I Saw What You Did

I Saw What You Did
Original theatrical poster
Directed by William Castle
Produced by William Castle
Dona Holloway
Screenplay by William P. McGivern
Based on Out of the Dark
by Ursula Curtiss
Starring Joan Crawford
John Ireland
Leif Erickson
Music by Van Alexander
Cinematography Joseph Biroc
Edited by Edwin H. Bryant
Production
company
William Castle Productions
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • July 21, 1965 (1965-07-21) (United States)
Running time
 82 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Box office $1,000,000[2]

I Saw What You Did is a 1965 American horror-thriller film released by Universal Pictures and starring Joan Crawford and John Ireland. The plot follows two teenage girls who find themselves in serious danger after making a prank phone call to a man who has just murdered his wife. The screenplay by William P. McGivern was based upon the 1964 novel Out of the Dark by Ursula Curtiss.[3] The film was produced and directed by William Castle.

Plot

When two mischievous teens Libby (Andi Garrett) and Kit (Sara Lane) are home alone with Libby's younger sister Tess (Sharyl Locke), they amuse themselves by randomly dialing telephone numbers asking prank questions, telling whomever answers: "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." Libby places a call to Steve Marak (John Ireland), a man who has recently murdered his wife, Judith (Joyce Meadows) and disposed of her body in the woods. Believing he has been found out, he decides to track down the caller to silence her.

Marak's neighbor Amy (Joan Crawford) is in love with him and has been trying to woo him away from his wife. She finds out about the murder. Libby fatefully decides to get a look at Marak because she was intrigued by his voice and takes an increasingly frightened Tess and Kit in her parent's car to Marak's address. Amy discovers Libby and chases her off, thinking she's preventing Marak from meeting with a younger lover but inadvertently saving the girl from being murdered by Marak, who has seen her and grabbed a knife. Amy also snatches Libby's mother's car registration from the car seat before Libby drives away, and gives it to Marak, telling him to keep it as a souvenir, his last "Suzette" (meaning involving himself with a much younger woman like his deceased wife). Amy tries to blackmail him into marrying her, telling him she knows about his wife, but he stabs her to death after they have a drink. Libby's mother's identification has the family address and phone number, which Marak then uses to track down the girls. He calls asking if her parents are home. She innocently answers no, and he sets out to her home.

During this time the parents have been unable to contact the girls by phone. A policeman arrives at Libby's home to investigate just after the girls arrive at the house. Libby swears Kit to secrecy over their misadventure. Kit's father arrives to take her home. While he drives her home, the car radio announces that a woman's body was found in the woods with a description of the man seen leaving the burial site.

Marak enters the home and questions Libby and Tess about the call. Libby convinces him it was just a prank. He returns her mother's identification and leaves but waits outside. Kit calls and Libby describes Marak. Kit tells her that he matches the description of the killer just reported on the radio. Marak overhears this and enters to silence Libby and Tess but they evade him. Kit tells her father and he calls the police. Libby tries to escape but cannot start her parents' car. Marak emerges from the back seat and starts to strangle Libby, but he is shot by a police officer. Libby and Tess return to their home to await their parents' return from Santa Barbara.

Cast

Production notes

Advertisements for the movie read, "William Castle warns you: This is a motion picture about UXORICIDE!"[4] and, in an early trailer for the film, Castle advised the audience that a section of the theater would be installed with seat belts for audience members "who might be scared out of their seats".[5] The advertised gimmick was abandoned prior to the release of the film and never actually used.[6] The trailer of the film has the announcer saying repeatedly: "DON'T ANSWER IT!!!".

Critical reviews

Howard Thompson called it a "generally broad and belabored expansion of a nifty idea"; he considered redundant the "middle chapter" of the film, "involving the aroused, snarling killer" and thought the film should have "held to the impressionable viewpoint of the youngsters."[1] Saturday Review noted, "Unfortunately, there is little for the eye, ear, or mind in William Castle's egregiously low-budgeted I Saw What You Did, an attempt at terror starring Joan Crawford and John Ireland."[7] Variety commented, "[The film] is a well-produced, well-acted entry in the suspense-terror field. ... [Crawford's] slightest gesture or expression ... conveys vivid emotion."[8]

Home video releases

I Saw What You Did was released by Anchor Bay Entertainment on VHS and Region 1 DVD on August 24, 1999; both releases are long out of print. On May 23, 2014, it was re-released as an exclusive DVD-R by Universal as part of its Universal Vault Series, but in a full frame presentation.

On May 17, 2016, Shout! Factory released the film for the first time on Blu-ray Disc under their sub-label, Scream Factory.[9]

Remake

I Saw What You Did was remade for television in 1988 with Robert Carradine, David Carradine, Tammy Lauren and Shawnee Smith.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Thompson, Howard (July 22, 1965). "Thriller Double-Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  2. ↑ Anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Top Grossers of 1965", Variety, January 5, 1966, pg. 36
  3. ↑ Law, John W. (2000). Scare tactic : the life & films of William Castle. San Jose [Calif.]: Writers Club Press. p. 137. ISBN 0595095445. OCLC 60884288.
  4. ↑ "I saw what you did and I know who you are". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
  5. ↑ Law, John W. (2000). Scare tactic : the life & films of William Castle. San Jose [Calif.]: Writers Club Press. p. 142. ISBN 0595095445. OCLC 60884288.
  6. ↑ "I Saw What You Did and I Know Who You Are!". Archived from the original on 2008-03-07. Retrieved 2012-03-11. Factoid: In an early trailer for this film, gimmick king Castle promised the audience a gimmick of seat belts for the seats in a section of the theater to help audience members "who might be scared out of their seats." This concept was never followed through with, and the picture came out with no gimmicks attached.
  7. ↑ Law, John W. (2000). Scare tactic : the life & films of William Castle. San Jose [Calif.]: Writers Club Press. p. 143. ISBN 0595095445. OCLC 60884288.
  8. ↑ Quirk, Lawrence J. (1968). The Films of Joan Crawford. The Citadel Press.
  9. ↑ "I Saw What You Did Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  10. ↑ I Saw What You Did (TV 1988) on IMDb
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