I SAW WHAT YOU DID [1965 / 2016] [Blu-ray] [USA Release] Fate Dials The Number . . . Terror Answers The Phone! You May Be The Target . . . of The Next “Crank” Call!
It starts as a game…and there’s no end in FRIGHT! A simple prank call turns into a night of person-to-person terror in ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID,’ a movie that dials up the suspense!
Teenagers Libby Mannering and Kit Austin have found a new way to entertain themselves: by calling up random strangers and tormenting them with a warning: “I saw what you did, and I know who you are.” But when a man who has recently murdered his wife becomes their latest victim, the tables are quickly turned . . . and this wrong number may mean that their number is up.
Joan Crawford [‘What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?’ and ‘Trog’] and John Ireland [‘Terror Night’] are among the stars in this chiller produced and directed by the legendary Master of the Macabre, William Castle [‘House on Haunted Hill;’ ‘Strait-Jacket’ and ‘The Tingler’].
FILM FACT: Advertisements for the film read, “William Castle warns you: This is a motion picture about UXORICIDE!” and, in an early trailer for the film, William Castle advised the audience that a section of the theatre would be installed with seat belts for audience members “who might be scared out of their seats.” The advertised gimmick was abandoned prior to the release of the film and never actually used. The trailer of the film has the announcer saying repeatedly: “DON'T ANSWER IT!” Please Note: UXORICIDE is the killing of one's own wife. It can refer to the act itself or the person who carries it out. It can also be used in the context of the killing of one's own girlfriend. It can refer to the act itself or the person who carries it out. Mariticide literally means the killing of one's own husband. It can refer to the act itself or the person who carries it out. It can also be used in the context of the killing of one's own boyfriend.
Cast: Joan Crawford, John Ireland, Leif Erickson, Sara Lane, Andi Garrett, Sharyl Locke, Patricia Breslin, John Archer, John Crawford, Joyce Meadows, Tom Hatten, Douglas Evans, Barbara Wilkin, Glen Vernon, Sara Anderson, Janet Hamill, John Crowther, Dee Carroll and Russ Bender
Director: William Castle
Producers: Dona Holloway and William Castle
Screenplay: William P. McGivern and Ursula Curtiss (novel)
Composers: Jerry Keller and Van Alexander
Dog Trainer: Frank Weatherwax
Cinematography: Joseph F. Biroc, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black and White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 82 minutes
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Universal Pictures / SHOUT FACTORY
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ [1965] where you see playfulness of youth collides with the lurking dangers of the outside world in the vintage B-movie horror king William Castle's films ‘House on Haunted Hill’ [1959] and ‘13 Ghosts’ [1960]. ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ is based on the novel “Out of the Dark” by Ursula Curtiss and adapted for the screen by William P. McGivern. The film opens like a happy-go-lucky teen comedy, think ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ meets ‘The Parent Trap’ and then edges towards the macabre darkness of William Castle's usual oeuvre. When Libby Mannering [Andi Garrett] invites school friend Kit Austin [Sarah Lane] over to her idyllic country house for dinner while she babysits little sister Tess Mannering [Sharyl Locke], their thought-harmless game of prank calling random people eventually gets them into hot water. "I saw what you did, and I know who you are," Libby Mannering jokingly tells the latest recipient of her game, Steve Marak [John Ireland]. Unlucky for her, Steve Marak has just murdered his wife and is now determined to track down and silence whoever is on the other end of the line.
When Libby Mannering’s parents go out-of-town for the night; she does what any typical teenager would do and invites her friend Kit Austin [Sara Lane] to come over. Libby Mannering, Kit Austin and Libby Mannering’s little sister Tess Mannering [Sharyl Locke] decide to spend the evening making prank phone calls. It’s all innocent enough until they decide to call Steve Marak and say, “I saw what you did and I know who you are,” especially as Steve Marak has just murdered his wife and had just gotten home from hiding the body when they talk to him. Of course, Steve Marak gets paranoid and wants to know who’s calling him. But then his neighbour and girlfriend Amy Nelson [Joan Crawford] gets wind of Steve Marak getting phone calls from strange women at night and becomes incredibly jealous.
Meanwhile, Libby Mannering and Kit Austin are curious about what Steve Marak looks like, so they decide to drive by his house to try to get a glimpse of him. Unfortunately, the only person Libby Mannering ends up seeing is Amy Nelson, who accuses her of trying to steal her man. Before Libby Mannering can leave, Amy Nelson swipes the registration from her mother’s car, then gives it to Steve Marak and tries to blackmail him into marrying her. But Amy Nelson too, meets her demise at the hands of Steve Marak and Steve heads out to make Libby Mannering his next victim.
Arriving in a splash of fanfare via SCREAM FACTORY Blu-ray disc, we have a cast headed by the legendary actress Joan Crawford, ‘‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ AND I KNOW WHO YOU ARE’ is generally broad and has a lot of nifty ideas, like what happens after two telephone pranksters, a pair of giggling teenagers, accidentally coo the film's title to a murderous psychopath? About half an hour into the film the entire story is held together with the impressionable viewpoint of the youngsters, the pace slows down somewhat involving the aroused, snarling killer, played by John Ireland, and his predatory, love-hungry neighbour, Miss Joan Crawford. The youngsters, Andi Garrett, Sarah Lane and a perky little toddler named Sharyl Locke, are altogether delightful. Mr. William Castle has staged a fine, freezing showdown with Miss Andi Garrett, little Sharyl Locke and the stalking John Ireland. As for why the children's parents, nicely played by Dave Mannering [Leif Erickson] and Ellie Mannering [Patricia Breslin], would leave them alone in wide-open house miles out in the country, well we will never know?
‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ is a well-produced, well-acted entry in the suspense-terror field genre and definitely Top billing for Miss Joan Crawford who is justified only by making allowances for drawing power on her name. But her role as John Ireland's shrewish, predatory lover is well handled and vital to the story. Slightest gesture or expression of this veteran thespian conveys vivid emotion. ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ is loaded with the same wonderful over the top cheesy thrills and sense of fun that William Castle is famous for. The narrative is gimmicky and only William Castle would use peanut butter and jelly stains as a plot device. Joan Crawford delivers another interesting over the top performance, yet nowhere as off kilter as in ‘Strait Jacket.’ Unfortunately, the script doesn’t do a whole lot with her character, except for a highly notable death sequence.
This is actually a highly entertaining, albeit a cheese-ball film. If you’re into cheesy horror films, this one is definitely for you. One amusing scene features a furious Joan chasing after a frightened teenage girl screaming “Get outta here ya little tramp!” several times before the girl drives off. Another hysterical scene shows a pretty buzzed Joan persuading Ireland that his former lover was no good, “You know Judith was wrong for you. Ah, Joan Crawford, we still love you.
Released theatrically in 1965, ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ can be viewed in the twenty-first century as a quaint, even naïve suspense. Despite being a product of its time and in spite of a just-plain-goofy final scene, the film is both charming and tense. If the minimalist story is somewhat padded even at 82 minutes, director William Castle knows how to tighten the screws as Libby Mannering's predicament heightens. Andi Garrett and Sarah Lane are an appealing team as friends Libby Mannering and Kit Austin, while Joan Crawford, who receives top billing, is very funny as Steve Marak's overbearing neighbour Amy Nelson, who doesn't waste a second before pouncing on him and planning their future after his wife is out of the picture. The atmospheric black-and-white photography from Joseph Biroc, who, coincidentally, shot 1963's aforementioned ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ and is a character unto itself, capturing Libby Mannering's attractive secluded home and property with threatening claustrophobia. Clever, engrossing and, yes, a little bit creepy, ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ plays like an early urban legend in the making.
* * * * *
Blu-ray Image Quality – Once again SCREAM FACTORY brings us this William Castle Blu-ray release, where it is sporting an all-new 1080p encoded image HD transfer, and ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ has a very pleasing filmic look. Unfortunately the 1080p image is not perfect, as there are few age-related white speckles at the start of the film and lasts until 2:14, though it does clear up significantly as it goes along and a couple cigarette-burn flashes, but the increase in finely resolved grain and clarity is notable. Contrast is also very solid within its black-and-white cinematography; and especially the foggy exterior scenes look especially impressive and moody. At least it is a vast improvement over the totally previous inferior DVD release.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – SCREAM FACTORY brings us this William Castle audio presentation with just a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio and sure gets the job done, but no one should be expecting a show-stopper. The film was made five decades ago and as such, and these stereo audio track capabilities will not disappoint, and the dialogue is clean and intelligible, while the composed music and sound effects are nicely balanced in this stereo audio mix, so all in all it is a very nice audio presentation.
* * * * *
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Photo Gallery [1965] [1080p] [1.78:1] [3:41] This photo gallery is illustrated with a backdrop containing a collage of production stills and press clippings from ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID.’ This photo gallery features forty-five images comprised of publicity shots, colorized international movie posters, colorized lobby cards, an exhibitor's manual Universal provided to theatre chains, and the press book. The images are placed in the middle and gradually come closer to the screen, and we get a PowerPoint slide show.
Theatrical Trailers [1965] [1080i] [1.37:1] [2:38] Here we get to view the Original Theatrical Trailer for ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ and a “Special World Premiere Announcement” Trailer featuring director William Castle. Here UNIVERSAL gives us their unrestored teaser trailer for ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ and sadly presented in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio. This is followed by a publicity stunt with William Castle in the director's chair addressing the camera again in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio. Taking a cue from director Alfred Hitchcock but this time with a cigar in William Castle’s mouth and think of the Master of Suspense promotional shots for the film ‘The Birds,’ and this short piece demonstrates the showmanship of Castle, strapping a seat belt to his chair, a gimmick that USA theatres equipped cinema patrons with so they could “strap themselves in” as they awaited the picture's next moment of suspense.
Finally, ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ is a nice little horror film. It's not really scary, but it is very funny at the same time. It can be a little slow at times, but it has a little campiness to enjoy. Joan Crawford has the most ridiculous oversized necklace on and it is great! ‘I SAW WHAT YOU DID’ is one of William Castle's classier pictures, a beautifully shot, decidedly restrained thriller with a still-relevant cautionary message. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release sports an attractive high-definition picture quality that runs circles around its past inferior ghastly VHS and DVD incarnations. For younger tween-aged audiences who haven't yet been exposed to many horror films, this could be a fitting entry point, as it is spooky and tense but not overly violent or gory. This William Castle film is a great deal of tongue in cheek fun; and well worth having it in your classic William Castle Blu-ray Collection. Check it out for a few laughs and lots of scary over the top camp fun! Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
