Play Misty for Me (1971)

Play Misty For Me is the excellent directorial debut of Clint Eastwood and the third film in a trilogy of films in an experimental phase of Eastwood's career. I'm no fan of Paint Your Wagon, but the other two films in question (The Beguiled and this film) are very good and some of Clint's most interesting work. Play Misty For Me is a tense thriller in the same vein as Fatal Attraction, which Misty... no doubt had a big influence on. Clint Eastwood plays a laid back jazz DJ that gets a lot of action from the ladies. He tries to focus his efforts on one woman and a chance encounter with groupie Evelyn turns into a torrid affair that later turns his life upside down. Dave's (Clint) attempts to call off the relationship go awry and Evelyn starts stalking him an disrupting his life. Foxy lady Evelyn Draper(Jessica Walter) turns out to be the super fan from hell as events unfold to its violent climax. Clint gives an excellent performance and shows his more vulnerable side in this project. The direction is solid and the story flows together well. The camera-work is quite good as well. Clint does a fine job building tension and suspense in this Hitchcock like shocker. The jazzy score and wardrobes make the film dated to that specific period(late 60's/early 70's), but also gives the movie its own flavor and ambiance that separates it from similar styled films. Overall, Play Misty For Me holds up really well and was an original movie in its day, plus it shows Clint's ability to direct and range as an actor. Great film.

Fmovies: Clint Eastwood never fails to amaze me. I have not seen a resume like what he has for an actor, a producer, a composer, a screenplay writer and a director, considering the fact he started off as a mere extra. Made his debut in 1955 as an actor and later turned into a producer and a director and is still going strong and looks fit for his age (Million Dollar Baby).

The beginning of the 1970s found Clint Eastwood either at or near the front ranks of actors who were considered sure box office, right up there with actors as diverse as Paul Newman and John Wayne. What caught a lot of people off guard in 1971, however, was when Eastwood, armed with the expertise he had gained working with Sergio Leone and Don Siegel, got into the business of directing. No one could have predicted that the Man With No Name would soon become the Man With A Big Name behind the camera. But that is indeed what happened; and his first effort both in front of and behind the camera was a winner: PLAY MISTY FOR ME Filmed in Carmel, California, 'Play Misty For Me' features Eastwood as a DJ at a local jazz radio station taking all-night requests.On a particular night he gets a call from a mysterious woman to "Play 'Misty' for me", referring to a classic Errol Garner song "Misty". As it turns out, that woman (Jessica Walter) has something of a fixation on Eastwood. Furthermore, when Eastwood meets back up with an old flame of his (Donna Mills), Walter's fixation takes a turn towards the psychotic.

At this time if you are thinking this sounds like Fatal Attraction starring Michael Douglas, you would be right. The plot is same somewhat but personally I like 'Play Misty For Me' more cause me being a huge fan of Clint Eastwood.

'Play Misty For Me' was not a perfect movie when it was released. There are a couple of awkward sequences that simply don't work at all in the film, but Eastwood recovers from such scenes and makes some very good and mature directorial choices as the film progresses.

Featuring of a cameo role from Eastwood's mentor Don Siegel as his local bartender, 'Play Misty For Me', despite some slightly misogynistic overtones, is an incredibly suspenseful work of film-making and shows the first glimpse of just how good Clint Eastwood would become both in front of and behind the camera.

Too-careful shocker directed and starring Clint Eastwood involves a radio disc-jockey who gets seductive requests by telephone for the song "Misty"--he later meets the overly-friendly female fan and they share a fling, but she 'won't be ignored'. Tense thriller may have been the starting point for Adrian Lyne's "Fatal Attraction", though this one is far less slick. Sometimes an actor is so good in a role that it's impossible to see them as anyone else later in their career; such is the case with Jessica Walter, who nails this part of the psychotic woman--and seems to embody instability itself! Several scenes go on too long, the climax is so dark visually it is nearly incoherent, and there's a jazz festival interlude (and a romantic montage with Eastwood and Donna Mills) that feels like padding, but the central situation is unsettling, well-crafted and well-played. As for Walter, she had a tough time shaking off the affects left behind with this role, which of course is both pro and con. *** from ****

Play Misty for Me fmovies. This movie, I suppose, was the first nice-guy-being-stalked-by-psycho-female thriller. And it's quite damn good. Modern audiences might feel the film was too low-key, but I found it very suspenseful. This proves you don't need eerie music (there's very little score on the soundtrack) and continuous gore to create suspense. Jessica Walter is terrifying--maybe not as terrifying as Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction," but she comes pretty close. It's fun--and somewhat hilarious--to see Clint Eastwood as a young man with LOTS of hair. This was his first directorial effort, and he did a fine job. Over 30 years, the premise has become all-too-familiar, so unfortunately the story is predictable. Maybe 1970's audiences found it more shocking. But I was able to predict who would die and when. Nevertheless, I still found "Play Misty For Me" very entertaining and very well-acted. But what was with that jazz concert scene? Clint definitely should've left that on the cutting room floor.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

I was very impressed when I read the trivia for this film. It's Clint Eastwood's directorial debut...and he finished the film ahead of schedule and under budget--in only 21 days! I could see why he was called on many more times to direct--and it's a shame he's known more for an actor than director.

Eastwood plays a radio DJ. One night in a bar, he meets a young lady (Jessica Walter) and they end up spending the night together. She says there are no strings attached....but over time it's obvious that she is majorly obsessed with him. She pushes him VERY hard--and no matter how much he tells her to get lost, she won't take a hint. At first, it's all seemingly innocent but over time she begins to show a crazier and crazier side. As for the title, every time she calls in to his show, she says 'Play Misty for me'--as it's 'their' song. As time passes, the film begins to look more and more like "Fatal Attraction".

This is a very good film for a first effort from Eastwood. While the film has a few problems, overall, it's quite thrilling and suspenseful. Additionally, Jessica Walter did a great job playing an Erotomaniac--an individual who is convinced that a high-status person LOVES them regardless of all evidence to the contrary. There also is a strong degree of a Borderline personality--with SERIOUS anti-social aspects (heck, she's more than willing to kill--trust me on the diagnosis, it all fits). On the downside, I thought Eastwood's acting performance was a bit too subdued and cool considering what was happening to him. And I have no idea why the segment with the Roberta Flack music video and the visit to the Monterrey Jazz Festival was included except as filler--it was like an intermission and pretty weird. But overall, it's a nice little thriller.

By the way, for an even better film on the subject, try watching the French film "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not"--a truly brilliantly written film that you just have to see.

In the city of Carmel, the popular disc-jockey David Garver (Clint Eastwood) has one night stand with Evelyn Draper (Jessica Walter), a strange he met in a bar after his show. The woman, indeed a deranged obsessed fan, stalks David and threatens his life, his girl-friend Tobie Williams (Donna Mills), his friends and even his job.

The debut of Clint Eastwood as director could not be better. This low budget and low paced movie has a simple, but frightening story, which was ripped off at least in the famous "Fatal Attraction" and the teen version "Swimfan". The magnificent landscape and locations in the beautiful city of Carmel, where Clint Eastwood was elected Major many years later, are another attraction. The performance of Jessica Walters is awesome, changing naturally her behavior from a sweet to an aggressive person, really incorporating her character. Clint Eastwood is very cool, as usual, and Donna Mills very gorgeous. I like the unusual break of tension adopted when Evelyn is arrested and Dave and Tobie's routine returns to normal, dating, going to festival, making love, increasing the suspense after the twist point. I do not recall how many times I have seen "Play Misty for Me", a classic and one of the best thrillers of the 70's. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Perversa Paixão" ("Wicked Passion")