The Slender Thread (1965)

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Shana Alexander (article)
Stirling Silliphant (writer)

Release Date:

28 March 1966 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A college volunteer at the crisis phone gets a call from a suicide caller.

Plot Keywords:

Student | Police | Suicide | Marriage | Volunteer

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Sidney Poitier	...	Alan Newell
Anne Bancroft	...	Inga Dyson
Telly Savalas	...	Dr. Joe Coburn
Steven Hill	...	Mark Dyson
Edward Asner	...	Det. Judd Ridley
Indus Arthur	...	Marian
Paul Newlan	...	Sgt. Harry Ward
Dabney Coleman	...	Charlie
H.M. Wynant	...	Doctor Morris (as H. N. Wynant)
Robert F. Hoy	...	Patrolman Steve Peters (as Robert Hoy)
Greg Jarvis	...	Christopher 'Chris' Dyson
Jason Wingreen	...	Medical technician
Marjorie Nelson	...	Mrs. Thomas
Steven Marlo	...	Arthur Foss
Thomas Hill	...	Liquor salesman

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Stephen Alexander Productions

Trivia:

Originally titled "Cross My Heart And Hope To Die" and slated to star Elizabeth Ashley (who was forced to drop out over contract dispute)

Goofs:

Factual errors: After Inga attempts suicide by drowning herself in the bay, she arrives at hospital with perfectly styled hair.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Three Days of the Condor (1975)

Bancroft is excellent...

This film tackles subject matter which we still do not see addressed as often as it could be, with Sidney Poitier as a young suicide hot-line worker/college student who works helping out a Seattle psychiatrist Dr. Coburn (well-portrayed by Telly Savalas).

At the time this was even more of a taboo subject. A housewife feeling despair, Bancroft portrays her alienation and desperation sympathetically and in an understated manner. She has a child from her first boyfriend, concealed this from her husband (well-portrayed by Steven Hill) Her husband becomes angry and she begins to feel as if her life is a sham. Her office job no longer satisfying, she takes to wandering the city of Seattle, there are several intriguing scenes of the coastline.

There is one moving scene where she is on the beach and comes across a small group of children who are trying to rescue an injured bird. She rushes to a liquor store to buy some brandy (not sure how this can quite help the bird, but anyway...) she returns to the beach to find the children have abandoned the bird. It is an effective and disturbing scene.

Poitier is outstanding as usual, in that he is trying to locate Bancroft when she calls threatening suicide. She has checked into the Hyatt Hotel somewhere in the city. He becomes alternately frustrated, caring, sympathetic, angry and joyous in various aspects of the film.

Overall this is an excellent film with some very good performances. Highly recommended. 9/10.