Monday 3 July 2023

Wait Until Dark (1967 Terence Young)

A neatly worked out story, from a play by Frederick Knott, does have certain moments where 'the plausibles' (as Hitch referred to them as) will complain. Audrey Hepburn is good as blind woman - though you could argue she has one hysterical breakdown too many. And the raison d'être was to see a young Alan Arkin, who's also good as psychotic criminal. He had made a hit with his earlier performance in The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming - and an Oscar nomination.

Recognised but couldn't place the other criminals - Richard Crenna (all sorts, The Sand Pebbles) and Jack Weston (Cactus Flower, A New Leaf, The April Fools). The husband is Effrem Zimbalist Jr, the useful girl Julie Herrod (she was the only one originally in the Broadway production).

To answer my own question, Mancini had two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart - a very memorable and disconcerting effect - I love an out-of-tune piano, don't ask me why.

Very brilliantly lit by Charles Lang. (The fifth time he had photographed Audrey.)








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