In the unsettling J. Lee Thompson thriller Return From The Ashes, world-class chess player and charming womanizer Stanislaw Pilgrin (Maximilian Schell) schemes for the fortune of his long-thought-dead wife Dr. Michele (Bergman muse Ingrid Thulin). Her reappearance sets in motion a dizzying series of lies and deceits not just between her and Stanislaw, but also involving her cold-hearted stepdaughter Fabi (Samantha Eggar), who wants her share of the money as well as Stanislaw for herself! This psychodrama, set in the shadow of a tragedy that upended so many identities, breathlessly pushes the limit on disbelief with its’ high-wire play-acting, much to the benefit of any viewer.
Marc Edward Heuck writes about Cape Fear on the New Beverly blog.
Chris D explores director J. Lee Thompson’s extensive career on the New Beverly blog.
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