Play Misty for Me (1971)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Dave Garver	Clint Eastwood
Evelyn Draper	Jessica Walter
Tobie Williams	Donna Mills	½
Sgt. McCallum	John Larch	½
Frank	Jack Ging
Madge	Irene Hervey
Al Monte	James McEachin

Review

The same year that Clint Eastwood had to deal with a crazy Andy Robinson in Dirty Harry, he also had to tackle Jessica Walter in this taut and well-made chiller of semi-hitchcockian proportions. This was incidentally also Eastwood's debut in the director's chair, and he displays the economical, propulsive directorial style that he later would become well known for. The thriller elements are portrayed with a fair bit of psychological depth and understanding, something which was make or break for whether the Evelyn Draper character would work on a deeper level than within the realms of the genre. This is both Eastwood's and Walter's merit, the latter giving a performance which is wholehearted if nothing else, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her efforts. Play Misty for Me ultimately settles into a modus operandi that can be frustrating to endure, but luckily Eastwood breaks up the pace with a couple of wonderfully filmed segments (involving a romantic subplot and a jazz festival, respectively), and with its rather clever twist and a low-key, unassuming ending, the film has stood the test of time well despite its obvious genre affiliation.