The Haunting

1969 United Kingdom

Children can sometimes have an instinct for situations that are beyond the grasp of their young minds. Twelve-year old Cathy (Christine Rees) somehow knows that the trouble with her father, Rolf (John Thaw) is more complex than the deep and natural grief he feels-and which she too has felt-over the death of her mother.

It is 10 months now since the fatal car accident, and Rolf is not getting over it. He has withdrawn from all social contacts and has wrapped himself in a cocoon of memories that imprison his mind in the past. Cathy's teacher, Kate (Suzanne Neve), to whom she tries to explain her home situation, is an old friend who has her own reasons for staying away since the tragedy. But Kate can't resist the child's plea - especially as she believes that some, at least, of Rolf's memories of his wife and his marriage are rooted more in illusion than in reality.

The Haunting by Ian Curteis was a one-off play presented as part of ITV's Saturday Night Theatre on 28 June 1969.

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Published on April 3rd, 2020. Written by Based on original TV Times article and adapted for Television Heaven.

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