Wait Until Dark (1967)

A classic thriller, truly one of a kind
Wait Until Dark is hands down one of my very favorite thrillers of all time, while not a horror movie the final act plays out in horror movie fashion and it's quite obvious many horror filmmakers were inspired by it. If I were to rate my favorite horror movies Wait Until Dark would appear even if not a true horror movie. This is one of those movies that once the suspense and tension kicks in it never let's up. Wait Until Dark has this great eerie and dreadful feeling and the fact almost the whole movie is set in a house it can possibly get boring due to that. One primary setting is very tough, and the makers of Wait Until Dark pull it off to near perfection.

The screenplay written by Robert & Jane-Howard Carrington was excellent one of the finest screenplays for any suspense/thriller. They take their time and develop the character of Susy Hendrix played by Audrey Hepburn. The rest of the characters are excellent as well. All the characters are develop well you get a feel of what they are like, but a little more could have been done with a couple. The one complaint I normally hear is why the villains didn't just rip the place a part for the doll. Granted that would possibly make more sense since Susy is blind not much she could do.

But where would the fun be in that? Either they find the doll or they don't find the doll. When dealing with movies like this you must suspend your disbelief some what. Actually that goes for almost any movie. If everyone did what they are supposed to it wouldn't nearly be as much fun. Bottom line is certain things happen and while they might lack some logic or happen to easy it doesn't hurt the movie one bit. When dealing with this type of flick you have to overlook certain things.

The only other complaint is why Roat played brilliantly by Alan Arkin always come back to the house in a disguise; since Susy is blind she wouldn't be able to tell what he looked like. Well common sense; he does that so nobody in the neighborhood would recognize him. I always thought it was fairly obvious why he would do that. The mental torture Susy is put through was well done and you can really feel for her. Wait Until Dark does move slightly slow, but not in a bad way. The writers take their time and develop the characters mostly Susy, so by the time the plot starts to go full force we have come to know Susy and that makes everything the more traumatic.

Director Terence Young does an amazing job; his scenes are all well paced and always moves the movie forward either in plot or character and once the suspense really starts to kick in it's actually one of the best I have ever seen. Several times while watching the movie I was on the edge of my seat. Even on multiple viewings it still holds up well. The final act is quite scary and horrific, which I'll touch upon later. This is very Hitchcock like, but dare I say better? The suspense is some of the best you'll find and Terence Young delivers big time. He had a clear vision and it works brilliantly.

Audrey Hepburn is one of my very favorite actresses; while I have seen a whole lot of her work I have seen enough to like her. Even before I saw any of her movies I was a fan. She was so beautiful and this charisma and charm that she has draws you to her and that's what makes what Susy goes through even worse. Seeing poor Audrey Hepburn terrorized makes it even more suspenseful. Audrey Hepburn was actually nominated for an Oscar for this movie. How she didn't win is beyond me. Her performance rates as one of my all time favorites.

The cast was top notch; Jack Weston as Sgt. Carlino and Richard Crenna as Mike Talman both provide excellent performances. I'm a big fan of both actors and they were a joy to watch. Hepburn may be the star, but Alan Arkin is simply amazing. He's calm and cool, but a total psychopath and plays 3 roles and it's quite clear he was having a blast doing it. Some people complain about Sam Hendrix played by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. saying that he was too cold. I totally disagree; after an accident left her blind, all Sam is doing is trying to teach her how to be dependent. Instead of doing everything for her he wants her to learn. And by him doing that in the end that is what saved Susy's life by not depending on other people to take care of her despite being blind.

What I love so much about this movie is Susy who hasn't been blind very long and has to adjust to a new life. The villains think it's gonna be an easy task, but what she lacks in sight she makes up for in hearing and she's able to realize something isn't right. My only slight complaint is she's too trusting of Mike. Some people are very trusting and at first she has no reason to suspect him, but when she realizes something isn't quite right with Roat and Carlino she really should have suspected Mike, but it's an easy flaw to overlook.

The final act to this movie is actually quite terrifying, like I said this isn't a horror movie, but does have horror movie elements or what would later be horror movie elements. It comes down to Roat and Susy and the showdown is quite chilling. By this time we have come too really like Susy and the fact it's Audrey Hepburn I suppose even if she wasn't developed we would still feel for her. What I love is how she takes out all the lights and its total darkness. Roat is now in a sense blind as are we the viewer. The final act Susy is pretty much the final girl, which horror movie fans should know that term.

The showdown is downright chilling even though I already knew the outcome I was still on the edge of my seat. I kept moving around I couldn't sit still due to the suspense. Wait Until Dark also features one of the greatest jump scenes ever. I don't care how many horror movies or thrillers you have seen; even the most hardcore of fans are bound to jump. I won't give it away, but when it happens you'll know it. Even having seen the movie before I always jump at that, the first time I saw it I nearly had a heart attack. You know it's coming, but it still gets you.

In all the reviews I have read I very rarely hear anyone mention the score by Henry Mancini; the score is one of my favorites actually and really adds to the suspense and tension and in many ways helps elevate the movie to an even higher rate of suspense. The score is very chilling.

Wait Until Dark is one of the all time great chillers and still holds up well. Sure there might be a silly moment or two, but this movie is downright creepy and very suspenseful. It starts off a bit slow, but never boring as the characters are developed and once Wait Until Dark forges ahead the suspense never lacks and builds to a very chilling finale. This is a must see for fans of suspense/thrillers and horror flicks. Wait Until Dark truly is one of a kind. This movie has everything going for it, an excellent score, script and directing and some truly great actors.

Trivia time; Julie Herrod who played Gloria also portrayed the character in the stage play prior to the film.

DANCING IN THE DARK?
THE definitive thriller of the late 60'S, this movie is timeless, because its theme is timeless. Arkin plays the role of an old style villain, using any and alll means to win back a drug filled doll. He partners with Crenna and the ubiquitous Weston, using murder first, intimidation second, then 2 more murders of his devious cohorts, before taking on Hepburn, superlatively playing a blind woman. Hepburn uses every trick in the book, trying to keep her antagonists from finding the doll, which her boy scout husband Zimbalist had had slipped into his possession on a trip to Montreal.This reviewer remembers the lights in the theater being gradually lowered to accentuate the shocking final scenes.One wonders why anyone at any age,with a decent heart,would not be brought back to this classic today, tomorrow, anytime.

DANCING IN THE DARK?
THE definitive thriller of the late 60'S, this movie is timeless, because its theme is timeless. Arkin plays the role of an old style villain, using any and alll means to win back a drug filled doll. He partners with Crenna and the ubiquitous Weston, using murder first, intimidation second, then 2 more murders of his devious cohorts, before taking on Hepburn, superlatively playing a blind woman. Hepburn uses every trick in the book, trying to keep her antagonists from finding the doll, which her boy scout husband Zimbalist had had slipped into his possession on a trip to Montreal.This reviewer remembers the lights in the theater being gradually lowered to accentuate the shocking final scenes.One wonders why anyone at any age,with a decent heart,would not be brought back to this classic today, tomorrow, anytime.