W (1974)

This slick, suspenseful tale of terror is about Katie Lewis (Cockney ex-model Twiggy), an emotionally fragile young woman, and her loving, overprotective husband Ben (Michael Witney), whose lives are smashed by her past.

When Katie leaves her California beach house and starts her car to go shopping, she loses control as the throttle sticks, and the car demolishes the carport. Then, Ben is almost killed when the brakes on his car fail.

They both find the letter “W” scrawled in the dust on their cars. Katie also finds the initial written in the steam on her shower room door . . .

The couple tries desperately to lead a normal life, but Katie has nightmares, shows signs of instability, and keeps alluding to someone called “Billy”.

Private detective Charles Jasper (Eugene Roach) wanders in from nowhere, offering help.

Meanwhile, Katie’s first husband, William “Billy” Caulder (Dirk Benedict) – a violent psychopath in jail for murder – is transferred to a minimum security rehabilitation centre that permits him to spend afternoons working in the town near their house.

Ben is eventually imprisoned for the murder of Billy, but Billy is not dead . . .

It’s no award-winner, but the actors do a solid-enough job as they slowly reveal the mystery of their past while figuring out the mystery of their present situation.

Katie Lewis
Twiggy
Ben Lewis
Michael Witney
Charles Jasper
Eugene Roche
William “Billy” Caulder
Dirk Benedict
Arnie Felson
John Vernon
Lt. Whitfield
Michael Conrad
Investigator
Alfred Ryder
Betty
Carmen Zapata
Paul
Dave Morick
Guard
Ken Lynch
Prison Official
Peter Walker

Director
Richard Quine

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