Once You Kiss a Stranger... (1969)

A woman seduces a professional golfer, then offers to kill his opponent if the golfer will kill her psychiatrist, who wants her committed.

Director:

Robert Sparr

Writers:

Frank Tarloff (screenplay), Norman Katkov (screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Burke, Carol Lynley, Martha Hyer

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Paul Burke	...	Jerry Marshall
Carol Lynley	...	Diana Granger
Martha Hyer	...	Lee Marshall
Peter Lind Hayes	...	Pete Delaney
Philip Carey	...	Mike Wilson
Stephen McNally	...	Lt. Tom Gavin
Whit Bissell	...	Dr. David Haggis
Elaine Devry	...	Sharon Livingston
Kathryn Givney	...	Margaret Granger
George Fenneman	...	Announcer
Jim Raymond	...	Johnny Parks
Maura McGiveney	...	Harriet Parks
Orville Sherman	...	Raymond
Ann Doran	...	Lee's Mother

Storyline

Jerry, a Southern California golf pro is the target for Diana a disturbed young woman who desires the death of her shrink, who alone realizes her psychotic potential and seeks to have her committed. She suggests to Jerry that they "swap" murders - she'll kill his golf rival and he'll reciprocate by killing her psychiatrist. When she holds up her half of the bargain, she expects him to follow through with his end.

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Plot Keywords:

psychotic woman | romantic rivalry | bare chested male | hairy chest | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

Was there ever a better time to suggest murder ...?

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Genres:

Thriller

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Certificate:

M/PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

A loose remake of Strangers on a Train (1951).

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Goofs

The police note that the only person in the professional building that Paul Burke might have gone to is a psychiatrist. There is also a dentist.

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Quotes

Pete Delaney: [lifting a glass in drinking by himself at the bar] Cheers... and Roebuck.

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Connections

Version of Throw Momma from the Train (1987)

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Soundtracks

Once You Kiss a Stranger
Music by Jimmie Fagas
Lyrics by Ken Darby
Sung by Richard Addrisi (as Dick Addrisi)
[Played over opening title card and credits; reprise played over end credits]

User Reviews

Daft remake of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

Daft remake of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN with glacial Carol Lynley doing a distaff femme fatale take on Robert Walker's classic role. She's disturbed doll-faced Diana, who desires the death of her shrink, who alone realises her malign potential and seeks to have her committed. Fixating on perpetual golf pro runner-up Jerry (stone-faced Paul Burke), she beds the hapless sap and manages to get the admittedly soused sportsman to spout some incriminating pillow talk whilst being unknowingly filmed and recorded by a hidden camera which thereby appears to frame him for his superior golfing rival's subsequent murder as he unwittingly plays into her hands during her switcheroo murder plan pitch. Having held up her end of the bargain (and having purloined both the murder weapon and, as per the original film, a potentially incriminating cigarette lighter which is never flagged up as the classic 'McGuffin' it was in the Hitchcock original, and which both threaten to lead the forces of law and order to his door), the murderous minx now expects him to follow through with his end of the deal but, as Farley Granger found out some twenty years previously, if it isn't bred in the bone the hands will only be used to bash a ball rather than a skull. However, Jerry's reckoning without Diana's in-house editing facility which enables her to overdub the potentially damaging videotape footage (yep, she actually has a video recorder in 1969!) and, with the police circling and madness abroad, the poor dupe has to hack his way out of something more dangerous than the usual sandtrap. Kitsch in the extreme, and lacking all The Master of Suspense's bravura technique and convincing deployment of the transference of guilt theme, this is ultimately an unintentional hoot (especially a climactic dune buggy chase along a beach). Boasting Dayglo cinematography so harsh you almost need sunglasses to watch it, truly atrocious wardrobes (especially for Martha Hyer's estranged wife character) and pointlessly padded out with tedious extended golfing footage, this is really only recommended for true trash mavens as, unlike Ms Lynley's shapely lower limbs, this really hasn't got the legs to follow through on the original classically simple yet intriguing premise ('STRANGERS...' author Patricia Highsmith receives a credit for 'suggesting' the whole concept). Personally, though, I found it a lot of fun.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 November 1969 (Colombia)

Also Known As:

Sudden Death

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros./Seven Arts

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1