Play Misty for Me (1971)

The life of a disc jockey is turned upside down after a romantic encounter with an obsessed fan.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Jo Heims (screenplay), Dean Riesner (screenplay)

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walter, Donna Mills

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Dave
Jessica Walter	...	Evelyn
Donna Mills	...	Tobie
John Larch	...	Sgt. McCallum
Jack Ging	...	Frank
Irene Hervey	...	Madge
James McEachin	...	Al Monte
Clarice Taylor	...	Birdie
Don Siegel	...	Murphy (as Donald Siegel)
Duke Everts	...	Jay Jay
George Fargo	...	Man
Mervin W. Frates	...	Locksmith
Tim Frawley	...	Deputy Sheriff
Otis Kadani	...	Policeman
Britt Lind	...	Anjelica (as Brit Lind)

Storyline

Disc jockey Dave Garver (Clint Eastwood) attracts the amorous attentions of a demented fan named Evelyn Draper (Jessica Walter). Evelyn lets Dave pick her up at a bar. Later at her apartment, Evelyn admits that she is the cooing caller who repeatedly asks Dave to play the Erroll Garner classic "Misty". From then on, this movie is a lesson in how one casual date can turn your whole life around. Evelyn stalks Dave everywhere, ruins his business lunch, assaults his maid, mutilates his house and all of his belongings, and finally threatens to butcher his girlfriend Tobie Williams (Donna Mills). You'll never be able to hear that song again without looking over your shoulder.

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Plot Keywords:

female rear nudity | disc jockey | obsessed fan | fatal attraction | underwear | 

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Taglines:

The scream you hear may be your own!

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 November 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Play Misty for Me

Filming Locations:

Spindrift Road, Carmel Highlands, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$725,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$10,600,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,600,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Malpaso Company, Jennings Lang, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 96 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jessica Walter has contributed to multiple puff pieces about Clint Eastwood in which she praises him enthusiastically. However, the late Sondra Locke noted in her autobiography that when she talked with Jessica at a party in the early 1970s right after this movie was made, "she spoke in measured tones about Clint, and I got the distinct impression that she did not view him as a very generous actor or human being for that matter."

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Goofs

The music heard during the "Jazz Fest" sequence rarely matches the video.

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Quotes

Deputy Sheriff: Is she your house cleaning lady, Garver?

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Alternate Versions

The version shown on American commercial network TV had the entire "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" sequence re-shot to remove the sex scene. Instead, what was shown as the song played was simply scenes of Eastwood and Donna Mills walking in the forest. The very brief sex scene between Eastwood and Jessica Walter was also eliminated.

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Connections

Referenced in Dirty Harry (1971)

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Soundtracks

Feelin' Fine
(uncredited)
Performed by the Gator Creek Organization

User Reviews

Wow...21 days AND under budget....

I was very impressed when I read the trivia for this film. It's Clint Eastwood's directorial debut...and he finished the film ahead of schedule and under budget--in only 21 days! I could see why he was called on many more times to direct--and it's a shame he's known more for an actor than director.

Eastwood plays a radio DJ. One night in a bar, he meets a young lady (Jessica Walter) and they end up spending the night together. She says there are no strings attached....but over time it's obvious that she is majorly obsessed with him. She pushes him VERY hard--and no matter how much he tells her to get lost, she won't take a hint. At first, it's all seemingly innocent but over time she begins to show a crazier and crazier side. As for the title, every time she calls in to his show, she says 'Play Misty for me'--as it's 'their' song. As time passes, the film begins to look more and more like "Fatal Attraction".

This is a very good film for a first effort from Eastwood. While the film has a few problems, overall, it's quite thrilling and suspenseful. Additionally, Jessica Walter did a great job playing an Erotomaniac--an individual who is convinced that a high-status person LOVES them regardless of all evidence to the contrary. There also is a strong degree of a Borderline personality--with SERIOUS anti-social aspects (heck, she's more than willing to kill--trust me on the diagnosis, it all fits). On the downside, I thought Eastwood's acting performance was a bit too subdued and cool considering what was happening to him. And I have no idea why the segment with the Roberta Flack music video and the visit to the Monterrey Jazz Festival was included except as filler--it was like an intermission and pretty weird. But overall, it's a nice little thriller.

By the way, for an even better film on the subject, try watching the French film "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not"--a truly brilliantly written film that you just have to see.