Two-faced Killer: A Modern Thriller

From the collection of

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia

The East Anglian Film Archive, the UK's first regional film archive, offers a unique record of the East of England's social and cultural history. As part of the University of East Anglia, we continue to lead moving image heritage research and inspire audience participation through community projects and events. Our collections represent a broad range of amateur and professional creativity, from 1896 to the present day.

Two-faced Killer: A Modern Thriller

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia
1 Jan 1951
Silent
4m

Amateur award-winning dramatic thriller influenced by 1940s Universal Horror movies and made by husband and wife team John and Dede Wright.

A horror thriller with a plot twist, Two-faced Killer, was shot on 9.5mm film by non-professional filmmakers, husband and wife John and Dede Wright. A Jekyll and Hyde tale, it was the winning entry in the Pathescope Drama Competition in 1951. With clear influences from the Universal horror movies of the 1940s, the film employs special effects makeup, trick photography, and quick cutting to elicit the psychopathy of the lead character.

A truly collaborative affair from the Wright family; Dede Wright provides the story, husband John directs and plays Jekyll, and John's father Alfred Wright plays Hyde. John Wright was a keen amateur filmmaker. He was a founder member of the Westcliff Cine Club, he wrote for “Movie Maker” magazine and was one of the organisers of the “Ten Best” amateur filmmaking competition.

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From the collection

Amateur Auteurs

Ever dreamed of shooting your own movie? These pre-digital cine-enthusiasts did - with all the passion and devotion of the true auteur.

These low- (or no-) budget creations reach beyond simple point-and-shoot, back-garden efforts towards something more ambitious and skilful, revealing their authors' passion for film and their often astonishing ingenuity with limited resources. No desktop editing software or digital special effects for these amateur auteurs. The films include fiction and documentary, competition prizewinners and private labours of love. They may be the work of cine-clubbers or individual enthusiasts. But they all show a devotion to filmmaking that far transcends hobbyism. So look out for the delightful handmade intertitles, table-top special effects and library soundtracks which decorate many of the quirky stories, ultra-local documentaries and painstakingly composed home movies featured here.