THE NANNY is one of a slew of psychological thrillers put out by Hammer Films, perhaps better remembered than some thanks to the star presence of Bette Davis as the titular character (she was, of course, riding high on a series of similar roles after WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?). This one is surprisingly old-fashioned in tone, and it was also the last film made in black and white by the studio. It's a small scale battle of wits between Davis' kindly nanny and her youthful, tearaway charge, played by William Dix to the obnoxious hilt. Other actors like Wendy Craig, James Villiers and Pamela Franklin feel like mere window dressing to what is in essence a two-hander between Dix and Davis. The film works well as a psychological drama, with a lot of depth and clever reveals as the story goes on, but it's not much of a thriller so it's a good job the psychology is so spot-on. The biggest surprise is just how sympathetic all of the cast are given their sometimes frightful characters.
Review of The Nanny
