1964's "The Edge of Fear" is a low budget Spanish thriller that found its way on to Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater on Mar 25 1972, paired with first feature "Picture Mommy Dead," equally matched films focusing on dysfunctional families, though from two different cultures. Shot in black and white and not issued for three years, "The Edge of Fear" is a literal translation of its Spanish title "El Filo del Miedo," its director/co-writer, Jaime Jesus Balcazar, known in the US for his involvement with "Superargo Against Diabolicus" and Christopher Lee's "The Castle of Fu Manchu," plus a number of European Westerns. Attention is focused early on, as Don Cesar de Urdaz (Jose Calvo) toasts his offspring around the table, checking off his disappointment with each one before revealing that he received an anonymous letter announcing his imminent death that very evening. Eldest son Carlos (Fernando Cebrian) is a spineless weakling married to frightened Julia (Mercedes Borque), younger brother Javier (Oscar Monzon) is a mediocre medical student in love with Elena (Sara Lezana), beautiful ward of gardener Sebastian (Carlos Lemos), while sister Amelia (Yelena Samarina) had disgraced the family years ago by giving birth to a son out of wedlock. Cesar is a tyrannical patriarch feared by everyone, Julia imploring husband Carlos to leave his ancestral estate to start a family. By morning Don Cesar has disappeared, and local inspector Don Antonio (Jorge Llopis) remains baffled that he too received a note announcing the death of the missing Cesar. The suddenly aggressive and overbearing Carlos becomes obsessed with finding his father's will, only to vanish himself the following night. Amelia's now adult son is considered a suspect, then she too falls victim to the unknown culprit, lured outside by someone she obviously knows and trusts. The abrupt conclusion was correctly guessed by this viewer, who was still enthralled by its quietly chilling atmosphere, such earnest efforts only now reemerging after decades of obscurity.
