Shadows of Fear: At Occupier’s Risk (ITV 19 Jan 1971, with Anthony Bate)

In At Occupier’s Risk Judith, a young woman travelling alone, spends the night at a hotel run by Mr and Mrs Darbon. Even before her stay Judith is feeling out of sorts – a hitchhiker she picked up along the way proved hard to get rid of with only a threat to call the police doing the trick.

Judith seems to be the only resident in the hotel and Mr and Mrs Darbon are also acting rather strangely. Judith learns that the Darbons are actually in the process of selling the hotel and only take in the occasional guest.

Judith discovers a sinister secret in a locked part of the hotel which leads to a pay off you definitely don’t see coming.

As with most of the Shadows of Fear episodes the explanations and pay offs when they come lay in this world rather than the other worldly.

There are excellent measured performances from the three leads but the overall feel is somewhat spoilt by some very dodgy model work of the outside of the hotel and the uses of none too impressive looking chromakey.

production details
UK / ITV – Thames / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Monday 19 January 1971 at 9.00pm

Writer: Richard Harris / Production design: Bernard Spencer / Director: Peter Duguid

Series: Shadows of Fear Episode 3 (of 11)

cast
Gemma Jones as Judith
Tom Chadbon as Hitchhiker
Anthony Bate as Darbon
Annette Crosbie as Mrs Darbon
John Swindell as Postman