Claude Akins was one of the greatest tough guy actors. For forty years his scowl and sneer made for a top notch guest villain on numerous TV shows. He graduated to starring in the trucker drama Movin’ On and The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo. He was a prime-time icon in the 20th century. Yet his greatest performance took place after the late news when Shadow of Fear appeared as part of ABC’s Wide World Mystery. He finally had a chance to play the ‘70s detective role like Cannon, Rockford and Barnaby Jones. When given the shot, he shined in the role. Aiken’s almost forgotten performance is finally back with the release of Shadow of Fear & Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest – Mystery Movie Double Feature.
Shadow of Fear is a dark family drama. Danna Forester (Anjanette Comer) comes home from a night out with her friend (Tom Selleck). They discover her house has been torn apart. The only thing missing are a few monogram items. This turns out to not be a one time event. Her husband (Jason Evers) can’t get real help from the police so he brings his plant security chief (Claude Akins) into the trouble. He’s an ex-cop who had to enter the private sector for personal reasons. He doesn’t want the case, but the boss throws a bonus at him. Akins gets too involved with the wife and gets dirt on his boss. But does the security guard really have a clue what’s going down? Akins is superb in this low budget mystery. He looks the cheap detective part in the snazzy ‘70s fashions. He unleashes the heartbreak when he uncovers the fatal clue. This is Akins’ finest hour.
Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest is a legal nightmare. A family wakes up in the middle of the night to what they fear is a home invasion. But after the family is restrained, they discover the attackers are the local narcotics squad who swear the family is dealing heroin. The dad (Green Berets‘ Jim Hutton) swears he’s innocent. Turns out he is innocent since they busted the wrong address on the search warrants. However the head of narcotics (Peter Mark Richman) doesn’t want his raid to be seen as screw up. He plants a few bags of heroin in their house. They become the poster children for the new heroin pushers in the city. He uses them as his stepping stone to being police commissioner. After posting bail, the family finds their house wrecked and the neighbors wanting to dish out their own justice. The family’s only hopes are in a cop that feels this raid wasn’t right and the assistant D.A. (Mariette Hartley). This story deserved to be remade as a real movie in 35mm in the late ‘70s. There’s a lot of punch in this video version with Jim Hutton giving a masterful performance as the confused father.
Shadow of Fear & Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest feature highlights of Claude Akins and Jim Hutton’s career. It is a shame that they were part of ABC’s “Wide World Mystery.” The low budget reflects in how they feel like afternoon soap operas shot on video with non-expensive sets. The scripts have more depth than the average soap. Akins and Hutton don’t play it cheap.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are from the videotape. They don’t look too bad with enough details in the classic ‘70s fashions. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. Levels won’t have you reaching for the remote.
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Shadow of Fear & Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest were made as late night network filler, but aren’t cheap fluff. Executive producer Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows) made sure audiences were entertained after the 11 o’clock news. Claude Akins has his great cheap detective role in Shadow of Fear. Jim Hutton digs deep into the father who is the victim of a police cover up in Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest. These are two unsung performances that deserve your attention.
Dark Sky Films presents Shadow of Fear & Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest. Starring: Claude Akins, Tom Selleck, Jim Hutton and Mariette Hartley. Executive Producer: Dan Curtis. Running Time: 135 minutes. Released on DVD: May 18, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
