Mercenary couple kidnap a young woman--the daughter of a wealthy businessman--from her hotel room and hold her for ransom; while they are awaiting the $500K in cash to arrive, they bury their victim underground in a ventilated 'capsule' with only enough air for seven days. Directed by Jack Smight and written by Merwin Gerard (from a true account, of which Gerard apparently recreated faithfully), "The Longest Night" hasn't a single plot twist or element of surprise--it's a textbook account, which is both pro and con. The filmmakers blessedly steer clear of histrionics (everyone keeps a cool head), but there isn't much action, what with the girl buried alive in a confined space and her father dealing with her abductor over the phone. Much of the film's success is due to the performances, and David Janssen (as the distraught father) and James Farentino (flashing his dimples as the kidnapper) are both solid. Smight mounts the story as a news reporter might; scene by scene is dictated by fact. The incident was revisited in 1990 for another TV-movie, "83 Hours 'Til Dawn".
