Hammer House of Horror (TV Series) Rude Awakening (1980) User Reviews

"Is he nutty or something?" Another great Hammer House of Horror episode.

[poolandrews · 8/10 · 8 May 2007]

Hammer House of Horror: Rude Awakening tells the tale of successful estate agent Norman Shenley (Denholm Elliott) who is contacted by a Mr. Rayburn (James Laurenson) who wants a nearby property called Lower Moat Manor put on the market & sold, Norman agrees to take a look at the property & drives out there to discover a large rundown house. Inside things turn strange when he hears a voice which says he shouldn't have killed his wife Emily (Pat Heywood) & he is horrified when her seemingly dead body falls out of a service elevator in the wall, Norman then wakes up & is relieved to discover it was only a nightmare. However things go from bad to worse as the vivid & terrifying nightmares continue as Norman's line between fantasy & reality becomes ever more blurred...

Rude Awakening was episode 3 from this unfairly short lived British anthology horror series produced by Hammer studios for TV & this story originally aired here in the UK during September 1980, the second of three Hammer House of Horror episodes to be directed by Peter Sasdy (this was sandwiched between The Thirteenth Reunion & Visitor From the Grave) I thought this was a great episode. The script by Gerald Savory is an excellent psychological horror thriller that manages to blur the lines between fantasy & reality really well which isn't easy, usually when a large proportion of a film or TV program is either a dream or fantasy it becomes difficult to relate to it & the constant 'is this real or not' becomes annoying & sometimes confusing but Rude Awakening handles it as well as anything else I've seen. It helps that at only just over 50 minutes in length it moves along at a great pace, it never becomes boring & it never outstays it's welcomes & everything that's here seems relevant in a proper structured framework & it comes together very well at the end. The character's & dialogue are both good & as a whole this is a neat piece of psychological horror.

As usual the low TV budget didn't help & out goes the traditional Hammer Gothic period setting & in comes a early 80's English setting (those bright red phone boxes brings back some memories I can tell you), this helps in the fact that you can relate to it but obviously it loses a fair amount of atmosphere. There's no gore in this one but there is a bit of nudity although the strong well developed story definitely kept me interested. The acting is good & this is very well made with a cinematic feel to it which is no surprise when you learn director Sasdy made several feature films for Hammer including Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), Countess Dracula (1971) & Hands of the Ripper (1971).

Rude Awakening turned out to be a great compact 50 minute piece of horror themed British TV, why don't they make show's like this anymore?

A Nightmarish Trip!

[Coventry · 8/10 · 24 November 2006]

I really like where the Hammer House of Horror series is going, as the quality level increases with every episode I watch! The first one – "Witching Time" was nothing spectacular but still fun to watch, number two – "The Thirteenth Reunion" – already featured the more typically Hammer trademarks and suspense and this third installment "Rude Awakening" is actually very good! The plot may not be entirely original and plausible, but it's incredibly fast-paced and rich on atmosphere as well as tension. Denholm Elliot, the cool bloke from "Raiders of the Lost Ark", stars as a middle-aged estate agent haunted by a series of hallucinating nightmares… Or perhaps it's just one giant nightmare? Or maybe he's not even asleep to begin with! On Friday the 13th, Norman Shenley is lured to a remote and supposedly abandoned mansion where an uncanny voice tells him that he shouldn't have killed his wife. Suddenly the idea of murdering his wife and run off with his attractive secretary Lolly becomes very tempting, but Norman can't tell anymore whether his thoughts are real or all just dreamed. Peter Sasdy's directing is as surefooted as ever, as he creates confusion even among the viewers by implementing a bizarre dream/reality structure. The secretary's looks and attitude, for example, change in every dream and you never get to know the real her until the short movie's climax. "Rude Awakening" is low on explicit violence and bloodshed, but it oozes a dark atmosphere and most of the characters – especially the supportive ones – are pretty disturbing. It's a fantastic little film that'll keep you glued to the TV-screen for a good fifty minutes.

Denholm Elliot, Caught in Hammer-Dreamland

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 19 June 2009]

After the morbid second "Hammer House of Horror" episode, "The Thirteenth Reunion" already delivered a generous dose of dark comedy, this third episode "Rude Awakening" is yet another creepy tale with a delightfully macabre sense of humor. Out of all the H.H.H. episodes I've seen thus far (the first five), all of which I enjoyed, this one is probably the one with the wittiest and most original storyline. Denholm Elliot plays estate broker Norman Shenley, who finds himself caught in what seems to be a never-ending nightmare. On a Friday the 13th, Norman, who is having an affair with his sex secretary Lolly (Lucy Guttenridge), gets a call from an eerie voice telling him that he shouldn't have killed his wife (who is alive). This is when his nightmare begins... The episode has moments of genuine creepiness, but, predominantly, it is a bizarre dark comedy. The episode's ingenuity is, to a large part, due to Denholm Elliott, who is, as always, eccentric and great in his role. New Zealand actor James Laurenson is sinister in the role of the mysterious Mr Rayburn, and Pat Heywood fits well in her role as Norman's somewhat annoying wife, as does beautiful Lucy Gutteridge, who plays the foxy secretary/mistress. As the foregoing episode, "Rude Awakening" was directed by Peter Sasdy, who is known to Hammer fans for directing "Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1970), "Countess Dracula" (1971) and "Hands of The Ripper" (1971). Sasdy once again succeeds here, delivering an atmospheric, eerie and witty tale that Hammer fans should enjoy. Out of the first five episodes of "Hammer House of Horror", none has really delivered the chilling Gothic atmosphere that I love about Hammer's Horror films that they made between the mid 50s and late 70s. The episodes all had a certain charm of their own right, though, and they all were highly enjoyable to watch. Having seen the first five episodes, I have a feeling that the best of "Hammer House of Horror" is yet to come. I am especially looking forward to Episode 7, "The Silent Scream", both because it is reported to be the best episode, and (mainly) because it stars the immortal Peter Cushing, one of the very main reasons to love Hammer. This third episode is funny, bizarre and original and highly recommendable for Hammer fans.

Reality or Dream?

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 15 July 2006]

The real state agent Norman Shenley (Denholm Elliott) hates his old wife Emily Shenley (Pat Heywood) and wants to divorce her to marry his secretary Lolly (Lucy Gutteridge). When a new client wants to sell an old and isolated mansion, Norman begins to have odd nightmares, and he becomes confused between reality and dream. When Norman awakes, a surprise waits for him.

This intriguing episode has good screenplay, mixing reality with dream, but unfortunately a deceptive conclusion. Anyway this film entertains and I liked it. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Despertar Repentino" ("Sudden Awakening")

Note: On 02 Aug 2020, I saw this film again.

Dreams within dreams

[Prof-Hieronymos-Grost · 7/10 · 16 May 2009]

Norman Shenley(Denholm Elliott), a country estate agent, turns up for work on Monday morning, he quickly gropes his secretary Lolly (Lucy Gutteridge), whom he desperately desires to be with, once he gets rid of his old frumpy wife. Their unprofessional canoodlings are interrupted by the first customer of the day, who introduces himself as one Mr Rayburn(James Laurenson), who as the executor of a clients will, wishes Shenley to deal with the selling of his deceased clients property, one Lower Moat Manor, an old home some 15 miles north. So with a hand drawn directional map in hand, Shenley leaves right away to survey the property, having been left the keys by Raeburn. Once there he finds the keys don't work, but no matter as the large oak carved front door creaks open, hesitantly he proceeds in to commence his survey, the house is large and unlived in, but it is furnished and very dusty, seemingly having been left as it was before the owner strangely disappeared. Shenley lightheartedly talks into an old intercom and is surprised when he is answered, the voice tells him he "shouldn't have done it" Shenley asks who it is but again he gets the same reply, he questions what it is he shouldn't have done, the reply is that he "shouldn't have killed his wife", this unsettles him. Shenley pleads innocence from the unknown voice, saying he only just had breakfast this morning with his wife, the voice replies "you killed her on Friday the 13th". With that a dead body of a woman falls from a dumbwaiter, its his wife, in terror, Shenley flees the house...with a start he awakes in his bed at home, it was all a dream, somewhat relieved he sets off for work, where he tells Lolly his sexy secretary, the strange story of his bad dream, she tells him to go check on the house to see if its really there, to settle his nerves, Shenley agrees that that would be a good idea and anyway he says reaching in to his pocket, "I still have the map Raeburn gave me" Shenley and Lolly look at each other startled, how can this be? Rude Awakening it must be said messes with the viewers head more than once, as the viewer is continuously led to believe the present scene to be the reality an the previous one to be the dream, but director Sasdy, keeps pushing the dream sequences until they cross reference each other in a way that is frankly absurd but wholly intriguing. Shenley's nightmares truly do take on a reality as the characters that inhabit his life change drastically in each subsequent dream, this makes the deduction of which is the reality all the harder to work out. The Lolly character in particular goes from ditzy bimbo to punk rocker, to a very staid conservative character indeed, so the possibility that they do or do not have a relationship is also kept under wraps until the final scene. Elliott portrays the despair of a man increasingly losing control of his life and mind superbly, although his scenes with the rather delicious Gutteridge do seem a little forced and uncomfortable, perhaps due to his sexuality. There's some rather amusing scenes with Shenley and his wife, as they discuss his dreams and their impending divorce, that she apparently knows nothing about, Mrs Shenley, despite her frumpiness seems rather nice, intimations being that it is actually her that is the hard done by one in the relationship. Sasdy, a veteran horror director with some fine films behind him, holds it all together very well indeed, its pacing is spot on and the viewer never tires of the unfolding drama. There's a few good set pieces too, even one homage to Antonio Mercero's La Cabina(1972) where Shenley is trapped in a phone booth, another has him trapped in a block of flats that is being demolished by a wrecking ball. There is one alternative possibility to the supernatural link and that is that Shenley is told he has a tumour on the brain, so like in The Mark of Satan there is maybe a possible rational explanation for his odd behaviour and his ultimately tragic deeds, either way it leaves the ending somewhat open to interpretation. This is certainly one of the better episodes in the Hammer House of Horror and 70's fashions aside, it still seems very fresh.

Very Humorous & Entertaining Episode

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 8 July 2008]

This was a hoot!

"Norman Shendley" (Denholm Elliot, of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" fame), plays a man both haunted and delighted by his dreams. The dreams are so real that he, and we, aren't sure what's reality and what isn't. However, we can see the purpose of the "dream" as the story goes along: getting a man to murder his wife and run off with his hot secretary! The dreams are a combination of sexual fantasies and nightmares.

Regarding the fantasies, Lucy Gutteridge is the most fun to watch and gives a perfect demonstration on how wigs and clothes can make a woman look totally different. In each dream sequence, she's always "Lolly" but with a totally different look and character, although always the bimbo until the real and normal Lolly appears at the end. She does a great comedic job with this role.

James Laurenson's facial expressions as "Raburn" are funny and Pat Heywood gives a realistic performance as Norman's wife "Emily." She reminded me a bit of Anne Ramsey in "Throw Momma Off The Train," but not as gruff. Actually, the more the story went on, the less of a villain she appeared. She and Norman, frankly, deserved each other! I won't say more because I don't want to give away everything in this very inventive episode. I've only seen a few of these Hammer TV episodes, but this is my favorite so far.

This was a great mix of horror, comedy, fantasy and suspense, with a heavy emphasis on the humor.

Hammer House Of Horror: Rude Awakening (Peter Sasdy, 1980) (TV) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 20 October 2007]

This is the best episode in this series so far, a rather intriguing tale with a DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)-like cyclical structure and a definite surrealistic flavor. I'd even venture to call it Bunuelian, given its progression of dreams-within-dreams (a' la THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE [1972]) and the fact that the hero's dreamgirl – delightfully played by Lucy Gutteridge – exchanges her look every time she appears to fit his current state-of-mind (shades of THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE [1977])! Denholm Elliott is perfectly cast as the initially smug, then bewildered estate agent who receives a mysterious visitor about the sale of a remote old property – which sets him off on a nightmarish journey (with events seemingly occurring over a period of days, but it's eventually revealed that only a full day has passed). Entwined in this plot is his attempt to get a divorce from his unattractive middle-aged wife in order to take up with the firm's sluttish secretary: eventually, he can't discern dream from reality – and it all ends with his wife murdered, and the girl not as willing as he had believed! Other dreams involve the demolition of a block of flats which Elliott and his secretary happen to be surveying at the moment, and the operation on the hero for the removal of a brain tumor carried out by the mysterious client and assisted by Elliott's own wife and 'lover'!

Surreal, funny and very memorable.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 7 June 2023]

Estate Agent Norman Shenley receives a visit from a man called Rayburn, who's inherited a property known as Lower Moat Manor, when Shenley visits he enters into a nightmarish sequence, he wakes the following morning, but the lines between Reality and dreams are blurred.

This is exactly what happens when the balance of comedy and horror fusses together perfectly. Rude Awakening is one of the best, most memorable episodes of the series. Nightmarish, fun and very atmospheric, this one's a real winner.

You are made to question reality itself, you never feel settled into believing that the events before your eyes are real, you never know whether Norman is awake or sleeping, until the end that is, where he really does get a rude awakening.

There are some genuinely great horror sequences, I loved the scene where Norman visited Lady Studwick, that was so surreal, as was the survey of the block of flats.

Lolly's costume changes were attention grabbing, and helped to drive the story, her flair was such a contrast to Norman's dry demeanour.

A great performance from Denholm Elliott, he put in a memorable performance, James Laurenson and Lucy Gutteridge were both impressive.

9/10.

dream in a dream in a....

[trashgang · 6/10 · 5 May 2010]

The beginning is very weird, in fact it's just like the trailer of this episode. We see things happening that we couldn't place and even when the episode really starts you never know if it is happening of if we are in a dream. It's very well done, no special effects but it's the editing that makes this episode. You have to watch very closely to sort all things out. Once you do you will be fooled again. It reminded me a bit of what they did later in Hellraiser 6, there we were in dreams too and just when you think it's all over well... The performances are great here especially Lucy Gutteridge, she appears in all kinds of persons and even has to do some nudity if you watch quickly. Anyway, typical Hammer.

All I have to do is dream...

[canndyman · 9/10 · 29 November 2020]

This is yet another classic and well-loved episode from this TV series that spooked our Saturday nights back in the final months of 1980. This time the story concerns Norman Shenley (ably played by Denholm Elliott), a real estate agent who has designs on his pretty young secretary - the only problem being that he has a frumpy wife back home whom he's fallen out of love with, and will never agree to divorce him.

When a customer calls in one morning to ask Norman to look round a remote and crumbling old mansion he wishes to sell, Norman obliges. This seems to set off a series of bizarre episodes where Norman isn't sure what's real or what's fantasy - it all feels so real to him. All his fantasies seem to involve his young secretary dressing up in a variety of daring and sexy outfits which seem to reflect Norman's secret desires on her. Amongst all the fantasies, a mysterious voice keeps repeating 'why did you do it - why did you kill your wife'... even though his wife is clearly still alive and well back home. Will Norman ever escape this crazy time loop and get back into the real world?

This has always been one of my favorite episodes, and I never get tired of watching it. Denholm and Lucy Gutteridge are excellent in their roles - Lucy clearly having a lot of fun getting dressed up and immersing herself in her various guises. The old mansion is suitably creepy, and the slightly askew camera angles help to reinforce the slightly dreamlike quality of various scenes throughout.

All in all, another very solid and memorable episode of this excellent (and sadly short-lived) TV series that keeps you guessing right till the end.

Surreal dream episode

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 16 July 2015]

An odd, dream-like episode of the HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR TV series. RUDE AWAKENING stars the late, great Denholm Elliott in a role that seems to have been tailor-made for the actor. He plays a sleazy estate agent who can't keep his hands off his secretary and who harbours fantasies of butchering his nagging wife. He's disturbed by a recurring nightmare involving a body concealed in a posh manor house and a building falling down, and in the day to day course of his life that nightmare begins to come true.

Director Peter Sasdy contributes an effective dream-like atmosphere to the whole episode even if the plotting is a little vague. It's best watched as a series of sinister vignettes involving bizarre characters and haunting situations. I think my favourite scene involves the one being trapped on a building about to be demolished, which is effectively realised on what is obviously a very low budget.

Elliott is unsurprisingly strong as the lead, but the supporting cast also features some solid players, including Lucy Gutteridge who seems to get through more costume changes than Mr. Benn! There's a minor role for the ever-weird James Laurenson (THE MONSTER CLUB) and strong direction throughout which makes the slight story watchable.

A very fun and surreal episode of Hammer House of Horror

[Red-Barracuda · 7/10 · 6 February 2015]

A real estate agent has a series of inter-connected dreams where mysterious events happen. The only constants are him having an affair with his secretary, being informed from various sources that he should not have killed his wife, which he insists he hasn't and the presence of a mysterious stranger called Mr Rayburn.

Rude Awakening is the third episode of the 'Hammer House of Horror' TV series and it's the best so far. What really works most in its favour is its imaginatively told storyline. Its dreams within dreams framework allows for an agreeably surreal approach to the material where strange events can happen and nothing ever needs to entirely make 100% sense. In this way its dreamlike nature ensures that it has quite a nicely off-kilter atmosphere. It begins very oddly with a series of clips showing a montage of events yet to come not unlike a trailer for the episode and then it kicks into its strange plot-line.

There are several interesting vignettes in this one including scenes in a remote mansion, a telephone box and in a block of flats about to be destroyed by a wrecking ball. The really impressive thing is that unlike some much bigger budgeted movies it actually quite often successfully captures the weird abrupt absurdity of dreams. Director Peter Sasdy definitely needs to be given a fair bit of credit here, he was quite experienced in genre film-making at he shows a sure hand with this material. Also of note is Denholm Elliot who starred in a few other Hammer and Amicus productions in the 70's. He's very good here as the central character and the whole film revolves around him really, seeing as it's a psychological horror film in essence. He is also ably supported by Lucy Gutteridge who has fun playing an array of character types in her role as the secretary. She appears in various costumes and haircuts and is a constantly surreal presence. Anyway, events are eventually resolved in a somewhat satisfying manner, with a prologue that neatly ties everything together rather well.

Denholm Elliot & His Lolly

[Parks · 7/10 · 15 June 2019]

While not exactly the stuff of nightmares, it is good English macabre fun.

And nightmares are what it's all about. Denholm Elliot has a recurring dream about visiting a house, and hearing someone ask "Why did you do it?" before things all go pear-shaped for him.

But the dream recurs so often, he starts to wonder if he ever actually wakes up from it..

This imaginative conceit is played mainly for larfs. Denholm plays a swinging real estate agent who may or may not be having an affair with the woman of his dreams, his secretary Lolly. Lolly is a hoot, changing appearance with her every iteration, from Marilyn lookalike to Naughty Schoolgirl. And the phrase, "Why did you do it?" does become rather spooky after a while.

It won't necessarily chill the blood, but it may give you an early-80's chuckle.

Nice darkly comic episode

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 20 January 2017]

Real estate broker Norman Shenley (marvelously played by Denholm Elliott) suffers from a series of odd and disorienting dreams in which he murders his wife on Friday the 13th that are so real and intense that he starts to wonder if they are indeed true.

Director Peter Sasdy keeps the engrossing story moving along at a brisk pace, adroitly crafts an intriguing mysterious atmosphere, and maintains an engaging tongue-in-cheek tone throughout. Gerald Savoy's witty script mines a wickedly funny line in alternately saucy and pitch-black humor while making its way to a neat surprise conclusion. Moreover, it's acted with zest by a tip top cast: James Laurenson as the sinister Mr. Rayburn, Pat Heywood as Shenley's shrewish wife Lolly, and Eleanor Summerfield as the dotty Lady Strudwick. Special kudos are in order for the lovely Lucy Gutteridge, who portrays Shenley's sexy secretary mistress Lolly with deliciously sultry aplomb and appears throughout sporting a diverse variety of outfits and hairstyles. Frank Watt's crisp cinematography and Paul Patterson's moody score are both up to snuff. A real hoot.

Hammer Does Benny Hill

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 9 September 2013]

Norman Shenley has a series of nightmares which involve three common denominators , a mysterious man called Mr Rayburn , Shenley's secretary Lolly and the murder of Shenley's wife . Are these vivid nightmares easily explained or are they part of a self fulfilling prophecy about to come true ?

The two things I remember from this episode on my first viewing of it away back in 1980 was that the pre title sequence wasn't a teaser trailer but a montage of scenes from the episode itself and that the episode ending was a relatively smart plot turn . I should perhaps qualify my new opinion by stating that the twist ending isn't really a massive cop out that every screen writing guru warns you to avoid but the whole episodes function seems merely to exist to build up to that ending

That said this episode is relatively enjoyable but it's very much an episode of its time and culture . Benny Hill was a massively popular comedian and his shows were still event television in 1980 and one could believe this would work very well as a five minute Hill sketch . It does contain all the iconography of a man in late middle age having a nagging wife and sexual designs on his secretary who's young enough to be his daughter . Perhaps this should be bared in mind when watched in 2013

The small cast weren't going to be up for BAFTAs in 1980 but they are more than functional at playing their characters and Denholm Elliot's hyperactive performance in the last five minutes as he tries to convince Rayburn that it's only a dream is probably what made the episode stick in my mind . Lucy Gutteridge as Lolly is also good playing her character in multiple ways often sultry and sometimes as a virginal maiden . Don't be too puzzled why in one scene she appears at work dressed up as a schoolgirl because JIM'LL FIX IT and IT'S A KNOCK OUT were popular shows in those days and like I said you have to understand the cultural context it was made in

"You shouldn't have killed your wife."

[Hey_Sweden · 8/10 · 5 February 2023]

Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream?

In this enjoyable third episode of the short-lived series, Denholm Elliott ("To the Devil...a Daughter") plays Norman Shenley, a real estate broker suffering a series of nightmares that seem all too real. All these nightmares are connected, and, as they play out, he becomes incapable of distinguishing the nightmares from reality.

Elliott is once again a master at playing nervous and fidgety types, and he's a treat as this confused character who would *really* like to divorce his wife (Pat Heywood, "10 Rillington Place") and marry his secretary (the sexy Lucy Gutteridge, "Top Secret!").

The delightful Gutteridge, who is always seen in a different get-up, is a standout in this entertaining story that exploits the whole, ever-changing quality of dreams. Although the ultimate resolution is not exactly one that people can't see coming, getting there is still quite a bit of fun. The tale, scripted by Gerald Savory ("Young and Innocent"), is served up with relish by director Peter Sasdy ("Hands of the Ripper") and an excellent cast, also including James Laurenson ("The Cat's Meow") and Eleanor Summerfield ("The Watcher in the Woods"), some of whom play more than one role.

All in all, this series has so far proven to be well worth this viewers' time.

Eight out of 10.

Dream Theatre

[southdavid · 7/10 · 20 July 2020]

A classic Hammer mix of sex and horror for this third episode, and a second directed by Peter Sasdy.

Estate Agent Norman Shenley (Denholm Elliott) plans on leaving his wife to marry his glamourous secretary Lolly (Lucy Gutteridge). Mr Rayburn, executer for a late family's estate comes into the office and ask Norman to appraise an aging Manor House - which he immediately sets off to view. Upon his arrival he's met by a ghostly voice accusing him of murdering his wife, whose body then falls out of the dumb waiter. Then Norman wakes up. He's in bed with his very much alive wife, it was all a dream, or was it?

Denholm Elliott is great in his role as constantly befuddled Shenley. He's not a sympathetic character, a fact that is established in his infidelity and the way he talks (and manhandles) Lolly in the opening scenes. It seems inexplicable that she would have been attracted to him, it's not like he's rich, or handsome, but the storyline does have a good reason for it, that becomes apparent at the end. The real star is Lucy Gutteridge, her character is vastly different in each one of Shenley's dreams, and she runs through a series of outfits, make up changes and personality traits without ever betraying the character, or giving the game away too early.

If I'm honest, it's another one that's not particularly scary, instead playing up the titillation and humour, over genuine horror. That's not to say that some of the sequences aren't well realised, there's one scene when Norman and Lolly are trapped in a building that due to be demolished that is very well done. It's an entertaining hour.

Lolly is a Punk Rocker

[one9eighty · 6/10 · 28 September 2015]

Don't be put off by the pre-credits teaser, while it's bonkers and random it's just a look ahead to what you'll see as this episode unfolds - it's just a bit more intimidating that other teasers in the Hammer TV series range but believe me this gets a lot easier to watch and follow.

Denholm Elliot ("Raiders of the Lost Arc") plays Norman Shenley, an estate agent who is having weird nightmares which feature his wife (Pat Hayward) his sexy secretary Lolly (Lucy Gutteridge), and the mysterious Mr Raburn (James Laurenson). It all started when Mr Raburn turned up to sell an estate which he'd acquired, and culminates with insanity and murder. This is a typical Hammer feature and contains suspense, thrills, humour, and a touch of wobbly horror. Definitely worth a watch, if not only for Lolly's various disguises alone. Will Shenley be able to figure out what's real and what's part of his nightmare?

Six out of ten, harmless and fun.

"You shouldn't have killed your wife!"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 14 December 2021]

This is a decidedly offbeat and surreal episode in which a real estate agent experiences various scenarios primarily connected to a new listing he wants to make, but is constantly frustrated by weird circumstances that cause him to wake up in the middle of his nightmares. Every one of his dreams include his attractive secretary, though she appears in various garb and hairstyles that don't seem to faze him one way or another. In his delusional fantasy, Norman Shenley (Denholm Elliott) plans on leaving his frumpy wife (Pat Heywood) and marrying Lolly (Lucy Gutteridge), but is frustrated every time Mrs. Shenley refuses his request for a divorce. It all reaches a terrible climax for Norman when he resorts to smothering his wife with a pillow, at which point reality hits by way of police detective Rayburn (James Laurenson) arriving to take him into custody for her murder. His delusion is seconded by the secretary's avoiding his advances when things get sorted out in reality, a rude awakening that for all his effort, he never saw coming. There's not so much a sense of horror for this entry, as there is an appreciation of the absurd if you go for this kind of story.

Wacky and humourous

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 18 September 2022]

Norman Shenley, an estate agent, has a dream about murdering his plain, bad-tempered wife, which leaves him free to chase his secretary, Lolly. Later that day, at a scary old house called Lower Moat Manor, Norman hears a voice say ""You shouldn't have done it, Mr Shenley... You shouldn't have killed your wife"". That evening Norman kills his wife for real - but then he wakes up and finds it was all a dream again. Somehow, real life and fantasy are becoming intertwined...

Quite a bizzarre, wacky and humorous episode that boasts a fine performance by Denholm Elliott as the Estate Agent who is confused - as we viewers are - whether dreams are real or not, Lucy Gutteridge as his secretary who dons various garbs in the dreams, and Pat Heywood as the nagging wife. The ending is quite a hoot, though a little predictable.