Review of Persecution

Let's get one thing straight. I'm a huge Lana Turner fan. So even if I didn't particularly like this movie, chances are I would probably defend it anyway. Don't get me wrong, PERSECUTION(AKA: THE TERROR OF SHEBA and THE GRAVEYARD) is by no means a good movie, but as far as low-budget horror movies go, I've seen much worse. Turner stars as a ruthless woman who, with the aid of her beloved cat, makes life miserable for her spineless son(Ralph Bates) and his bewildered bride(Suzan Farmer), until her son finally decides he's had enough and gives his mom and her precious kitty their comeuppance. The suspense lags in places, and the plot is not terribly interesting, but any horror film that unites two pros like Lana Turner and Trevor Howard has to have something going for it. Admittedly, Turner isn't perfectly suited to her role. This is the kind of grotesque, no holds-barred histronics that would appeal to an easily carried away actress like Bette Davis or perhaps Joan Crawford. But, at least Turner has some fun with it. It's all so juvenile that it would be kind of hard to not enjoy it a little. One thing is for certain: Turner's presence gives this somewhat plodding film a much needed touch of class and classic Hollywood glamour.