Pretty Poison

Ever since this corrosive tale of insidious madness and deceptive innocence in Small Town USA, buffs have sought out Noel Black's other work (mainly for TV), vainly hoping to find something as good. The film is blithely written by Lorenzo Semple Jr, who suddenly proved at a stroke that he was worthy of more than the script consultant's job on Batman. And the performances are great. Perkins' role, as a dedicated fantasist employed at a chemical factory, treads on Psycho ground without ever causing the usual feelings of déjà vu; but Tuesday Weld is the film's linch-pin, brilliantly playing a girl whose drum-majorette demeanour hides the most amazing emotions. In a word, recommended.