The Sleeping Tiger 1954

Hold-up thwarted outside Esmond's home

In the streets of London at night, Frank Clemmons pulls a gun to hold up Dr. Clive Esmond outside his affluent home. The doctor overpowers Clemmons, ending the robbery. The encounter foreshadows the unusual and controlling dynamic that will follow.

Clemmons becomes a houseguest

Arriving home from Paris, Esmond's wife Glenda discovers Clemmons staying in their house as a household guest. Clemmons agrees to stay to avoid police attention and acts as a human guinea-pig for Esmond's psychoanalysis. The arrangement sets the stage for a dangerous psychological experiment.

Psychoanalysis begins

Esmond conducts regular analysis sessions with Clemmons, aiming to uncover the root causes of his criminal behaviour. The sessions probe Clemmons' past and motivations, testing his willingness to change. Clemmons submits to the process, though trust remains fragile.

Rides with Glenda

Between sessions, Clemmons goes riding with Glenda, who is initially aloof toward him. The rides become a space where tension and attraction begin to blur the boundaries between patient and wife. The growing closeness complicates the doctor-patient dynamic.

Jewellery theft by Clemmons

One night Clemmons leaves the house with a fellow criminal to steal jewellery. A police inspector later interviews him about the crime, but Clemmons denies involvement. The incident marks Clemmons's first act of criminal activity outside the psychoanalytic setting.

Police interview; denial

The police interview Clemmons about the jewellery theft, and he steadfastly denies committing it. The denial reinforces the clinic-like distance he maintains from the consequences of his actions. The exchange deepens the tension between truth and performance in the relationship.

Metro nightclub and dangerous attraction

Clemmons takes Glenda to the Metro, a hip nightclub in Soho, where her conflicted attraction to him deepens. The environment sparks a more intimate tension between them. Their dynamic hints at an affair that will threaten the household’s balance.

Confrontation and kiss

The next day Glenda admonishes Clemmons for his violent behavior toward Sally, but their argument ends with a passionate clinch. The moment signals the beginning of an illicit bond between them. The line between husband and substitute father blurs further.

Esmond discovers the affair

Initially oblivious, Esmond eventually finds Glenda in a compromising position with Clemmons. The revelation shatters the doctor’s sense of order and deepens his sense of complicity. Glenda's guilt and desire create a volatile triangle.

Dangerous drive home

Back at the Metro or on the way home, Clemmons makes a careless remark that pushes Glenda toward a breaking point. They drive recklessly as a police car pursues them, but they manage to escape. The escape underscores their fragile control over the situation.

Sally's fiancé confrontation and the second robbery

Sally's fiancé visits to complain about the abuse she has suffered from Clemmons and threatens to tell the police. Esmond buys him off with £100, causing Clemmons to realize the scheme. Enraged, Clemmons carries out another robbery.

Interrogation and Clemmons's past

During questioning, Esmond lies on behalf of Clemmons to protect him. Clemmons recounts his tyrannical father and the punishment he endured, explaining why he has felt condemned. Esmond concludes that Clemmons has been inflicting punishment on himself since his father's death.

Esmond becomes a paternal figure

Esmond increasingly acts like a father figure toward Clemmons, and Glenda grows intensely jealous of their bond. Clemmons is urged to consider eloping with Glenda, but he chooses a different path. The tension foreshadows the ultimate surrender to law.

Clemmons decides to turn himself in

With the psychoanalytic experiment completed and patterns understood, Clemmons decides to turn himself in to the police. He makes a quiet, final choice to accept accountability for his crimes. Esmond’s professional distance now collides with his personal concern.