Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Karen Black | ... | Fran | |
Bruce Dern | ... | George Lumley | |
Barbara Harris | ... | Blanche Tyler | |
William Devane | ... | Arthur Adamson | |
Ed Lauter | ... | Maloney | |
Cathleen Nesbitt | ... | Julia Rainbird | |
Katherine Helmond | ... | Mrs. Maloney | |
Warren J. Kemmerling | ... | Grandison | |
Edith Atwater | ... | Mrs. Clay | |
William Prince | ... | Bishop | |
Nicholas Colasanto | ... | Constantine | |
Marge Redmond | ... | Vera Hannagan | |
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John Lehne | ... | Andy Bush |
Charles Tyner | ... | Wheeler | |
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Alexander Lockwood | ... | Parson |
The trickster Madam Blanche Tyler lures the elder millionaire Julia Rainbird who believes she is a spiritualist. After a séance, she discovers that Julia is tormented by her past, when she forced her sister and single mother Harriet to deliver her baby for adoption to avoid a family scandal. Julia promises the small fortune of ten thousand-dollars to Blanche if she finds her nephew and heir of her fortune using her phony powers. Blanche asks her boyfriend George Lumley, who is an unemployed actor working as cab driver, to investigate the whereabouts of Julia's nephew. Meanwhile, the greedy jeweler and collector Arthur Adamson kidnaps wealthy people with his girlfriend Fran to increase his collection of diamonds with the ransom. When George concludes that Arthur Adamson might be the heir of Julia Rainbird, the reckless Blanche gets in trouble with the kidnappers. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I think if you approach this movie beforehand knowing it's not going to be a "Vertigo" or "Rear Window," you'll have some fun. Sure it's fluff, but it is entertaining nonetheless. Even kooky, vegetable-like Karen Black aka "The World's Worst Actress" seems to have benefited from working with Hitch and pulls off an adequate performance. Never cared for Bruce Dern and here he's his usual Willard looking self. Barbara Harris was a true delight, "Don't blaspheme, George." and found her character of Madam Blanche quite amusing. I even found the run away car scene entertaining, if not a bit over the top. All in all, I liked the story and liked the way it wrapped up in the end. Hitchcock's last gift to us all.