How Awful About Allan is a 1970 American made-for-television horror psychological thriller film directed by Curtis Harrington, the first of two collaborations with writer Henry Farrell (the other was What's the Matter with Helen?

Allan had accidentally left some cans of paint thinner near a heater which caught fire.

Allan is suspicious and afraid of the new boarder and when he begins to hear his name being whispered and partially sees a dark figure coming to get him, wonders whether he is crazy or whether someone is really out to get him.

While she drops books back at the university library, she leaves Allan alone in the car and he thinks he hears the whispering again.

After further incidents with the blurry, whispering figure – and Allan cutting himself with a knife upon being startled by a delivery boy at the kitchen window – Katherine tries to persuade him to see the psychiatrist again.

The cab driver turns out to be Eric, Katherine's boyfriend, who has a croaky whispering voice which he attributes to a cold.

He finds that a fire has been set within, but douses it with some flour and manages to break the door down and wrestle with the shadowy attacker.

She confesses that she had the scar from the fire removed, but says that it should have remained there as a brand to show all the world Allan's crime: the "murder" of their father, "the greatest man who ever lived."

After some time has passed, Allan comes home and talks to Olive, who is preparing dinner for them.

[3] Perkins had special contact lenses made that he could barely see through, so he would be nearly blind while filming his scenes.