Samuel A. Taylor (1912–2000)

A retired cop is hired to follow a woman whose husband claims she’s possessed.

Suspenseful, fairly unique, and unmistakably 1958. It’s kind of two different movies, one after the other. About two thirds of the way through the film, the first story comes to a climax, things twist around, and a new story starts in a different direction. The first time I saw it, that bothered me a lot, and I wasn't really able to get into the second story. Watching it a second time, it's like a completely different movie. The first section now seems like prolonged set-up to the second section - which, now that I'm not distracted by having the rug pulled out by Stewart's miscasting, I can appreciate as having some of Hitchcock's strongest moments.

Concept: B
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: B
Pacing: B
Cinematography: A
Special effects/design: B
Acting: B
Music: A

Enjoyment: A

GPA: 3.3/4… (more)

Horrible play. Then again, it's the dichotomy of reality and fiction where I play someone 20 years older than a man who is actually one year older than I am. I do get to throw out some snappy lines and use a cane. Memories of this show, done to death in movies/musicals, are a melange of the bittersweet. We watched one performer, minutes before curtain, have a stroke, another one continually mangle the "Lowest form of condescension, condensation, constipation" - whatever, and it was the show that brought my now husband and me together. Keep the Faith.… (more)