Too Scared to Scream (1984) Synopsis

In New York City, Cynthia Oberman (Victoria Bass) returns home to the Royal Arms apartments, having left her companion, Barry Moyer (Beeson Carroll), frustrated after refusing to have sex with him. Vincent Hardwick (Ian McShane), the night doorman, escorts her to the elevator, and later, Moyer returns to the Royal Arms and asks Vincent to keep watch on Cynthia, and report to him if she leaves the building. Meanwhile, as Cynthia takes a shower, someone enters her home and hides in her closet. After her shower, Cynthia opens the closet and is stabbed to death by the unseen intruder. The next day, her body is found in the clothes dryer by her housekeeper, Mamie.Lt. Alex Dinardo (Mike Connors) arrives to investigate, and speaks with daytime doorman, Edward (Chet Doherty). Dinardo informs his former colleague, Jack (Murray Hamilton), who dated Cynthia, that she has been killed, and Jack admits he was drinking and cannot remember his whereabouts the night before. Lt. Dinardo interviews doorman, Vincent Hardwick, at his home, where he lives with his mute, invalid mother (Maureen O'Sullivan). He reports that nothing unusual happened the night before, and Dinardo informs him of Cynthia's death. Vincent's odd behavior arouses Dinardo's suspicions, and he assigns policewoman Sgt. Kate Brady (Anne Archer) to follow the doorman.In time, Lt. Dinardo tracks down Barry Moyer, and finds the man bound and gagged in his home. Dinardo unties him and questions him about Cynthia. Barry accuses his driver, Lyman Nelson, and Dinardo discovers that Nelson has a lengthy police record.That evening, an elderly tenant is murdered in her apartment at the Royal Arms by the same unseen killer. Before the woman's body is found, Sgt. Kate Brady follows Vincent to a dive bar after his shift ends. Vincent's uppity attitude disturbs the bar owner, who refuses to serve him a drink, prompting Vincent to assault the bartender. While Kate reports the incident to Dinardo, they learn of the second murder.Sometime later, Dinardo approaches Lyman Nelson on the street, but Nelson flees, and Dinardo pursues him on foot. With Kate's assistance, Nelson is taken into custody. When two more victims, Sydney Blume (Sully Boyer), and his escort, Nadine Pepper (Karen Rushmore), are murdered at the Royal Arms, Dinardo realizes that Nelson is innocent, and returns to question Vincent, who was on duty when the murders occurred. However, with no evidence, Dinardo cannot make an arrest.After hitting a dead-end with the investigation, Lt. Dinardo reluctantly asks his love-interest, Kate, to act as a decoy and move into murder-victim Cynthia Oberman's apartment, posing as her cousin. Meanwhile, Vincent tells his mother about the murders, and breaks down in tears.Kate moves into the building under the alias 'Kate Bridges' while her surveillance team settles into a room on a different floor. Vincent gives Kate a bouquet of flowers, and welcomes her to the Royal Arms. She offers to buy him a cup of coffee to repay his kindness, but he declines, not wanting to leave his mother alone. Police watch Vincent's every move and enter his home when he is away to search for evidence. However, they find nothing incriminating except for stage-makeup and costumes from his days as a theater actor.While visiting the park, Vincent sees Kate and introduces her to his mother. Kate realizes just how lonely he is, and offers her friendship. Later, over a romantic dinner with Dinardo, Kate is offended when he implies that she is too soft-hearted. In time, evidence of stage make-up is found on one of the victims, and Dinardo is convinced that Vincent is the killer. He telephones Kate, but she misses the call. She returns home and speaks to her backup team over a listening device, but it is the killer who listens in on the other end. When the unseen villain cuts the power to Kate's apartment and attacks her, she escapes and runs to find her surveillance team, but she enters their room to find the body of a detective hanging behind the door. Meanwhile, Dinardo races to protect her.The killer chases Kate and jabs his knife at her through a crack in the door. After he ceases, Kate hesitantly leaves, trying to escape the building. She encounters Vincent in the stairwell and hits him over the head. Returning to her apartment, she finds Dinardo. Together they follow Vincent to his home, where the doorman packs a suitcase and tells his mother they need to leave. She wheels into his bedroom with a knife on her lap.Dinardo and Kate enter the house, with guns drawn. Dinardo discovers Vincent's murdered body, and the killer stabs him in the back. While Kate heads upstairs, the attacker pushes the wheelchair toward her, knocking her down the staircase, and chases after her, wielding a knife. Kate hides in the basement where she finds the murdered body of Vincent's mother. She soon comes face to face with the killer: Edward, the daytime doorman, dressed in women's clothes. He tells Kate how he performed in English theater with Vincent. He fell in love with him, but Vincent did not return his affection. She learns that Edward's jealousy caused the automobile accident that resulted in Vincent's mother becoming crippled, and that Vincent fled to America to get away from Edward. However, after several years, Edward found Vincent in New York City, and got a job at the Royal Arms to be near him. Edward's jealousy prompted the serial murders. As Edward prepares to murder Kate, Dinardo comes to her rescue, shooting Edward dead. Kate and Dinardo embrace.

In New York City, Cynthia Oberman (Victoria Bass) returns home to the Royal Arms apartments, having left her companion, Barry Moyer (Beeson Carroll), frustrated after refusing to have sex with him. Vincent Hardwick (Ian McShane), the night doorman, escorts her to the elevator, and later, Moyer returns to the Royal Arms and asks Vincent to keep watch on Cynthia, and report to him if she leaves the building. Meanwhile, as Cynthia takes a shower, someone enters her home and hides in her closet. After her shower, Cynthia opens the closet and is stabbed to death by the unseen intruder. The next day, her body is found in the clothes dryer by her housekeeper, Mamie.Lt. Alex Dinardo (Mike Connors) arrives to investigate, and speaks with daytime doorman, Edward (Chet Doherty). Dinardo informs his former colleague, Jack (Murray Hamilton), who dated Cynthia, that she has been killed, and Jack admits he was drinking and cannot remember his whereabouts the night before. Lt. Dinardo interviews doorman, Vincent Hardwick, at his home, where he lives with his mute, invalid mother (Maureen O'Sullivan). He reports that nothing unusual happened the night before, and Dinardo informs him of Cynthia's death. Vincent's odd behavior arouses Dinardo's suspicions, and he assigns policewoman Sgt. Kate Brady (Anne Archer) to follow the doorman.In time, Lt. Dinardo tracks down Barry Moyer, and finds the man bound and gagged in his home. Dinardo unties him and questions him about Cynthia. Barry accuses his driver, Lyman Nelson, and Dinardo discovers that Nelson has a lengthy police record.That evening, an elderly tenant is murdered in her apartment at the Royal Arms by the same unseen killer. Before the woman's body is found, Sgt. Kate Brady follows Vincent to a dive bar after his shift ends. Vincent's uppity attitude disturbs the bar owner, who refuses to serve him a drink, prompting Vincent to assault the bartender. While Kate reports the incident to Dinardo, they learn of the second murder.Sometime later, Dinardo approaches Lyman Nelson on the street, but Nelson flees, and Dinardo pursues him on foot. With Kate's assistance, Nelson is taken into custody. When two more victims, Sydney Blume (Sully Boyer), and his escort, Nadine Pepper (Karen Rushmore), are murdered at the Royal Arms, Dinardo realizes that Nelson is innocent, and returns to question Vincent, who was on duty when the murders occurred. However, with no evidence, Dinardo cannot make an arrest.After hitting a dead-end with the investigation, Lt. Dinardo reluctantly asks his love-interest, Kate, to act as a decoy and move into murder-victim Cynthia Oberman's apartment, posing as her cousin. Meanwhile, Vincent tells his mother about the murders, and breaks down in tears.Kate moves into the building under the alias 'Kate Bridges' while her surveillance team settles into a room on a different floor. Vincent gives Kate a bouquet of flowers, and welcomes her to the Royal Arms. She offers to buy him a cup of coffee to repay his kindness, but he declines, not wanting to leave his mother alone. Police watch Vincent's every move and enter his home when he is away to search for evidence. However, they find nothing incriminating except for stage-makeup and costumes from his days as a theater actor.While visiting the park, Vincent sees Kate and introduces her to his mother. Kate realizes just how lonely he is, and offers her friendship. Later, over a romantic dinner with Dinardo, Kate is offended when he implies that she is too soft-hearted. In time, evidence of stage make-up is found on one of the victims, and Dinardo is convinced that Vincent is the killer. He telephones Kate, but she misses the call. She returns home and speaks to her backup team over a listening device, but it is the killer who listens in on the other end. When the unseen villain cuts the power to Kate's apartment and attacks her, she escapes and runs to find her surveillance team, but she enters their room to find the body of a detective hanging behind the door. Meanwhile, Dinardo races to protect her.The killer chases Kate and jabs his knife at her through a crack in the door. After he ceases, Kate hesitantly leaves, trying to escape the building. She encounters Vincent in the stairwell and hits him over the head. Returning to her apartment, she finds Dinardo. Together they follow Vincent to his home, where the doorman packs a suitcase and tells his mother they need to leave. She wheels into his bedroom with a knife on her lap.Dinardo and Kate enter the house, with guns drawn. Dinardo discovers Vincent's murdered body, and the killer stabs him in the back. While Kate heads upstairs, the attacker pushes the wheelchair toward her, knocking her down the staircase, and chases after her, wielding a knife. Kate hides in the basement where she finds the murdered body of Vincent's mother. She soon comes face to face with the killer: Edward, the daytime doorman, dressed in women's clothes. He tells Kate how he performed in English theater with Vincent. He fell in love with him, but Vincent did not return his affection. She learns that Edward's jealousy caused the automobile accident that resulted in Vincent's mother becoming crippled, and that Vincent fled to America to get away from Edward. However, after several years, Edward found Vincent in New York City, and got a job at the Royal Arms to be near him. Edward's jealousy prompted the serial murders. As Edward prepares to murder Kate, Dinardo comes to her rescue, shooting Edward dead. Kate and Dinardo embrace.

Published Time: 2021-09-26 05:02:00