Four Sided Triangle

Four Sided Triangle
Directed by	Terence Fisher
Produced by	Michael Carreras Alexander Paal
Written by	Paul Tabori William F. Temple (novel)
Starring	Stephen Murray Barbara Payton James Hayter John Van Eyssen
Music by	Malcolm Arnold
Cinematography	Reg Wyer
Edited by	Maurice Rootes
Production company	Hammer Film Productions
Distributed by	Astor Pictures (USA) Exclusive Films (UK)
Release dates	25 May 1953
Running time	81 minutes
Country	UK
Language	English
Budget	£25,000[1]

Four Sided Triangle is a 1953 British science-fiction film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Stephen Murray, Barbara Payton and James Hayter. It was made by Hammer Film Productions at Bray Studios.

The film dealt with the moral and scientific themes (not to mention "mad lab" scenes) that were soon to put Hammer Films on the map with the same director's The Curse of Frankenstein. Four Sided Triangle has most in common with Fisher's Frankenstein Created Woman (1967).

Synopsis

The film opens with Dr. Harvey (or "Doc" as he is known to the locals) relating to the audience an odd tale that took place in his peaceful village.

Bill and Robin are boyhood friends who compete for the affections of Lena, a beautiful girl about their own age. In adulthood, the two men collaborate on the invention of the Reproducer, a machine that can exactly duplicate physical objects.

Lena comes back into the picture, reviving the childhood feelings in the two men. As she didn't succeed in her own making a living, they make her help them in the developing of their invention: the Reproducer of every matter. They live in an enthusiastic time of work. Until they succeed. Bill confides Dr. Harvey that he's in love with Lena, but doesn't have the courage to tell her, asking him to talk to her. Dr. Harvey promises to do so, but to let him choose the right moment. Meantime Robin's father has talked to government-influential relative with the purpose to expand with the Reproducer. Robin and Lena announce their wedding-purpose. After the ceremony they leave for a honeymoon. Bill stays with his sorrow. But continues to develop further the Reproducer, succeeding in create a living rabbit. When Robin back from the honeymoon, leaves for London to follow the things about the Reproducer, Bill asks Dr. Harvey and Lena to help him reproduce another Lena. She will have the name of Helen and after a few weeks happiness, she finds out, that not only she looks like Lena and thinks like her, but she also feels like her, being not Bill the man she loves, but Robin.

Bill decides his last chance is to use electro-shock to change Helen's feeling.

Helen agrees to give it a try, and Bill convinces Lena to help him with the procedure, manipulating some of the electronic equipment. The process seems to work, but the apparatus overheats and explodes, causing a terrific fire.

Robin arrives with Dr. Harvey, who has explained the situation to him, and manages to rescue a woman from the fire. Bill and the other woman perish in the flames.

There is some tension around the idea of which woman Robin has saved, Lena or Helen, especially when Dr. Harvey discovers that the woman has no memory. However, Dr. Harvey recalls that Bill had had to start Helen's heart with a device that he attached to the back of her neck, leaving two scars. Robin is relieved to find that there are no marks on the neck of the woman he has rescued: It is Lena.

Production details

Four-Sided Triangle was an early effort by Hammer Studios. The laboratory set is very impressive; it contains a mix of realistic gadgetry – an oscilloscope, functioning gauges, etc. – with the transparent domes, flashing lights, and electrical paraphernalia that are so dear to movie studio art directors. The picture relies on a minimum of trick photography. There is one brief and poignant shot of Helen (the duplicate woman) wistfully peering through a window at Lena (her template) who is looking at Robin. This camera set-up (a double exposure) is the only moment in the entire film when Lena and Helen are both shown onscreen at the same time.

Differences from the novel

Four-Sided Triangle features some differences from the original novel by William F. Temple. In the novel, the duplicate (named Dorothy and nicknamed Dot) falls into depression for being married with Bill while she's in love with Robin. She has a breakdown and has to go on vacation with Bill to recover. When they return, Bill starts working on a power generator which explodes, killing him. Lena tries to convince Robin to accept both her and Dot, but he refuses. A couple weeks later, Lena and Dot have an accident while diving on a river. One of them dies and the other is seriously injured. Dr. Harvey and Robin are startled when they discover that the surviving woman can't recall anything after the duplication, and suppose she's repressing all the painful memories, so she must be Dot. Dr. Harvey finds in Bill's notes about the marks on Dot's neck and tells Robin, convincing him that the survivor is Lena.

In an epilogue, he reveals that he also discovered a note in which Bill recalls that, during vacation, Dot had undergone plastic surgery to erase the marks, but destroyed it so Robin and Dot can be happy.

Cast

• Barbara Payton (Lena Maitland/Helen)
• James Hayter (Dr. Harvey)
• Stephen Murray (Bill Leggat)
• John Van Eyssen (Robin Grant)
• Percy Marmont (Sir Walter)
• Glyn Dearman (Bill as a child)
• Sean Barrett (Robin as a child)
• Jennifer Dearman (Lena as a child)
• Kynaston Reeves (Lord Grant)
• John Stuart (Solicitor)
• Edith Saville (Lady Grant)

Source

Hearne, Marcus & Jonathan Rigby. Four Sided Triangle: Viewing Notes (accompanying R2 DVD release)

References

External links

• Four Sided Triangle at the Internet Movie Database