Review of Wait Until Dark (1967) by Julian K — 03 Jan 2019

Wait Until Dark: 4 out of 10: A filmed version of a play about a blind woman who is terrorized by a trio of thugs when her husband accidentally acquires a child's doll filled with heroin.

The Good: Richard Crenna is actually quite good in this. Unfortunately, I really wasn't a fan of the other actors. Audrey Hepburn was okay as the blind woman (an Oscar nomination really?) but Alan Arkin really does ham it up as the chief baddie (more on that below). The biggest offender, however, is Samantha Jones as the child upstairs that helps out. There is no acting quite as bad as an overacting child actor and we definitely have a culprit here.

I am sorry I am supposed to be talking about the positives here. There ending is a hoot and there are some quality jump scares in the film.

The Bad: Wait Until Dark would have worked a lot better if it took place in suburbia or on a farm. Many (not all) of the glaring plot holes are simply because it takes place in the city. Roger Ebert liked the movie overall but spent the entire review wondering why a newly blind woman alone in a New York basement apartment leaves her door unlocked over and over again even after she feels in danger. You were not alone Roger, you were not alone.

The Ugly: Let's talk Alan Arkin for a minute. Part of Wait Until Dark's reputation is that Alan Arkin is such a devilish bad guy. He does play a complete bastard I will give you that. He also hams it up like he was in a Pink Panther film. He is so in Pink Panther mode he enters the apartment each time wearing an elaborate costume and makeup doing exaggerated movements to really sell the con... to Audrey Hepburn's character... who is blind.

This movie has a great reputation and I have no idea why. I would love to say it is seeing tiny Audrey Hepburn going around her apartment blind threatened by these bad men. Why are they threatening her? There is zero reason for them to threaten her. The entire plot is based on a premise that simply doesn't pass go. Since neither she nor her husband thinks the doll is anything more than a child's toy that needs to be returned why not just knock on the door and ask for the doll. And if they can't find it right away ask them to look for it and check back later in the week.

I mean the movie is full of these conundrums. Roger Ebert also wondered why Audrey Hepburn sent the upstairs girl to the Port Authority Bus terminal instead of to the Police to get help. I like to think she was trying to get that horrible child kidnapped by a pimp (It is New York City in 1967). Indeed who sends a young girl with the emotional maturity of boiled cabbage to the Port Authority on a very wild goose chase unless one has dark motives.

In Conclusion: If you want to see a one-room play done right with no tricks see Dial M for Murder which actually shares the same playwright (Frederic Knott) as Wait Until Dark. One can have a movie swimming in plot holes if the action onscreen holds ones attention just as one can have a slow talky film as long as the story and script keeps one invested. Unfortunately, a very slow talky claustrophobic film that allows the audience to start questioning everything that happens on screen is in for a world of hurt. The ending is effective though I can see why people remember the last fifteen minutes. It is just getting there that is such a drag.