Review of House of Whipcord (1974) by Stuart K — 23 Apr 2012

Produced and directed by Pete Walker, who did a lot of naughty horror films in the 1970's, mainly ones with more sex than scares, he turned out this really nasty and disturbing one. But it's a social commentary on the rise of moral guardians like Mary Whitehouse, and it shows what could happen if people like her got their way.

It makes for uncomfortable viewing. It begins when model Anne-Marie Devernay (Penny Irving) meets the mysterious Mark E. Dessart (Robert Tayman) at a party, and they begin a relationship and Mark takes Anne-Marie to meet his parents.

But, it turns into a nightmare when it's revealed that Anne-Marie has been thrown into a correctional facility, ran by the elderly and near-senile Justice Bailey (Patrick Barr) and warden Mrs. Wakehurst (Barbara Markham), who run their own prison for those who have escaped justice.

There's other girls in there, being tortured by Bates (Dorothy Gordon) and Walker (Sheila Keith). But, it's not long before Anne-Marie's flatmate Julie (Ann Michelle) and her boyfriend Tony (Ray Brooks) are out looking for her, but Anne-Marie manages to escape, but not before Mrs.

Wakehurst starts to lose her mind with power. This film is a warning of why moral guardians should never get their way, you could imagine those horrible people doing stuff like this. It's a very nasty film, and director Pete Walker had his fingers on the pulse of moral panics the UK at that time, and he was bang on the money.