Straight on Till Morning
Directed by Peter Collinson

The gothic horror of Hammer Films gets a mod update in this interesting curio, directed by the erratic Peter Collinson (The Italian Job). Rita Tushingham is a Liverpool girl, slightly soft in the head, who travels to London determined to get pregnant. Unfortunately (or perhaps not), she meets a blond psycho (Shane Briant), who installs her in his mod '60s pad--he calls himself "Peter" and her "Wendy," sustaining the Peter Pan theme of the title. The ideas here seem borrowed from those key British thrillers Peeping Tom and The Collector, and the editing style is clearly influenced by the disorientation of Performance. And yet there's something out of control about this picture, something authentically weird. In one scene Tushingham pretties herself up in what may be the ugliest make-over in screen history. Jazz singer Annie Ross, who also contributes a wispy song, appears in a small role. --Robert Horton

From the Back Cover
An ugly duckling (Rita Tushingham of A TASTE OF HONEY and SMASHING TIME) yearns to leave her drab Liverpool life and move to swinging London to find her "Prince Charming." But the big city holds some nasty surprises for the naïve young woman when she becomes obsessed with a handsome gigolo (Shane Briant of DEMONS OF THE MIND) who may be a depraved serial killer. Will this bizarre relationship have the storybook ending she's always dreamed of, or can even the most beautiful of fairy tales lead to cruelty, madness and brutal murder?

Marketed as "A Love Story from Hammer," STRAIGHT ON TIL MORNING was indeed a strange and unique departure for the studio known mainly for its horror hits. Legendary jazz vocalist Annie Ross co-stars in this 1972 psycho-sexual thriller directed by Peter Collinson (FRIGHT, THE ITALIAN JOB) that remains one of the most disturbing and adult films in Hammer history.

great psycho thriller from Hammer
I've been wanting to see this rarely shown Hammer movie for a long time so it was great to finally get the chance with this superb release from Anchor Bay.This is a disturbing and quite shocking psychological thriller with some genuinely unsettling scenes that must have packed quite a punch in the early seventies.Rita Tushingham is brilliant as the northern girl who moves to London in search of a boyfriend to father the baby she desperately wants.Shane Briant is suitably creepy as the guy she eventually meets.The print used here is astonishingly clean and sharp.Absolutely pristine in fact.Well done Anchor Bay.Again.

A surprise from Hammer
For fans of Hammer, this film comes highly recommended.Set in modern London (1972), those familiar with the period Hammer pieces might expect a somewhat confused plot or hard to follow story. Whlie such Hammer films are still enjoyed by many, pleasingly, this is not the case here. This one should easily hold your attention from start to finish, and is truly a departure for Hammer, being a rather modern story, in a modern setting. For purposes of comparison, Fear In The Night comes closest, but Straight on Till Morning has a far better story to tell, is much clearer, and is therefore more rewarding. A genuinely enjoyable, substantial, and frightening thriller- you'll spend the length of the film trying to figure out the extent of madness to which Shane Briant's character has fallen into- not to mention wondering when, and if Rita Tushingham's character is about to be murdered by him. I was expecting a fairly average Hammer film with this one, but got much more.
Really interesting and unique piece for Hammer fans.

This Anemic Psycho-Sexual Horror From Hammer Provokes Little Fear
According to the liner notes provided by Anchor Bay for "Straight On Till Morning," Hammer House was in a financial slump in 1972. Hoping to correct the situation, Michael Carreras envisioned a double bill of psychological horror films made on a low budget. Both "Fear in the Night" and "Straight on Till Morning" involved women who are terrorized by killers. Released together under the heading of "Women In Terror," the movies fared poorly at the box office. Let's discuss "Straight on Till Morning."

This film has an excellent premise. Rita Tushingham stars as a homely, young woman who lives in a fantasy world. She writes children's stories about princesses being rescued by knights in shining armor. She travels to swinging London and meets Shane Briant. In her eyes, he is a prince. Unfortunately, we learn through a series of flashbacks that he seduces women and kills them for their money.

Shane Briant was excellent in "Demons of the Mind" because he looks anemic and sickly. He portrayed a young man who is kept locked in his bedroom. In "Straight on Till Morning," he still looks weak and pale faced and I can't imagine anyone but the loneliest being attracted to him. (A blind person could mistake the moles on his face for Braille.) One gorgeous young woman practically leaps into bed with him and is stabbed to death while still in his arms. How wimpy Briant was able to dispose of her body and quickly clean up the mess before Tushingham arrived home is unbelievable. A genuine Euro stud such as Jean Sorel, Fabio Testi, or George Hilton should've been cast in lieu of Briant.

Where was Briant hiding the bodies? Most all of the killing is implied or done off screen. There is virtually no gore. The lackluster ending had a lot of screaming that was more annoying than frightful.

"Straight on Till Morning" is too slow and anemic for modern audiences. Rita Tushingham's excellent performance is not enough to warrant watching this film. It is only recommended for Hammer Production completists. Please rent before paying a huge price for an out of print copy. It is so not worth it.