A Taste of Evil
Encyclopedia
A Taste of Evil is a 1971
American television film. Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey
, it stars Barbara Stanwyck
, Barbara Parkins
and Roddy McDowall
.
) is a young woman who was rape
d by an unknown man when she was a 13-year-old. Traumatized by the experience, she suffered a mental breakdown, did not speak a word for two years, and was entered in a Swiss sanatorium
. Now, she is leaving the psychiatric institution for the first time, and returns to her old home, where her mother Miriam (Barbara Stanwyck
) is now in an unstable marriage with an alcoholic
, Harold Jennings (William Windom
). Susan goes back to the woods to look at the place where she was raped, and is there followed by someone mysterious. She suspects that this person was Harold, until Miriam tells her that he left her last night.
When she one night sees a shadow by the window and then finds a dead man in her bathtub, only to pass out and regain consciousness in the presence of Dr. Michael Lomas (Roddy McDowall
) without a trace of a dead person, it becomes clear that someone is deliberately trying to drive her insane. Miriam believes that her reports of these strange occurrences are illusions, and she starts to doubt if having taken her back into the house was such a good idea. Another night, Susan is chased out of the mansion by someone she thinks is Harold, and outside finds a dead body in the car. She turns to John (Arthur O'Connell
) - an old family friend and the gardener - for help, only to find out that the car is gone after she returns.
After telling Dr. Lomas about her experiences, he concludes that her subconscious
is rejecting Harold. Regardless, Susan continues to find prove that Harold was the one who raped her. The same day Harold is returning to the mansion, someone from the woods calls out to her. She goes into the woods and find the same dead man, who grabs her leg. In severe shock, she runs away and hides in the cabin where she was raped. Harold comes in shortly after, and it is assumed that she shot and killed him. Miriam is told that Susan is sent back to the sanatorium in Switzerland. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Miriam set everything up with John to drive her insane, and thereby disinheriting her from her father's will. Aside, she admits to having hated her child, because Susan received more attention from her husband than Miriam herself. Furthermore, it becomes clear that John was responsible for raping Susan.
Shortly after, Miriam is stalked by who appears to be Harold. Assuming that John is messing with her, she fires him and sends him away. Regardless, the stalking by 'Harold' continues, and one rainy night, she is driven insane by several sights of him. John comes in the house around the same time, after which Miriam kills him with a gun. She tries to leave the mansion, only to find Harold in the door opening. Hysteric, she screams that she "made Susan kill" him. Then, the film switches to her arrest, during which it becomes clear that everything was a big set up arranged by Dr. Lomas. Susan never killed Harold, but made it look that way. In the end, Miriam coldly allows herself to be arrested.
1971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
American television film. Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey
John Llewellyn Moxey
John Llewellyn Moxey is an Argentinian film and television director. He is best known for directing film The City of the Dead and directing episodes of The Saint, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote.-Life and career:Moxey was born in Argentina in 1925...
, it stars Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
, Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins is a Canadian television and film actress.-Early life and rise to stardom:Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of sixteen, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at Hollywood High School and began to study acting, tap, ballet, and...
and Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
.
Plot
Susan Wilcox (Barbara ParkinsBarbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins is a Canadian television and film actress.-Early life and rise to stardom:Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of sixteen, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at Hollywood High School and began to study acting, tap, ballet, and...
) is a young woman who was rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by an unknown man when she was a 13-year-old. Traumatized by the experience, she suffered a mental breakdown, did not speak a word for two years, and was entered in a Swiss sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
. Now, she is leaving the psychiatric institution for the first time, and returns to her old home, where her mother Miriam (Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
) is now in an unstable marriage with an alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, Harold Jennings (William Windom
William Windom
This page is about the former United States politician. William Windom was an American politician from Minnesota. He served as U.S. Representative from 1859 to 1869, and as U.S. Senator from 1870 to January 1871, from March 1871 to March 1881, and from November 1881 to 1883...
). Susan goes back to the woods to look at the place where she was raped, and is there followed by someone mysterious. She suspects that this person was Harold, until Miriam tells her that he left her last night.
When she one night sees a shadow by the window and then finds a dead man in her bathtub, only to pass out and regain consciousness in the presence of Dr. Michael Lomas (Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
) without a trace of a dead person, it becomes clear that someone is deliberately trying to drive her insane. Miriam believes that her reports of these strange occurrences are illusions, and she starts to doubt if having taken her back into the house was such a good idea. Another night, Susan is chased out of the mansion by someone she thinks is Harold, and outside finds a dead body in the car. She turns to John (Arthur O'Connell
Arthur O'Connell
Arthur O'Connell was an American stage and film actor. He appeared in films in 1941 and television programs...
) - an old family friend and the gardener - for help, only to find out that the car is gone after she returns.
After telling Dr. Lomas about her experiences, he concludes that her subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
is rejecting Harold. Regardless, Susan continues to find prove that Harold was the one who raped her. The same day Harold is returning to the mansion, someone from the woods calls out to her. She goes into the woods and find the same dead man, who grabs her leg. In severe shock, she runs away and hides in the cabin where she was raped. Harold comes in shortly after, and it is assumed that she shot and killed him. Miriam is told that Susan is sent back to the sanatorium in Switzerland. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Miriam set everything up with John to drive her insane, and thereby disinheriting her from her father's will. Aside, she admits to having hated her child, because Susan received more attention from her husband than Miriam herself. Furthermore, it becomes clear that John was responsible for raping Susan.
Shortly after, Miriam is stalked by who appears to be Harold. Assuming that John is messing with her, she fires him and sends him away. Regardless, the stalking by 'Harold' continues, and one rainy night, she is driven insane by several sights of him. John comes in the house around the same time, after which Miriam kills him with a gun. She tries to leave the mansion, only to find Harold in the door opening. Hysteric, she screams that she "made Susan kill" him. Then, the film switches to her arrest, during which it becomes clear that everything was a big set up arranged by Dr. Lomas. Susan never killed Harold, but made it look that way. In the end, Miriam coldly allows herself to be arrested.
Cast
- Barbara StanwyckBarbara StanwyckBarbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
as Miriam Jennings - Barbara ParkinsBarbara ParkinsBarbara Parkins is a Canadian television and film actress.-Early life and rise to stardom:Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of sixteen, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at Hollywood High School and began to study acting, tap, ballet, and...
as Susan Wilcox - Roddy McDowallRoddy McDowallRoderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
as Dr. Michael Lomas - William WindomWilliam WindomThis page is about the former United States politician. William Windom was an American politician from Minnesota. He served as U.S. Representative from 1859 to 1869, and as U.S. Senator from 1870 to January 1871, from March 1871 to March 1881, and from November 1881 to 1883...
as Harold Jennings - Arthur O'ConnellArthur O'ConnellArthur O'Connell was an American stage and film actor. He appeared in films in 1941 and television programs...
as John - Bing RussellBing RussellBing Russell was an American actor and baseball club owner, and was the father of Golden Globe-nominated actor Kurt Russell.-Personal life:...
as Sheriff - Dawn Frame as Young Susan