Home

Sian Barbara Allen, Ted Bessel, Bette Davis
For a movie that purports that at least one member of the cast is pretty, it’s sadly misleading. Don’t get me wrong, Peggy (Sian Barbara Allen) does imbue that certain something but alongside frumpy artist Jeffrey (the normally cute Ted Bessel) and his should-already-be-dead mother, Mrs. Elliot (Bette Davis), there’s not much competition.

Peggy is an impulsive but sweet natured college student who finds employment taking care of Mrs. Elliot. But it’s really Jeffrey that she longs to give a sponge bath. When a strange man shows up looking for his daughter, who was last spotted at the Elliot’s, Peggy insists on being more than helpful. Jeffrey finally confesses that his sister, who supposedly was touring Europe, actually lives in the old apartment above the garage and seems she don’t cotton to no strangers. Undaunted, Peggy sets out to befriend the loon, but before you can say, “Norman Bates, party for two”, she soon learns Mummy does know best.

An unforgettable movie for all the wrong reasons and some of the right ones too. The scaled down production is quite lush and brimming with chills and atmosphere. Jeffrey’s devilish sculptures are also quite haunting and actually play a hand in the finale. But the tone is so campy that Scream, Pretty Peggy can sometimes make 74 minutes feel like a lifetime. Luckily, Bette keeps up the pace with her trademark wide-eyed hysteria and whispery commands.

Recap by Amanda By Night