Play Misty For Me (1971)

Elevator Pitch: Dave Garver is a late night DJ on a Monterey radio station, murmuring into the mike and playing easy listening and jazz tracks. He takes telephone requests, and starts to receive calls from a woman saying “Play Misty For Me”. One night in his local bar he picks up a young woman, Evelyn – it is she of Misty-, and they have sex. The following day she appears at his house with stuff for lunch, and indication of her future approach which results in her slitting her wrists in his bathroom when he dumps her. Dave has an on/off relationship with an artist, Tobie, which he is trying to rekindle, and also is applying for work with a TV station. Evelyn manages to screw up both activities, and when she attacks Dave’s cleaning lady things have gone too far.

Content:  There is a bit of implied and actual sex with views of entwined bodies and flashes of breasts. Beer and wine are drunk in social situations. Many of the outdoor scenes, particularly featuring Dave and Tobie, take place around the beach at Carmel, often with breaking waves in the background. Dave goes to work and drives about in his convertible Jaguar XK150 (fantastic – I want one). Confrontations with Evelyn take place with increasing levels of threat. There is blood when she slits her wrists, and even when she is sectioned we know that Dave is not safe.

A View: I have been to Carmel, and I recognised it. The obsessive behaviour of Evelyn was well presented leaving Clint Eastwood’s character uncertain about what to do next, a feeling I am sure felt by those who have the misfortune of being the object of someone’s unwanted affection. It was CE’s directorial debut and he did well. It was a good start and this outing is well worth a view for no money even though it is fifty years old.

I am a Clint Eastwood fan so have seen and reviewed much f what he has done so here are three films from his portfolio reviewed on this site where he is neither a gunman or a cop: Absolute Power, The Mule and Bronco Billy.