Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
Neive Bellamy
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Myron Clemons
A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
jjnxn-1
Competent but not extraordinary thriller is interesting for several elements. First it gives Pat Boone a chance to play a slightly less savory character than his candy coated image usually allowed. I'm not much of a fan of the actor but he does a good job as the initially self involved singer who is a neglectful husband and father but basically decent man who gets an unexpected wake-up call when his infant son is kidnapped. The script also presents a few instances for him to sing without disturbing the flow of the story.Barbara Eden, quite the knockout, was still a couple of years away from I Dream of Jeannie and working her way up the leading lady chain. Her role doesn't offer much opportunity outside frantic anguish but she handles the requirements well. Also on hand, though given little to do, is Jack Klugman as the police inspector on the case adding another solid portrayal to the film.As for the general story while it has several plot holes that stretch believability it is overall an enjoyably put together nail-biter. A real benefit comes from the effective and evocative musical score provided by Kenyon Hopkins. It adds a great deal of tension and snap to scenes that could have otherwise been flat.Not a long lost classic but an under-known worthwhile entertainment. Hard to find but if you happen upon it take the time to give it a chance.
moonspinner55
Pat Boone plays a popular male crooner (with the silly, generic name of Andy Paxton) who is callous to his estranged wife and indifferent to their baby boy, but who jumps into action once the infant is kidnapped for a ransom of 200 G's. Whether he's resisting police lieutenant Jack Klugman's help or comforting stressed spouse Barbara Eden, real-life vocalist Boone turns in a surprisingly strong performance; he handles the s.o.b. stuff at the beginning quite well, and his on-stage numbers are flawlessly rendered. Klugman and Eden are also solid, which is a good thing because the midsection of this melodrama is definitely not. Rod Serling, adapting Whit Masterson's novel "Evil Come, Evil Go", writes some crisp, crackling dialogue--but the trouble is, there's too much of it. Serling forgets that a heated crime scenario such as this has to flow with a little action. Things get bogged down once Boone suspects one of his entourage of the kidnapping, doing his own detective work in-between bouts of the bottle. When the tense climax finally arrives and one is filled with questions pertaining to motive...Serling suddenly clams up! The finale is satisfying only on the most basic of levels, with point and purpose left strangely unresolved. ** from ****
wsjo69
I saw this movie when I was just 13 years old, and it scared me to death. I remember that the movie theater had trouble opening the curtain all the way at the beginning of the movie, which only made the whole experience even more bizarre, and it was one of the opening scenes that really freaked me out. I can still see it in my mind today, some 40 years later. From what I remember, I would compare it to "Cape Fear" and "Wait Until Dark" for comparable chills. I suspect that it would play pretty innocently these days, but I would love to see it again just to see how much of what I remember was really there. Anybody have any leads on where to find this, contact me at
[email protected].
johnboy1
It's a shame that this film gets trashed all the time by critics, when it's really a fine Rod Serling movie. Boone, Eden, and Forrest give nice performances in this little mystery. I sure wish that I could find a copy of it on VHS, but I don't think it's ever been released on video. Maybe someday.
