Night Moves (1975)

Los Angeles private investigator Harry Moseby is hired by a client to find her runaway teenage daughter. Moseby tracks the daughter down, only to stumble upon something much more intriguing and sinister.

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writer:

Alan Sharp

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Jennifer Warren, Edward Binns

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Harry Moseby
Jennifer Warren	...	Paula
Edward Binns	...	Joey Ziegler
Harris Yulin	...	Marty Heller
Kenneth Mars	...	Nick
Janet Ward	...	Arlene Iverson
James Woods	...	Quentin
Anthony Costello	...	Marv Ellman
John Crawford	...	Tom Iverson
Melanie Griffith	...	Delly Grastner
Ben Archibek	...	Charles
Dennis Dugan	...	Boy
C.J. Hincks	...	Girl
Max Gail	...	Stud (as Maxwell Gail Jr.)
Susan Barrister	...	Ticket Clerk

Storyline

Private detective and former football player Harry Moseby gets hired on to what seems a standard missing person case, as a former Hollywood actress whose only major roles came thanks to being married to a studio mogul wants Moseby to find and return her daughter. Harry travels to Florida to find her, but he begins to see a connection between the runaway girl, the world of Hollywood stuntmen, and a suspicious mechanic when an unsolved murder comes to light.

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Plot Keywords:

missing person | private detective | actress | investigation | murder | 

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Taglines:

What private eye Harry Moseby doesn't know about the girl he's looking for... just might get him killed.

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Harry refers to playing against Alex Karras in his football career. As it turned out, Karras would eventually marry Susan Clark, who plays Harry's wife in this film.

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Goofs

When the crashed plane is found by Melanie Griffith's character, the dead pilot's face is being picked at by fish. The plane is supposed to have crashed in the ocean off the coast of Florida, but the fish are carp, which are strictly freshwater fish.

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Quotes

Arlene Iverson: [as Harry confronts her at her poolside, after Delly's death] So I'm not grief-stricken. What does that make me?
Arlene Iverson: [drunkenly] You know, Delly isn't the only kid who ever had it rough.
Arlene Iverson: [sighs] When I was her age... I was down on my knees to half the men in this town.
Arlene Iverson: [continues, as Harry looks at her contemptuously] I'm sorry the poor little bitch is dead. And when the time comes, I'll cry for her... but you won't be around to see it, Mr. Smart-Ass-Moseby. So... Out... OUT!
[drunkenly waves him away]

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Connections

Referenced in The Sinister Saga of Making 'The Stunt Man' (2000)

User Reviews

A Different and Complex Detective Story

In Los Angeles, the private detective and former athlete Harry Moseby (Gene Hackman) is hired by the retired obscure Hollywood actress Arlene Iverson (Janet Ward) to find her 16 year-old missing daughter Delly Grastner (Melanie Griffith). Harry discovers that the runaway girl has a promiscuous life and uses drugs, and he tracks down her last boyfriend Quinten (James Woods), who works as a mechanic on the sets. Meanwhile, Harry finds that his wife Ellen Moseby (Susan Clark) is cheating him and he has difficulties to handle the situation. Then he visits the stuntman Marv Ellman (Anthony Costello) and the stunt coordinator Joey Ziegler (Ed Binn) and follows the new lead, heading to Florida Keys, where Delly would be living with her stepfather Tom Iverson (John Crawford). Harry is welcomed by Paula (Jennifer Warren), who works with Tom in a boat and has an open relationship with him. After seeing an accident in the sea, the reluctant Delly surprisingly accepts to return to Los Angeles with Harry to live with her mother. Harry and Ellen have a long conversation trying to solve their marriage problems. When Harry learns that Delly has died in a car crash, he suspects of Quinten. But sooner he finds that the initially missing person case is actually a complex smuggling operation of a valuable artifact.

With the recent death of Arthur Penn, I decide to see again "Night Moves", a movie that I watched in the 80's and was forgotten in my collection. "Night Moves" is a different and complex detective story, supported by an engaging and flawed screenplay and great characters development. The top-notch actor Gene Hackman in the top of his successful career performs a detective that snoops the lives of other people and is incapable to see that his marriage is deteriorating. The 18 year-old Melanie Griffith in her first credited role is extremely sexy and beautiful, undressing easily along the film. It is also interesting to see James Woods also in the beginning of career in a supporting role. It is also great to see again the gorgeous vanished actresses Jennifer Warren and Susan Clark. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Um Lance no Escuro" ("A Bid in the Dark")

Note: On 26 October 2014 I saw this movie again on DVD and now my vote is eight.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

30 August 1975 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Night Moves

Filming Locations:

Magnolia Theatre - 4403 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Hiller Productions, Layton Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1