Zwischen Haß und Liebe (1955)

Zwischen Haß und Liebe: Directed by Arthur Lubin. With Stewart Granger, Jean Simmons, Bill Travers, Belinda Lee. In early 1900s England, a maid tries to blackmail her master into romancing her when she discovers he murdered his wife.

“Fascinating British drama, notable for having two depraved, totally unlikeable protagonists–a murderer and the blackmailer who loves him. All the trimmings are here for perfect Late Late Show credentials: Gothic mansion, bickering servants, thick fog, the portrait over the fireplace, poison, blood stains, secret letters, a clueless blonde ingénue, a hooded figure in the dark…but filmed in lush Hammer-style color, rather than a more appropriate b/w, which gives the film a ghoulish modern edge. Stewart Granger and Gene Simmons get high marks for underplaying this vile pair…particularly Simmons, who nails her final scene. What a great, unsung actress.”