The Stepmother (1972 film)
| The Stepmother | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Howard L. Avedis |
| Screenplay by | Howard L. Avedis |
| Produced by | Howard L. Avedis |
| Starring | Alejandro Rey John Anderson Katherine Justice Larry Linville Marlene Schmidt |
| Cinematography | Jack Beckett |
| Edited by | Ralph J. Hall Tony De Zarraga |
| Music by | Audrey Granville |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Stepmother is a 1972 comedy-drama film[1] directed and produced by Howard L. Avedis and released theatrically in the U.S. by Crown International Pictures. It stars Alejandro Rey as an architect who murders a client he suspects is having an affair with his wife.[2]
Plot
Margo Delgado (Katherine Justice) seduces her stepson, Steve Delgado (Rudy Herrera Jr.), while murder and other complications arise.[3]
Cast
- Alejandro Rey as Frank Delgado[4]
- John Anderson as Inspector Darnezi[4]
- Katherine Justice as Margo Delgado[4]
- David Garfield as Goof (John D. Garfield)[4]
- Larry Linville as Dick Hill[4]
- Marlene Schmidt as Sonya Hill[4]
- David Renard as Pedro Lopez[4]
- Claudia Jennings as Rita[4]
- Rudy Herrera Jr. as Steve Delgado[4]
- Priscilla Garcia as Maria[4]
Production
Crown International Pictures changed the name of the film from Impulsion to The Stepmother.[5]
Music
Sheet music and lyrics for Strange Are the Ways of Love by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster.[4]
Critical response
Reception
Leonard Maltin, writing in Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, gave the film one-and-a-half-stars, commenting that, "Rey is okay as anti-hero of this cheapie murder-suspenser in the Hitchcock mold."[6] Timothy Shary wrote in Teen Movies: A Century of American Youth that teen culture of the 1970s indulged on underage sex with taboo tales.[7] Noel Murray of The A.V. Club wrote, "The Stepmother turns into a middle-aged beach-party movie for a while".[8]
Awards
Composer Sammy Fain and lyricist Paul Francis Webster were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Strange Are the Ways of Love at the 47th Academy Awards.[2][9]
See also
References
- ^ Laycock, John (January 31, 1974). "Film theatre program snares features". Windsor Star. Postmedia Network. p. 56. ISSN 0839-2277. Retrieved August 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "The Stepmother (1972)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
- ^ Waldman & Turim 2023, p. 61.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Young 2000, p. 828.
- ^ Fisher & Walker 2016, p. 117.
- ^ Maltin 2008, p. 1317.
- ^ Shary 2023, p. 973.
- ^ Murray, Noel (June 21, 2010). "The Stepmother (1972)". The A.V. Club. Paste Media Group. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "The 47th Academy Awards – 1975". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. April 8, 1975. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
Sources
- Maltin, Leonard (2008). Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide. New York City: Plume. ISBN 978-0452289789.
- Shary, Timothy (2023). Teen Movies: A Century of American Youth (eBook). New York City: Columbia University Press. p. 973. ISBN 978-0231556361.
- Diane Waldman; Maureen Turim, eds. (2023). Desire and Consent in Representations of Adolescent Sexuality with Adults (eBook). Milton Park: Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1000960709.
- Austin Fisher; Johnny Walker, eds. (2016). Grindhouse: Cultural Exchange on 42nd Street, and Beyond (eBook). London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1628927467.
- Young, R. G. (2000). The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film: Ali Baba to the Zombies (Paperback). Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1557832696.
External links