THE COUCH

Following the overwhelming success of Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO (1960), psychological thrillers were all the rage with every major (and many minor) studios rushing to capitalize on the trend while it was still hot by producing as many "psycho" like films as possible in a relatively short period of time. And while Alfred Hitchcock wasn't about to do another "psycho" film, the author who wrote the original novel on which Hitchcock's masterpiece was based, was suddenly in high demand. 

Robert Bloch labored in the pulp magazine jungle for years writing many classic horror, science fiction and fantasy yarns for many years before striking it rich when Hitchcock purchased the movie rights to PSYCHO. Although Bloch continued to write fiction in the 1960s and 1970s, it was as a screenwriter that his work reached the widest audience and for which the horror writer became a household name. 

After PSYCHO, Bloch wrote the screenplays for the following films: THE COUCH (1962), THE CABINET OF CALIGARI (1962), STRAIT JACKET (1964), THE NIGHT WALKER (1964), THE SKULL (1965), PSYCHOPATH (1966), THE DEADLY BEES (1967), TORTURE GARDEN (1967), THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1971) and ASYLUM (1972). 

THE COUCH is the story of Charles Campbell (Grant Williams), a disturbed young man undergoing psychoanalysis under the care of Dr. Janz (Onslow Stevens). Campbell is in love with Dr. Janz's niece, Terry Ames (Shirley Knight) but he presents an entirely false persona to the young woman. In reality, Campbell is a psycho killer who calls the police every night to announce his next murder, crimes which always occur in a crowd of Los Angeles citizens at precisely 7:00 p.m. 

As Janz gets closer to the truth about Campbell, he becomes the next victim of "The Stabber" but Campbell's initial attempt only results in the doctor being gravely wounded, leading to a tense finale in a hospital as Campbell stalks his prey in and out of surgery. 

THE COUCH is crisply lensed by cinematographer Harold E. Stine and features several sequences shot on the night time streets of Los Angeles. The supporting cast includes two actors who were regulars on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW: Hal (Otis Campbell) Smith and Hope (Clara) Summers. 

Grant Williams is good as Campbell. His other genre credits include THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957), THE LEECH WOMAN (1960) and his best know film,Jack Arnold's masterpiece, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957). Onslow Stevens appeared in such genre classics as THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL (1941), HOUSE OF DRACULA (1945) and THEM! (1954). 

THE COUCH is nothing earth shattering but it is a well produced little thriller from the typewriter of the legendary Robert Bloch, which makes it well worth watching for horror fans.