This isn't the Martin Scorsese-directed remake, but the gripping and tension-laden original thriller by Bristol-born J. Lee Thompson about an embittered ex-con, played by Robert Mitchum, terrorising the frightened family of the meek lawyer (Gregory Peck) who put him in prison.

Great shocks transform into climactic suspense, with Mitchum giving a truly visceral portrayal of villainy.

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