between rival professional, proletarian criminals and while there are elements of the usual series many of the characters and basic storyline would not be out-of-place in "The Sweeney" or other hard-boiled police production.

The story opens with Charley returning home after ten years in prison for bank robbery. He comes in saying, "Charley's home and Charley's rich," to his friend Busby. However he then finds that Busby has been killed. Some rival criminals, led by the refined but ruthless Gadder, appear. They know that he still has money and want a share of it. Charlie makes an audacious escape but is injured in the process. He gets away to Dorset but has been followed - and not just by Gadder's mob. He is trying to get to his brother who has a garage and cafe there but can he avoid the dangerous Gadder? Also heading there are two American tourists who prove to be in the wrong place at the wrong time...

The title suggests that this is about the two tourists, played by Susan Hampshire and Gabrielle Drake. In reality their parts are small and unmemorable. They are really just pawns in the bigger drama of criminal infighting. Although these criminals are certainly prepared to kill their basic motivation is money and they are very different to the show's usual array of psychopaths. These characters are extremely well-drawn, most of all Gadder, excellently played by Dudley Sutton, whose vindictiveness and quiet menace is great viewing. Charley, very well-played by David Daker, is a rather more sympathetic figure but still violent in self-defence and pursuit of his missing money. His brother Sonny, in a strong performance by Bob Hoskins, is more sympathetic still. Although he is prepared to help Charley it is clear that he is essentially law-abiding and wants to stay out of trouble. However he is put in a terrible situation.

There are some other fine characters and performances. Sonny's hapless wife (Rita Giovannini) is terrorised by Gadder. Kemp (John Bailey) is an alcoholic, struck-off doctor, a pathetic individual who has the misfortune to get embroiled in these affairs and likewise is menaced by Gadder and his mob. Granville Saxton plays an enigmatic, sinister-seeming vagrant who seems to be looking for trouble.

Unfortunately there are also weak characters and indifferent performances. Sally and Tracy, the two tourists are dull, and Tracy is infuriating with her inane chatter. Although the characters are American they are played with unconvincing accents by English actresses. Obviously this was done to appease the important US market but I do wonder what Americans thought of such "impersonators". This happened in some other stories and was usually less than satisfactory. Much better to hire genuine Americans or settle for English characters.

The police roles are fairly unimpressive. Most are still adequate but a rural constable, played by John Flanagan, is feeble. With an embarrassing accent and slow-wittedness one gets the impression that this was meant to be at least a partly comic role, which doesn't fit with a tense drama. It also wastes John Flanagan who had shown his talents in "The Double Kill".

One detective also delivers the line that Charley is an old-time criminal who "was only violent to his own sort, never the public." I'm not sure how someone can rob banks without threatening and harming the public but old stereotypes die hard. Discussion between the officers does though raise interesting debate about whether they should care about a violent squabble between criminals - the sort of debate that might surface in "Sweeney"-like dramas.

There are still some tense, traditional "Thriller" aspects to this installment. Robert Tronson's direction is good. There is far more location filming than in other stories which also gives a different air to the action and is very welcome.

The dramatic climax is pretty strong and poignant. It's just a shame that some slips in quality prevent this from being one of the best. However it is still of high quality and would have particular appeal to fans of more conventional crime drama.

Two magnificent performances

[SPLeo · 8/10 · 6 May 2022]

Watch this for two magnificent performances. As other reviewers have said, Dudley Sutton excels at menace and this is one of his best.

The standout for me, however, is John Bailey as struck-off and alcoholic Doctor Kemp. He conveys despair, fear, nervousness, alcoholism and weariness to perfection.

It's not just his lines. Watch the eyes, the tics, the hesitation, the reactions, the faux-surprise ... and the shakes. John Bailey gives a masterclass in how to inhabit a character.