All The Kind Strangers (1974)

A photographer (Stacy Keach) traveling from New York to California by car is going through rural Tennessee when he gives a 7 year old boy (Tim Parkison) a lift home. But when he arrives there, he finds the children have no parents except "mother" (Samantha Eggar), who like him gave a child a ride home only to find herself a prisoner. Will the two adults be able to escape from this diabolical hillbilly family? Directed by Burt Kennedy (SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF), the premise of this borderline horror film has infinite possibilities. Alas, the film seems to want to downplay the horror possibilities in favor of a more social message if the snoozer of an ending is any indication. This is a film that could use a remake with an edgier script and an ending that provides more of a kick. Keach is saddled with a rather boneheaded character that can't seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation but Eggar provides a nice contrast as a woman biding her time and keeping her wits about her. There's a nice score by Ronald Frangipane. With John Savage and Robby Benson.