The Other (1972)

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writers:

Tom Tryon (screenplay)
Tom Tryon (novel)

Release Date:

29 September 1972 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Niles and Holland are as close as twin brothers can be. Appearances can be deceiving... and deadly.

Plot:

Down in the farmcountry of the US two twins are born. One of them turns out to be good, while the other becomes rather evil.

Plot Keywords:

Spanking | Dead Children | Baby | Infanticide | Pregnant Sister

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Uta Hagen	...	Ada
Diana Muldaur	...	Alexandra
Chris Udvarnoky	...	Niles Perry
Martin Udvarnoky	...	Holland Perry
Norma Connolly	...	Aunt Vee
Victor French	...	Angelini
Loretta Leversee	...	Winnie
Lou Frizzell	...	Uncle George
Portia Nelson	...	Mrs. Rowe
Jenny Sullivan	...	Torrie
John Ritter	...	Rider
Jack Collins	...	Mr. P.C. Pretty
Ed Bakey	...	Chan-yu
Clarence Crow	...	Russell

Also Known As:

Otro, El (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
Andre, Den (Sweden) [sv]
Autre, L' (France) [fr]
Chi è l'altro? (Italy) [it]
Iblisin kurbanlari (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Kalman sormi (Finland) [fi]
Outro, O (Portugal) [pt]

Runtime:

108 min | 100 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:X (original rating) | USA:PG (Approved No. 23156) | UK:12 (DVD rating) | France:-16 | Finland:K-18 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Murphys, California, USA

Company:

Benchmark

Trivia:

As the film needed to take place during summer, the small town of Murphys, California, was substituted for shooting instead of on location in Connecticut.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Rider makes reference to the movie Murder in the Blue Room, but the film takes place nine years before Murder in the Blue Room was released.

Quotes:

Ada: It was only a game. We were playing a game, Doushka, like all the other games that we play. Only the time has come for all the games to stop. It is wrong, you see? Dangerous.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Good Son (1993)

Simply brilliant!

What can I say? This is an excellent film! I caught the beginning of "The Other" a few months ago on AMC, and of course, it was coming on late on a Saturday night...I didn't get to finish it, but what I saw intrigued me enough to look for the film. As I began to search the web, I found that the movie was based on an out-of-print book by Thomas Tryon. I picked up the book first, and was mesmerized! I also bought a copy for my mother, a bona-fide horror guru. I began talking up the book amongst my friends, many of whom were surprised that I claimed to be a horror fan and had never seen the film!

The movie has a definite look and feel to it, and Mulligan is to be commended for it. From the opening credits, featuring the incomparable Jerry Goldsmith's score, to the opening scenes in the woods, you know that no good is going to come of this. I won't spoil the film for those (and there's no doubt many) that haven't seen it. If you enjoy a good, solid psychological horror story, you will not be disappointed. If you're looking for blood and gore, don't bother.

There's solid performances from the twins, and of course, from Uta Hagen. My one true complaint comes from the ending...it seemed a little rushed, and deviated from the book too much, in a production that otherwise had followed the book quite faithfully. Tryon did write the screenplay himself, based on his own book, so how much can one complain about it? I just feel that the film would've benefited from another ten minutes, ending exactly like the book, including the surprising (and wide-open for interpretation) last chapter.

I adore discovering a film or book that I've never heard of, and, once discovering it, find that the movie has a lot of fans. This is another such movie. It deserves to be on DVD in the worst kind of way. Fans of thrilling, psychological, suspenseful movies will be well served by "The Other." If you haven't seen it, or read it, you should.