After making a name for himself in the 1960s as a solid movie star (in movies like Hang ‘Em High, A Fistful of Dollars and Where Eagles Dare), Clint Eastwood wanted to start directing his own films. He got hold of a screenplay he liked, one that had been bouncing around Hollywood for quite some time. Backed with his newfound superstar status, Eastwood and company set up shop in his hometown of Carmel, California and made a little suspense thriller that is still remembered quite fondly decades later.
Play Misty for Me tells the tale of smooth-talking radio DJ Dave Garver (Eastwood). Recently, Garver has been receiving numerous requests from one female listener to “play Misty for me”. While there doesn’t seem to be anything strange about a woman requesting an old love song on the radio, Garver begins to feel differently after meeting Evelyn Draper at his local watering hole. Evelyn is, of course, the “Misty” caller and she has developed a rather large crush on our hero. The unwitting disc jockey starts a brief yet steamy affair with Evelyn, and then finds it increasingly difficult to rid himself of her.
Not helping matters much is the fact that Garver’s old flame Tobie is back in town, and you just know Evelyn’s going to screw things up supremely once she finds out. Garver tries to have his finger in both pies for a brief time, and it’s about at this point where things get much, much worse for all concerned.
Bathed in gloomy colours and moody lighting, this film acquits Eastwood rather well in his directorial debut. Aside from a few music-intensive segments that go on far too long, the story moves along at a brisk clip and there are a handful of good jolts along the way. Clint is understated yet very strong as Garver and Jessica Walter (The Flamingo Kid) is fantastically creepy as Evelyn. A young Donna Mills (television’s Knots Landing) shows up as Tobie, and Clint’s buddy Don Siegel (director of The Beguiled and Escape from Alcatraz) is fun in a few scenes as a friendly bartender.
Play Misty for Me proved to be both a box office hit and a critical darling, and its success allowed Eastwood to go on to direct films like Unforgiven and Bird. I doubt many people would argue against Eastwood’s skill on both sides of the camera. It’s a film that’s achieved cult status worldwide and was also the inspiration for the blockbuster hit Fatal Attraction. Regardless of the box office receipts, this one is easily the better film. As a cautionary tale on the benefits of monogamy or as a straight ‘psycho-girlfriend-from-Hell’ thriller, it’s worth your investment of time and money. But if you plan to watch it with your lover, make sure you don’t plan on breaking up anytime soon.
As a cautionary tale on the benefits of monogamy or as a straight ‘psycho-girlfriend-from-Hell’ thriller, it’s worth your investment of time and money.- Scott Weinberg
