The Enid Blyton Society

Here is a short clip from the 1973 horror film "Dark Places". It features a very young Jennifer Thanisch in a macabre doll smashing scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kSde62qvQ0

Updated 13th July 2007. Additional footage now added.

Great, Petermax!

Is Jenny the one smashing the head of the doll? I think it is.

Thats wonderful, Petermax!

Jenny looks different

Ming wrote:Great, Petermax!

Is Jenny the one smashing the head of the doll? I think it is.

Yes, that is indeed Jenny, she would have around around nine years old when this was filmed. This was a typical British horror film of its era, full of suspense, very little gore and very dated.

The girl's voice reminds me of J.T a wee bit but I had never sussed out that this girl could be J.T. Petermax,the clip is too short but a startling discovery...at least for me.

peppermint peppy wrote:Petermax,the clip is too short but a startling discovery...at least for me.

I have now located some extra scenes from "Dark Places". Watch out for the other child actor Michael McVey who played the part of Edgar Stick in "Five Run Away Together"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kSde62qvQ0


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And a young Robert Hardy? Saw the latest Harry Potter film tonight - I believe he was in it.

Petermax wrote:

peppermint peppy wrote:Petermax,the clip is too short but a startling discovery...at least for me.

I have now located some extra scenes from "Dark Places". Watch out for the other child actor Michael McVey who played the part of Edgar Stick in "Five Run Away Together"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFOQoV8bDzE


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PeterMax that clip was horrible, awful, shocking!
Since I have not watched the film I had no clue what was going on. Can someone write a brief synopsis on what just happened, and how it ended. Please!

Rest assured Susie, I have now re-edited that clip, that scene with Robert Hardy and the sword was a bit strong. What happened next was not shown in the movie as it was a flashback scene. A plot synopsis can be found here;

http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/m ... v_id=12260

Re-edited clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kSde62qvQ0

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Thanks PeterMax,
That does help a bit, but why did he swing the sward at the children?
Was it coz he was going crazy?

Susie wrote:Thanks PeterMax,
That does help a bit, but why did he swing the sword at the children?
Was it coz he was going crazy?

The sword scene depicted a tragic event that took place in the house many years before. As horror films go, "Dark Places" was actually quite mild although it probably carried an "X" certificate. (Nowadays "18") British horror films of the late 60s/early 70s were very stilted and never fully depicted graphic violence, it was always implied. This was presumably to get past the censors.

I recently obtained a copy of Dark Places, will watch the film soon, will be good to see Jennifer Thanisch, in her first role, the film also features two of my favourite Actors - Christopher Lee and Robert Hardy.

I watched Dark Places, yesterday afternoon, quite good for a 1970's horror film, Robert Hardy, was very good in the roles of Edward Foster / Andrew Marr, I think I might have seen Dark Places, before, a few scenes seemed to ring a bell.