Fragment of Fear

Fragment of Fear is a 1970 British thriller film directed by Richard C. Sarafian and starring David Hemmings, Gayle Hunnicutt, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Roland Culver, Flora Robson and Arthur Lowe. It was adapted from the 1965 novel A Fragment of Fear by John Bingham. Plot Tim Brett (Hemmings) is visiting his rich but estranged aunt (Flora Robson) in an Italian coastal hotel catering mainly for old ladies. On a tour of Pompeii visitors find the body of his aunt - who has been strangled. An elaborate funeral follows. At the funeral Tim has a conversation with Signor Bardoni, the hotel owner, who organised the funeral. He says it is ironic that his aunt has been killed by a criminal when she had spent her life "helping criminals". A card on a wreath at the funeral says it is from "The Stepping Stones". He is a former drug addict who has written a book about his experience and has been published. He has been clean for about a year. He had recently become acquainted with his aunt (Robson), a philanthropist who expresses interest in helping some of Tim's former acquaintances. She is found murdered soon after. Tim starts a relationship with Juliet (Hunnicutt), the woman who found his aunt's body, and they are soon engaged.