Play Misty for Me (1971)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Jo Heims (story)
Jo Heims (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 November 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

The scream you hear may be your own!

Plot:

A brief fling between a male disc jockey and an obsessed female fan takes a frightening, and perhaps even deadly turn when another woman enters the picture.

Plot Keywords:

Disc Jockey | Obsessed Fan | Secret Meeting | Chicken Delight | Stalker

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

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
Brit Lind	...	Anjelica
Paul E. Lippman	...	2nd man
Jack Kosslyn	...	Cab driver
Ginna Patterson	...	Madalyn
Malcolm Moran	...	Man in window
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cannonball Adderley	...	Himself (leader, Cannonball Adderly and His Quartet) (uncredited)
Cannonball Adderley and His Quartet	...	Themselves (uncredited)
Robert S. Holman	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Johnny Otis	...	Himself (uncredited)
Walter Spear	...	Policeman (uncredited)

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits
Jo Heims		(story)
Jo Heims		(screenplay) and
Dean Riesner		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Daley	....	producer
Robert E. Larson	....	associate producer (as Bob Larson)
Jennings Lang	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dee Barton

Cinematography by
Bruce Surtees

Film Editing by
Carl Pingitore

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by
Ralph S. Hurst		(as Ralph Hurst)

Costume Design by
Helen Colvig

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert E. Larson	....	assistant director (as Bob Larson)

Art Department
Don Heitkotter	....	painting

Sound Department
Robert L. Hoyt	....	sound
Robert Martin	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound

Stunts
Jeannie Epper	....	stunt double: Jessica W (uncredited)
Julie Ann Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brad Whitney	....	costumes: Clint Eastwood (as Brad Whitney of Carmel)

Music Department
Erroll Garner	....	musician: piano, "Misty"
Ewan MacColl	....	composer: song "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"
Mike Deasy	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Betty A. Griffin	....	script supervisor (as Betty Abbott)
Jack Kosslyn	....	dialogue coach
Jennings Lang	....	presenter

Thanks
Jimmy Lyons	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Malpaso Company, The

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1972) (France) (theatrical)
• CIC (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1973) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• ETD Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (????) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Cinematique  cosmetics
• Octave Music Publishing Corporation  by arrangement with: "Misty"
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

102 min | Portugal:96 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2002) | UK:18 (video rating) (1985) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R (Certificate #22848) | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Given complete freedom by Universal Pictures, Clint Eastwood finished shooting four days ahead of schedule and $50,000 under budget.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When DJ Dave Garver leaves the radio station KRML to go rescue Tobie, he puts on a 5" demo/air check reel on the tape recorder. A reel of this size could hold, at maximum, 600 ft. of tape. Playing at 7 1/2 ips (which is the speed most radio station recorders recorded/played music back at using 2 channel, 2 track recording - common for commercial/broadcast recorders), this would have given only 15 minutes of recorded music/voice before the tape ran out and "dead air" would have been transmitted from the station. Yet, Dave Garver made reference to Sgt. McCallum that Tobie lived way outside of town. The movie also conveys the driving time Dave Garver took to get to Tobie's house. Considering that, the fight scene at the house and when he leaves the house with Tobie at the end his request to play Misty is heard over the air, Dave would have had to mount a 10" reel containing 3600 ft. of tape (1.5 hours of recording at 7 1/2 ips). Radio stations would normally have had such reels for recording entire shows. They are not used for demo/air check tapes.

Quotes:

Tobie Williams: I really missed this place.
David 'Dave' Garver: I missed you.
Tobie Williams: You'd do me a big favour if you didn't say things like that.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Malicious (1995)

Soundtrack:

Country Preacher

A classic thriller that was ahead of its time!

The directorial debut for Clint Eastwood was this classic suspense thriller that's both intelligent and shocking.

Dashing California DJ has a one night stand with an obsessive fan, who will have his love at ANY cost!

While a bit on the dated side, Play Misty for Me still works well as a steely, nail-biter of a film. The film's premise is clever, especially for its time, and escalates into an intense suspense piece. Eastwood's direction is well-done, nicely using the coastal filming locations. Eastwood also builds some great sequences of shock and tension, especially for the films edgy climax.

Eastwood himself does a great performance as the tormented DJ. Jessica Walter however steals the show. Walter's performance is absolutely powerful and she comes off as one of the best psycho-females of cinematic history! She's simply unforgettable.

A suspense masterpiece through and through, Play Misty for Me has since gone on to be quite an influential film and one that well-stands the test of time. Thriller fans should not miss it!

**** out of ****