' The screenplay (by Harry Ruskin and Niven Busch) was based on the controversial first novel/pot-boiler (1934) of he same name by notorious writer James M.To many Westerners, it seemed a paradise.Another world, a secret world.But the war in neighboring Vietnam burst its borders, and the fighting soon spread to neutral Cambodia.He crawled a few feet before Jason ripped the spike up through his spinal cord(# 3 death).Nick invited Tina next door to the party, where she met, among others:"resident writer" Eddie (Jeff Bennett) - an aspiring science-fiction novelistspoiled, stuck-up, bitchy rich kid blonde Melissa (Susan Jennifer Sullivan)dope-smoker David (Jon Renfield)unattractive, homely and self-respecting nerd Maddy (Diana Burrows)her sexy pothead friend Robin (Elizabeth Kaitan)an African-American couple: Ben (Craig Thomas) and his black girlfriend Kate (Diane Almeida)Suddenly, Tina experienced a premonition-hallucination of Jason ("the man thing in the lake") killing Michael with a metal spike.Both versions of the film (UK in 1940 and US in 1944) were adapted from Patrick Hamilton's long-running, London staged play-melodrama (premiering in December of 1938), first presented under the titleGas Light.