''The Full Treatment'' (also known as ''The Treatment'' and ''Stop Me Before I Kill!'') is a 1960 black-and-white, British thriller film directed by

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer, for whom he direct ...

and starring Claude Dauphin,

Diane Cilento Diane Cilento (2 April 1932 – 6 October 2011) was an Australian actress. She is best known for her film roles in ''Tom Jones'' (1963), which earned her an Academy Award nomination, '' Hombre'' (1967) and '' The Wicker Man'' (1973). She also r ...

and Ronald Lewis. It was based on the 1959 novel ''The Full Treatment'' by Ronald Scott Thorn.

Plot

English racing driver Alan Colby and his wife Denise were involved in a bad accident a year ago. Although they are both physically well, Alan struggles with mood swings and is increasingly violent. The couple go to the Cote D'Azur on vacation where they meet Dr. Prade, a psychiatrist who also hails from London. Prade and Denise talk about her troubled marriage, which angers Alan. After a fight, the couple reconcile and return to London. Once back home, Alan attempts to strangle Denise and is horrified by his dark impulses. She begs him to seek help from Prade, and he reluctantly agrees. In an early session, Prade presses Alan to reveal how he would kill Denise. Alan confesses all the details of his fantasy, which includes strangling Denise in bed, dismembering her body, and dropping the pieces down a disposal chute in their apartment building. After many sessions, Prade concludes that Alan thought, in the moment of the car crash, he had killed Denise and has been reliving those feelings ever since. Alan is ecstatic when Prade declares him cured. Alan awakes the next morning and is surprised to find Prade in his apartment. He returns a key that Denise gave him when Alan was at his most dangerous. The men realize that Denise is gone. Prade pieces together clues, all of which resemble Alan's murderous fantasy, and they fear that he killed Denise while in a psychotic

fugue state Dissociative fugue (), formerly called a fugue state or psychogenic fugue, is a mental and behavioral disorderDrs; that is classified variously as a dissociative disorder,Dissociative Fugue (formerly Psychogenic Fugue) 'DSM-IV 300.13, Diagnost ...

. Prade attempts to take Alan to a clinic but gets in a car accident on the way there. In the confusion, Alan escapes back to southern France. While lying low, he spots Denise and Prade on a yacht. Prade has deceived Denise into taking a vacation while believing that Alan is under intense psychiatric care. Alan appears with a gun at Prade's house, believing that Prade and Denise conspired against him. Prade tells Alan that he has been in a clinic for 10 days, causing Alan to question his sanity once again. Denise, however, finds an estimate for repairs to Prade's car and realizes that he slaughtered his own cat to stage the murder scene to deceive Alan. When she confronts Prade, he reveals his love for Denise and attempts to escape on an old

gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate sup ...

. The cable snaps. and Prade is killed. Alan and Denise are reunited, but solemn after their ordeal.

Cast

* Claude Dauphin as David Prade *

as Denise Colby * Ronald Lewis as Alan Colby * Françoise Rosay as Madame Prade * Bernard Braden as Harry Stonehouse * Katya Douglas as Connie * Barbara Chilcott as Baroness de la Vailion *

Ann Tirard Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in th ...

as Nicole *

Edwin Styles Edwin Styles (13 January 1899 – 20 December 1960) was a British stage comedian, pantomime actor, radio and TV performer and film actor. Partial filmography * ''Hell Below'' (1933) - Herbert Standish - Flight Comdr. * '' On the Air'' (1934) - Ed ...

as Doctor Roberts * George Merritt as Mr. Manfield

Critical reception

* ''The New York Times'' wrote "the British have concocted a snug, tautly-strung little thriller called "Stop Me Before I Kill!"...Mr. Guest's package is a small one, but trim and adroitly tied. The contents are worth waiting for." * ''The Radio Times'' wrote "at times the writer/director, Val Guest, seems to think he's making a

Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

picture but he needs more than glamorous locations for that. He also needs

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

and Ingrid Bergman." * ''TV Guide'' noted "suspenseful direction and a beautiful Riviera location."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Full Treatment, The 1960 films 1960s thriller films British thriller films 1960s English-language films Films directed by Val Guest Films based on British novels Films about psychiatry Films set on the French Riviera Films shot at Associated British Studios Hammer Film Productions films Films about marriage Uxoricide in fiction 1960s British films