In 1964, Samantha Eggar co-starred alongside Donald Pleasance in Dr. Crippen. Vased on a true story, the film deals with a man with an unpleasant wife who begins to have an affair with his secretary, a much younger woman. He ends up killing his wife to be with her and then attempts to leave Britain with his young lover, but of course all does not go as planned.
Samantha Eggar portrays Ethel Le Neve, the younger woman who engages in an affair with Dr. Crippen (played by Doanld Pleasance). She does not know that he killed his wife to be with her and eventually Dr. Crippen convinces Ethel to dress up as a boy so they can leave the country together without arousing suspicion. Samantha Eggar displays an androgynous side in her performance which I had never expected but now seems obvious.
Dr. Crippen was Samantha Eggar's first movie after abandoning television to focus solely on the cinema. Previosuly, she had appeared in two other feature films (The Wild and the Willing and Doctor in Distress) and had made a handful of UK TV guest appearances, perhaps most notably on Ghost Squad and The Saint. Dr. Crippen was a nice start to her proper film career and indeed her early roles are often considered by many to be her best. Her portrayal as Ethel Le Neve is wonderful and great contrast to the over-the-top performance of Coral Browne as Dr. Crippen's wife.
Here are some images of Samantha Eggar in Dr. Crippen:
