Alex da Silva Friends Pamela Franklin (Jane) and Michele Dotrice (Cathy) are on a cycling holiday in rural France when they fall out. Dotrice is fed up with Franklin's strict timetable and decides to stay on and sunbathe at the edge of some wooded land alongside a road whilst Franklin continues on to the next village. She gets to a secluded café and hangs out there for a while before going back down the road for her friend. When she arrives at the wooded area, Dotrice is nowhere to be found. The film follows Franklin as she tries to find her friend. There aren't many options open to her as the landscape is one long road. You go one way…..or you go the other way….and nobody has seen Dotrice.This film is filled with tension and is pretty scary. I found myself thinking how easily this incident could actually happen. Where is her friend? Once we meet the rest of the sparse cast, we doubt everyone and are clueless as to who to trust. Even though we know that Michele Dotrice must be around somewhere because she later gets together with Frank Spencer (Mmmm…….Betty..) in British sitcom madness "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em", we definitely fear the worst for her.The cast do a good job – both lead girls deliver their dialogue realistically, especially to each other as they fall out. I found out after watching the film that Pamela Franklin played "Flora" in my favourite ghost film "The Innocents" (1961). Wow – never even crossed my mind that it was her! The only character flaw comes with the mysterious Sandor Elès (Paul) who keeps suspiciously appearing. That's not the problem – it's his manner for the end sequence which is unrealistic. He shouldn't be acting like that. But, it keeps the tension going right up to the film's end. I'd like to say that I guessed correctly, but I was never 100% sure! No gore in this, thank goodness, but a few scares and a creepy atmosphere.

MARIO GAUCI Two British girls vacationing in rural France find themselves at the mercy of a sex maniac. This somewhat arty and slow-burning suspenser on THE LADY VANISHES lines was production designer-turned-director Fuest's third directorial effort and his entrée into the genre in which he specialized for the rest of his relatively short but stylish film career. Co-written by Brian Clemens (the creator of TV's THE AVENGERS – on which series Fuest served in both capacities) and Terry Nation (the creator of TV's DOCTOR WHO), the film hardly proves as fanciful as such credentials would suggest; in fact, it is agreeably streamlined and reasonably well sustained by an eerie atmosphere, glossy visuals and Laurie Johnson's evocative score. Although somewhat undercast as befits its low-key setting, the film is peopled by vivid characters: from increasingly distressed star Pamela Franklin to ambiguous helper/stalker Sandor Eles and from stranded British schoolmistress Clare Kelly to wide-eyed gendarme John Nettleton. Disappointingly, when the climactic confrontation eventually comes about towards the very end, the surprising villain is disposed of very quickly with just one blow to the head! The film was unnecessarily and inauspiciously remade in 2010 – which version is available to view in its entirety on "You Tube" – but I have not bothered with it myself.

GUENOT PHILIPPE I did not know this film. I found the remake, set in Argentina, but the genuine item, I just discovered it two days ago. It could have been a Jean Rollin film, that takes place in the deep France, in the middle of the french countryside, where two gals on journey encounter some problems with the natives. And what natives...The characters are almost all weird, as (the late) Jean Rollin did so well. But it is not Jean Rollin who made it. No, it was the AVENGERS (TV show, the most British known of all time) who gave us this gem. See for yourself: Brian Clemens as screenwriter, and Robert Fuest as director. And when you watch closely this movie, and also when you are a AVENGERS fan as I am, you agree that the way of filming, the music score, the atmosphere, everything reminds us the famous TV series. Everything. It takes place in rural deep France, but in the British way...Very strange, but interesting too.A real gem.And look out for Jean Carmet !!!

Noirdame79 As a fan of classic horror (including that of the 70s part of the genre) as well as a fan of Pamela Franklin, I had been wanting to see this film for several years and finally got a DVD copy. Robert Fuest, who directed another favorite of mine, "Wuthering Heights" (1970), did a masterful job at conveying the quiet menace and isolated feeling of dread. Two young British nurses, Jane (Franklin), and Cathy (Michele Dotrice, daughter of Roy, sister of Karen), are on a bicycling holiday in rural France, where, unbeknownst to them, a murder of young woman tourist took place a few years before. The assailant was never caught. They are blissfully ignorant of this fact, and a mysterious young man, Paul (Hungarian actor Sandor Eles) catches Cathy's eye when the girls make a stop at a small cafe. Of course, it becomes apparent to the viewers that Paul knows more about the murder than he lets on. He shadows the girls for a while, even visits the cemetery where the unfortunate victim is buried. As to whether or not this is a deliberate red herring or not is revealed as the story progresses.Jane and Cathy make another stop on the side of the road several miles down from the cafe and rest for a while on the edge of some pretty thick woods. They get into an argument and Jane leaves in a huff, while Cathy finds herself vulnerable to possibly the perpetrator of the aforementioned crime, in a frightening scene that lets one imagine the terror. After a little time has passed, Jane begins to grow concerned for her friend and regrets leaving Cathy alone. However, she is nowhere to be found. The locals seem to know something but as they don't seem to speak English and Jane knows very little French, her confusion and apprehension becomes that of the audience as well. The local British schoolteacher (Clare Kelly) believes that the killer was also a tourist. Paul claims to have worked on the case and offers to help Jane, but her suspicions and his sketchy behavior cause our young heroine to flee from him and try to get assistance elsewhere. The title of the movie is actually very appropriate, despite the fact that the story takes place in broad daylight. The fact that the later the day grows, the darker it will eventually get, signalling doom and possible death. There is also no violence or blood until the climax. Who is the murderer? Paul? One of the townspeople? The local police officer (John Nettleton)? Or has Cathy simply decided to play a joke on her friend? This movie will keep you guessing. Very nice cinematography as well, and the music is quite good, with the exception of the opening and ending credit tune, a bit bizarre considering the tone of the film.Pamela Franklin never really got the credit she deserved as an actress: she was so convincing in everything I saw her in. Here she is believable as a young nurse caught in a terrifying trap in an unfamiliar country. Dressed simply but nicely throughout, she has a doe-like quality here which makes her seem all the more vulnerable. Michele Dotrice is lovely as well (wish she could have been seen more in films). The late Sandor Eles was unknown to me at the time, but quite good. While not overly menacing or devastatingly handsome, he did possess an interesting charisma. All of the actors cast helped add to the aura of atmospheric suspense."And Soon The Darkness" was recently remade, and no doubt, the Hollywood version will most likely make everything more graphic and obvious. It seems they are running out of ideas. I probably don't have to tell you that I don't think much of remakes in general.The DVD: The film's theatrical trailer, radio spots and talent bios are included, as well as commentary by director Fuest, screenwriter Brian Clemens and Christopher Lee biographer Jonathan Sothcott. I rate the commentary as okay but I don't know why they bemoan the fact that they did not cast a different actor to play Paul. Did they have someone else in mind? I would like to have heard more about Pamela Franklin as well. Some commentaries I like to listen to more than once; this isn't one of them. It could have been better, but it's not the worst commentary I've ever heard.In conclusion, this is one suspense film you can watch during the day and still get a good scare. Recommended.