Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenplay: Jo Heims and Dean Riesner, from a story by Jo Heims
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walter, Donna Mills, John Larch
Running Time: 102 minutes
Genre: Thriller
In the picturesque Californian city of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Dave Garver (Eastwood) is a late night radio DJ . One night in a bar, Dave meets Evelyn Draper (Walter), a fan of his radio show, who calls up every night requesting the jazz standard "Misty". Dave and Evelyn have a one night stand, but Evelyn soon reveals herself to be an obsessive stalker. Dave, who is in the process of reuniting with his ex-girlfriend, Tobie (Mills), repeatedly rejects Evelyn, who becomes increasingly violent and dangerous.
This chilling psychological thriller marked Clint Eastwood's debut as a director. Looked at today, the film has dated, but by and large it holds up. Although largely written as a deranged obsessive, Jessica Walter gives her portrayal of Evelyn some real depth, playing her as a confused, vulnerable and hurt woman, crucially she is always a sympathetic, if terrifying, character, and there is real chemistry in her scenes with Eastwood. There is an interesting dynamic in that, while we never really fear for Garver, as he visibly struggles to contain his temper, we worry what he may do to Evelyn. Throughout much of the film Garver doesn't really take Evelyn all that seriously or seem particularly concerned about the real threat she represents to him. Mostly he treats her as a nuisance. Directed largely in a straightforward, unflashy style, the film allows the tension to build up effectively, and at times it looks like a quasi-documentary, particularly the scene at the Monterey Jazz Festival. One sequence which really feels out of place though, is the love scene between Garver and Tobie, where lyrical shots of nature and this beautiful verdant forest culminates in the two of them having sex in a isolated natural pool, all to the strains of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack, and ends up looking a bit like the cover of a paperback romance novel.
Veteran director Don Siegel, who made several films with Eastwood and was one of the biggest influences on his filmmaking style, has a small role as a bartender.
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