I Saw What You Did (1965) User Reviews

Every Home has its Castle

[LCShackley · 5/10 · 7 September 2009]

Yes, good old William Castle is on the loose again, with a low budget and a creepy plot...and Joan Crawford, whose salary probably used up most of Castle's available cash.

You know you're in trouble from the first few scenes, with corny eyeball-shaped framing devices, then the intrusion of Van Alexander's completely out-of-place bouncy score, with its recurring principal theme of "Ninny nanny noo-noo." (Most of his credits are for 60s sitcoms, and it shows.) Then we're treated to exteriors of the Mannering house which are nothing more than Thomas Kincade- style paintings. (Virtually the whole film was shot on a sound stage, except for some rear projections.)

The plot itself is clichéd, but decently "executed." The casting is a problem, with Joan Crawford at age 60 trying to be the hypotenuse in a love triangle between 50-year-old John Ireland and some young bimbo (or we should say, ex-bimbo). Not much choice there. The two teenage girls are straight out of 60s sitcom land, and the younger sister joins the ranks of "most annoying child actors." There are some tense moments, including a ripoff of the shower scene from "Psycho" (except with a naked man instead of Janet Leigh).

And since we're already knee-deep in 60s sitcoms with the trite score and giggly teenaged actors, we're given an ending that would have been right in place on Dobie Gillis or the Patty Duke Show. Except with a dead body.

Surprisingly Good

[on_the_can · 6/10 · 7 September 2009]

William Castle made a career out of monster and ghost stories, so even though the synopsis on my TV said this was a departure about teenage girls involved with murder I still expected the same kind of B-movie action. In truth though it was actually a pretty decent thriller.

A sixteen year old girl and her little sister who live in a secluded home a few miles away from anybody get the house to themselves for a night. The older girl invites her friend over for dinner and the three of them eventually resort to prank calling random people from the phone book to entertain themselves. Unfortunately for them they make the mistake of calling a man who's just committed murder and jokingly tell him, "I know what you did, and I know who you are." The man naturally assumes the voice on the line is serious and there is a witness out there who saw him disposing of his girlfriend's body. A variety of twists and intertwining characters eventually put the guilty man in the same room as our innocent kids.

The plot relies heavily on coincidence to stitch everything together and a major plot point hinges on an extremely stupid decision by our protagonists but in spite of it all, it still manages to build a lot of tension towards it's climax which although brief is handled very effectively. It also helps that this secluded home of there's is surrounded by forestry and continually deepening shadows as the night wares on with fog that's barely visible outside the moonlight, making for a very creepy and cool atmosphere. The acting is pretty good too, even our teenage heroes seem to exercise some decent chops all things considered. Good fun and good thrills.

Very suspenseful

[hubcap18 · 7/10 · 11 May 2004]

Here's the plot: A teenage girl with her friend and younger sister(Andi Garett, Sara Lane, and Sharyl Locke) are left home alone one night by their parents, after the babysitter cancels. To amuse themselves, the decide to make prank phone calls(this was in 1965, long before caller ID or tracing existed) one phrase they use quite often to the people they call is "I saw what you did...and I know who you are." What they don't know is that one of the people they call, Steve Marek (John Ireland) takes them seriously, having just stabbed his wife to death!

This film was really scary or at least very suspenseful, considering the time period. I was pretty much on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next. There are a few things that bring this film down, chief among them most inappropriate score I think I've ever heard. It was just corny. The acting in the initial scene between the two teen girls is bad, but gets better. This film comes highly recommended. 7/10

Classic B-Movie Teens In Trouble Flick!

[shark-43 · 29 October 2004]

(POSSIBLE SPOILER)

This is a classic b-movie from 1965.The B&W cinematography is beautiful and effective - mucho fog and fake scares but the basic premise - that of kids making prank calls and it coming back to terrify them is truly effective. I saw this when I was quite little and it scared the heck out of me. In fact, this and Snow White are two of my earliest film memories (and Joan Crawford is STILL creepier than the Evil Queen in Snow White). Joan actually has fun as a nasty, scene-stealer neighbor who wants the married man for herself. William Castle (I'm a big fan of his) made many effective, cheapo thrillers: Dr. Sardonicus, Homicidal & Thirteen Ghosts (to name a few). In fact, John Goodamn does a nice job playing a version of Castle in the underrated Joe Dante film, Matinée. But check out this little teenage scarefest and whatever you do - don't prank call someone right after they've killed a mate - they're not in the mood!!

Castle...with meaning?

[amhnorris · 6/10 · 6 June 2003]

The concept of this movie is one of its strongest points. Two teenage girls making a series of prank calls that they 'saw what you did' until by chance they call someone who actually has killed someone. Unlike the other Castle movies I've seen, this one actually has subtext. The girls' blossoming sexuality becomes the main reason for their problems as they (one in particular) are keen to rid themselves of teenage sexual frustration. Joan Crawford has a small role (but star billing, thank you very much) and, as has already been noted, does seem to be quite drunk in her scenes. Unfortunately, she also has about two feet of piled up grey hair that certainly wasn't her best look. She's convincing enough as an aging woman desperate to keep her man. Enjoyable enough for what it is, and recommended to anyone who liked 'Strait-Jacket' and the like.

Very good for what it is...

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 28 December 2003]

...which is a no-budget thriller.

Two teenage girls (Sara Lane, Andi Garrett) make prank phone calls saying the title line. By mistake they call Steve Marak (John Ireland) who's just killed his wife. Then things get out of control.

One of William Castle's low budget horror films that he churned out in the 1960s. None of them are that good but this is definitely one of the better ones. It's photographed in moody black & white and director Castle makes excellent use of darkness (notice all the darkness above the girls when they make the calls) and shadows and fog (which inexplicably shows up at the end). There's also a very vicious shower stabbing in the first 20 minutes with shots obviously imitating "Psycho". There are also quite a few good moments calculated to make you jump.

On the debit side--there's not enough story even for 83 minutes; Joan Crawford (dressed to the 9s for no reason) is wasted as a next-door neighbor; Ireland is stone-faced throughout; Lane and Garrett are horrible actresses (and, tellingly, never made another movie) and the script has lines that no teenager would utter.

Still, there are worse ways to kill 90 minutes and the jolts in this film do work. Worth seeing if you're a horror fan.

Enjoyable, one-box-of-popcorn thriller

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 2 August 2002]

Kids left alone in the house inadvertently play a phone prank on psychopath John Ireland, who has just murdered his trampy Mrs. in the shower! Whenever you see a biography of Joan Crawford's career, this title usually gets left out. True, she has a minor role in it (playing Ireland's neighbor, hoping to blackmail him into marriage), however it's one of the better movies she was involved in after "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" William Castle did a good job as producer/director of this story, and the two teenage girls are very appealing and natural. The movie builds some credible suspense (underlined with a jokey tone) and has interesting visual tricks and groovy music. Avoid the awful, too-literal 1988 TV-remake. **1/2 from ****

I know who you are and you know the rest

[tamstrat · 4/10 · 12 May 2005]

I saw this as a young girl and it really scared me then, I watched it again recently as an adult and it still has some suspenseful moments. You all know the story, 2 teenage girls spending the night without parental supervision decide to make prank phone calls, and damn the luck, they accidentally prank a murderer. Of course it gets really scary and dumb after that. In real life what teenager would actually try and meet the person they prank phone called? And then there's the aging, drunken Joan Crawford in a small but memorable role as a sex crazed neighbor. The plot is pretty weak, but overall it's a fun movie to watch on a rainy Saturday night.

This Movie Is About UXORICIDE!

[phillindholm · 8/10 · 2 August 2005]

That's what the poster ads warned! UXORICIDE! (look it up). William Castle's "I Saw What You Did" is a great little suspense drama, with a perky cast and an intriguing story. Left alone one night while their parents are out of town, teen-aged Libby, her little sister Tess, and Libby's visiting friend Kit amuse themselves by making crank phone calls. They especially enjoy crooning "I saw what you did and I know who you are" to their victims. Unfortunately, one of their calls hits the bullseye--a homicidal maniac who has just murdered his wife. Tense and atmospheric, with delightful performances from Andi Garrett, Sarah Lane and Sharyl Locke as the kids, and strong ones from John Ireland as the psychopath, and the one-and-only Joan Crawford (straight from Castle's "Strait-Jacket") as his blackmail-minded neighbor, who's inexplicably in love with him. Though her part is a supporting one, just try to look away when she's on screen. A word, too, for the beautiful photography-no mean achievement in a low-budget film. Anchor Bay Entertainment released the movie on DVD and VHS back in 1999. The picture quality is sensational. Also included are two fun '' Teaser Trailers'' -one featuring Castle himself. Though the DVD is not ''anmorphic'' it is in Widescreen with no scratches or blemishes anywhere.It must have been taken from the original Universal negative.The one-channel soundtrack is equally strong, though a good DVD system will allow you to upgrade to two-channel,''Simulated Stereo'' which sounds even better. The Trailers are as well preserved as the film itself. Sadly, it's long out of print, and goes for big $$ on Amazon and EBAY. The 1988 Television remake is terrible. Avoid it and stick with the original!

good idea for a story handled in a purely pedestrian manner

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 22 April 2006]

This is a William Castle film and has all the earmarks of a made for the drive-in movie--crappy teen music, teen actors and lots of violence (for its day). However, despite this it's still a pretty good film with some occasionally chilling moments. The best aspects of the film are the excellent realistic performance by John Ireland as a menacing murderer, Joan Crawford's decent performance in which she is murdered before she gets a chance to over-act, and the creepy conclusion where the girls are chased about the property by the madman--all really good stuff. But, in between the beginning and the end, the movie drags a bit--and some of it is due to the fact that the two teenagers who star in the film just don't have enough magnetism to sustain the film. Plus, although I hate to admit it, they were both such brats I was kind of hoping they WOULD be killed! The other low-point of the film is the crappy beach party-type music at the beginning and end. It was totally inappropriate for the mood of the film but I assume it was used to appeal to the younger audience--while probably alienating older viewers or people in the 21st century that view the DVD. Not a bad little film, but hardly great or memorable.

Really Bad

[LeaBlacks_Balls · 3/10 · 21 February 2010]

A trio of teenage girls spend the night alone in a big old house making prank calls to people from the phonebook. They have the incredibly bad luck of calling a man who has just murdered his wife and telling him, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are!" Thinking they are serious, the killer decides to find them and do them in. Also involved in all of this is the killers amorous neighbor, played by Joan Crawford, who sticks her nose into her neighbors business one too many times.

What a great idea gone to crap. The photography is flat, the acting is beyond weak, the score was from a 1960's sitcom, and the 'thrills' are non-existent. This movie has such a foolproof concept, but the writing is contrived and convenient. I try to see a silver lining in most bad movies, especially one that features Crawford, but there's no hope for this one.

Light thrills, hefty suspense, and... UXORICIDE!

[drownsoda90 · 9/10 · 7 June 2014]

"I Saw What You Did" has teenagers Libby and Kit spending a night home alone along with Libby's younger sister, Tess. What do three young girls do for fun on a Friday night in 1965? Make prank phone calls, of course! But Libby and Kit's idea of innocent fun turns dangerous when they ring a psychopath who has just murdered his wife.

I admittedly am not a fan of William Castle's earliest work (as much as I don't want to say it, I find his earlier ghost films "House on Haunted Hill" and "13 Ghosts" remarkably dull), but here Castle seems to have struck my fancy. "I Saw What You Did" is a straightforward suspense film that relies on crafty writing in order to really hold our attention, but the script pulls it off. The causal reactions that put Libby and Kit into such grave danger are extremely clever, and that is perhaps the film's greatest strength— the writing is inventive and smart. In terms of action, there is not a lot that happens over the course of the film, but it still manages to engage all the same, and running at 82 minutes, it packs its punch well.

The film's black-and-white photography is gorgeous and drenches everything atmosphere, and its famous "uxoricide" scene cribs Hitchcock's "Psycho" but is arguably more brutal; it marks a pivotal point in the film as well that will have the audience shifting in their seat— even the film's hokey score is discredited by that scene alone. As lightweight as the film feels for much of its duration, the first murder is there to remind us that it's really not.

The two leading young girls are remarkably likable in their roles, and Joan Crawford infamously pulls off the role of the psychopath's sultry mistress next-door. While Crawford is often credited for hamming things up in her later career, I found her performance here to be actually quite incredible and terrifying; her interrogation of Libby when the girls arrive at the madman's house was absolutely hair-raising— in fact, I'd go so far as to say she's scarier in that moment than John Ireland is throughout the entire film.

Overall, "I Saw What You Did" is noteworthy as a thriller, but also as a cultural relic of a bygone era of rotary dials, and a world where prank calls could lead to murderous madmen peeking in your windows. It's a clever and suspenseful film that is tame by today's standards, but the maliciousness of its first murder scene does keep it floating above total kitsch. It's fun, short, and sweet, and Joan Crawford somehow manages to be at her scariest in a role that could have easily been very boring in the hands of another actress. It's a shame that it hasn't been re-released on DVD or Blu-ray for new generations to have availability to; the original Anchor Bay disc went out of print years ago and is inexplicably among the rarest horror DVDs out there. 9/10.

And I Know Who You Are

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 20 May 2018]

Irresistible premise (which could easily be adapted to today's technology) is well-executed in this tense if overextended thriller. William Castle throws you a little off at the start with playful music and young girls as the leads, but then he recreates the shower murder scene of "Psycho" - and outdoes it in viciousness! The two girls, and especially Andi Garrett as Libby, are natural and believable and not very cutesy (though they are cute!); John Ireland is scarily convincing as the baddie. Joan Crawford has a secondary role. *** out of 4.

Stupid Teen Prank

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 9 June 2012]

Though Joan Crawford is the box office name in I Saw What You Did, she comes in after about a third of the film is over and is dispatched before the final third begins. The real stars of the film are teenage girls Sara Lane and Andi Garrett who had brief careers and John Ireland a man they prank and live to regret it.

You couldn't make this film today. Two bored and stupid teens who are babysitting the sister of one of them decide to play a game of random phone call. Wouldn't you know it they call up John Ireland who has just done a Janet Leigh on his wife Joyce Meadows in the shower. And what do they say, "I Saw What You Did".

Crawford is a next door neighbor who has real evidence of what Ireland did and threatens him with the cops unless he marries her. She's got it bad for Ireland, but blackmail is hardly the basis for a happy marriage no matter how good the sex is. Crawford pays for that dumb play.

William Castle directed the film, stylishly to be sure, but the film's premise is a truly dumb one.

And with Caller IDs today that film could never be remade. Thank God for small favors.

Joan Saw What You Hung Your Clothes On...

[GroovyDoom · 30 May 2004]

and she knows who you are!

This is another strange William Castle concoction that features Joan Crawford in one of the B-horror movies she made near the end of her career, and yet the only way they could fit her into this story was to make her a kooky neighbor lady who wears tacky jewelry that looks like some sort of bizarre Aztec armor.

Everyone knows the plot, which involves two teenage girls who spend an evening making prank phone calls and, through the miracle of plot contrivance, stumble into the path of a psychotic man who has just committed murder.

I don't know if any of the other viewers felt the same way, but I really think the movie's violence is a bit shocking for its day. The first murder is an ironic ripoff of "Psycho", with the person in the shower committing the murder instead of being slashed, and I was surprised at how graphic it really is.

Also, I don't know whether this was really the filmmakers' intention or not, but they have captured the excitement of a teenage adventure and carried it effortlessly into a suspenseful conclusion. Ironically, the only thing in the movie that feels wrong is the subplot involving Crawford. It was obviously inserted to give the movie a star and to pad out the running time.

When phone pranks go very, very wrong.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 30 April 2015]

This fairly well made and entertaining William Castle shocker stars Andi Garrett and Sara Lane as Libby and Kit, two teenage girls who hang out at Libby's isolated country home when Libby's parents go on an overnight trip. Kids being kids, their idea of entertainment is picking random names out of the phone book and pestering the people with prank calls. Their worst mistake is when they dial up Steve Marak (John Ireland), and utter the memorable lines, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." As fate would have it, Marak has just murdered his wife! While Marak spends his time covering up his crime, fending off the advances of his oversexed neighbour Amy Nelson (Joan Crawford), and desperately trying to get back in touch with the so-called "witnesses", the girls buy themselves more trouble by casing Steve's joint.

This isn't as enjoyable overall as this viewer would have liked. Castle isn't able to derive *that* much tension from the set-up, and the phone hijinks go on for a little too long. He also tries to balance a playful approach in the scenes with the girls with a more serious tone in the scenes with Ireland. The music score by Van Alexander is no help; sometimes it's just too jaunty.

Fortunately, the scenario gets more gripping as it plays out, and Castle finally delivers a decent suspense finale at the Mannering family homestead. Another major asset is extremely stark and atmospheric black & white cinematography by Joseph F. Biroc. The performances are solid from all concerned. Garrett and Lane create two reasonably engaging and upbeat characters. Ireland is fun as a stone cold psycho, and Crawford is effective as the woman who yearns to be with him. Leif Erickson, Patricia Breslin, John Archer, John Crawford, and Tom Hatten comprise the supporting cast, with Joyce Meadows contributing a brief cameo as the murder victim. The actual scene of her being killed is an obvious "Psycho" riff, but amusing.

Worth a look for thriller fans.

Remade for TV in 1988.

Seven out of 10.

Uxoricide!

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 13 July 2014]

I Saw What You Did is directed by William Castle and written by William P. McGivern. It stars John Ireland, Joan Crawford, Leif Erickson, Andi Garrett, Sara Lane and Sharyl Locke. Music is by Van Alexander (Joseph Gershenson supervising) and cinematography by Joseph F. Biroc.

When two teenagers on babysitting duties decide to have fun making prank phone calls, their evening turns sinister when they call up a man who has just murdered his wife…

William Castle was of course better known for his gimmicks than for his ability as a film maker, I Saw What You Did shows the best and worst of the great entertainer. Castle produces and directs this one so is accountable for getting the mix completely wrong. At times the picture is genuinely suspenseful, the premise at the core superb, but at others it feels like it wants to be a comedy, further compounded by Alexander's awful musical score. It's a score that belongs in something like Bewitched or The Munsters, and quite often takes you out of the thriller zone.

Castle unsurprisingly borrows off of some films that influenced his career, but aided by McGivern's screenplay he manages to put some different spins on the twisty plot developments. It also helps having Biroc (The Killer that Stalked New York/Cry Danger/The Garment Jungle) on photography duty, he's able to make Castle's fog scenes appear icy cold, to blend the shadows into the story like foreboding prowlers.

Cast wise the elder cast members aren't stretching themselves here, with Crawford working for food and Ireland on auto-pilot, but the younger actors are great fun and really nail that naivety of youth thing to the max. All told it's a fun film, if not always for the right reasons. With some Castle invention (eyelet vision?!) and steals – and Biroc on form, there's more than enough here to compensate for the confusing mix of genres. 6/10

Great movie!!

[floweracres · 7/10 · 5 July 2017]

The next time you are hosting a sleep-over, put this one on for the girls! Grab some pop-corn and settle in for a fun time :) I honestly really enjoyed this movie. It is a refreshing break from modern films guts and gore, a flash-back to a simpler time - truly entertaining! Love it!

Whatever it cost,It was too much.

[dav86-1 · 4/10 · 18 March 2007]

I can't say exactly what the producers had in mind when this came off the ol' drawing board,but it is an easy to watch series of unintentional sight gags,and funny dialogue that rivals the strangest movies of all times.

What does it say about the career of Joan(Pepsi generation)Crawford that she consented to do this movie?I'm guessing her ego had to be supported by hundreds of custom made(wooden)hangers.So after Joan got her $50,000 the remaining budget of $170 went to the sets and supporting cast. This movie shows Joan giving 50K of overacting until one thinks her head will explode.The real comic relief is when she exits, I got the biggest smile of all. Have a nice beverage and enjoy the spirit of the Fifties from 1965. .

I Saw What Joan Did...and I loved it!

[bryanlee · 9/10 · 22 September 1999]

This was a hugely entertaining movie, with some TRUE moments of suspense. I thought that Joan Crawford, as usual, gave a magnificent performance. My only regret was that she had a supporting role and therefore had limited screen time. Now that this has finally been released on video for the first time, it should provide Joan's fans with countless hours of entertainment. Joan proves once again, that she is beautiful at any age...in this flick, she was 57 and gorgeous!

Amanda Huggandkiss! I Need Amanda Huggandkiss!

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 31 January 2023]

This is one of those film that I saw long ago and decided to watch on TCM recently. It involves the notorious "prank" phone call. Some teenagers do what they do. They make these calls, hoping to ruin people's evenings by frightening them. But among all the people who simply hand up and sit quietly processing, is a man who has designs on killing his wife. Soon these girls become viable roadblocks to his getting away with it. We have the venerable Joan Crawford, whom I always thought looked a bit spooky, gracing the screen. I can think of about ten films with the same basic plot. The teenagers who are in over their heads has been the staple of the slasher film for decades. I thought this was fun and pretty engaging.

I saw what you did in 1965, but I don't care anymore.

[Kingkitsch · 3/10 · 27 September 2014]

By the time 1965 rolled around, William Castle was pretty much out of ideas and gimmicks. "I Saw What You Did" was nearly Castle's last movie and it shows. The only two gimmicks left to the old carny was the warning on the poster for this snoozer: "This picture is about UXORCIDE!!". This is an obscure term for the murder of one's wife. Castle was out of ideas by now, no skeletons on a wire, no punishment poll, no ghost viewers. Only a forgotten term for murder...and Joan Crawford.

ISWYD is a movie trapped in it's own time bubble, a look at the hijinks of teenage girls left alone with a telephone for fun and games. Once, telephones only made calls in or out, nothing more. Phone pranks have pretty much gone the way of high-button shoes and horse-drawn carriages. This look back at girls in 1965 is sweet, as well as irritating. Home-alone teens Libby and Kit amuse themselves by making dozens of stupid prank calls, along with prepubescent Tess, Libby's beyond annoying little sister. Using the tag line "I saw what you did and I know who you are" finally hits the jackpot when the two gals inadvertently reach a man who's just murdered his wife. Serious tomfoolery continues until the murderer reaches the girls (don't ask how, it's ludicrous) and lessons are learned.

ISWYD is obviously dated and claustrophobic, being filmed entirely on sound stages at Universal. It has the cheap look and feel of a bad TV sitcom. The "outdoor" sets are painfully fake, and one wonders when Mr. Ed or Herman Munster will pop out of the canned fog. There's also a misplaced super perky soundtrack by the heinous Van Alexander who specialized in terrible TV themes and phony "rock and roll". Don't expect tension when bad transistor radio beach party music underscores the action.

Which now leads us to the two very sad things about this moldy oldie: the murder of the wife (UXORCIDE!!!, remember?) and Joan Crawford. William Castle was the first to blatantly copy Psycho (1960) with his cross-dressing maniac in Homicidal (1961). ISWYD again wanders onto Hitchcock's lawn with the second "shower murder" of the 60s. This time, however, Castle stages the murder in reverse, where the victim is pulled into the shower and stabbed to death. Castle was really stretching things here. Now, Joan Crawford. Over 60 by this time, she was obviously finishing her contract work with Castle after the campy "Strait-Jacket". Here, Joan is swamped by an enormous hairdo, all swoops and curls embellishing a beehive of gargantuan proportion. Joan is playing an extremely horny neighbor, who is having an affair with the shower murderer, played by John Ireland. Joan isn't in the movie for long, which is good. She appears to be drunk and unable to cope with the gigantic hairdo or the huge tacky necklace that's strangling her. Watching Joan purr and slink around Ireland is about as sexy as watching your grandma get her groove on. We are happy when Joan is killed and her hair deflates. Ireland just looks coarse, nervous, and wondering where his check is.

ISWYD is frozen in cheap movie studio set Hell, and isn't worth revisiting unless you want your pleasant memory of this potboiler ruined. The available DVD is pretty pricey for a bare bones presentation if you seek it out. The only thing that could have saved this would have been Mr.Ed rescuing the two silly girls from John Ireland. Ring ring! Wilbur,it's for you!

An evening of prank phone calls turns deadly.

[PaulCurt · 8/10 · 14 November 1999]

I became aware that this movie is now available on DVD thanks to the IMDB...thanks folks! I've been looking for years to find a copy! I take it the reason this has not been seen on TV in a long time is, they mention actual phone numbers, something which was replaced with the 555-xxxx phone numbers in the '70's. Apparently someone figured pranksters would start dialing the numbers used in the story...

This is a good suspense thriller very much like other films of the '60's and later the made-for-TV '70's fare. It is enjoyable on its own terms, as are most of William Castle's movies.

What makes it stand out, historically, is that children who saw this film in the theater or on TV became EXTREMELY unlikely to make prank phone calls! Talk to someone who saw the movie in the '60'...they will tell you that they NEVER made Bart Simpson-type calls because this movie warned them off! In a way, that makes the movie a part of American culture in a bigger way than many big-budget flicks from the same era.

Joan Crawford's Hair of the Dog

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 12 September 2009]

With parents Leif Erickson and Patricia Breslin (as Dave and Ellie Mannering) out for the evening, thrill-seeking teenaged daughter Andi Garrett (as Libby) invites blonde friend Sarah Lane (as Kit Austin) to sleep over. The girls, plus pushy little sister Sharyl Locke (as Tess), spend time making prank telephone calls. One of their funnier stunts is calling random names from the phone book and telling the answering party, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are!" When they tell this to John Ireland (as Steve Marak), he thinks they know he has just killed his wife...

William Castle's "I Saw What You Did" probably provided most theater and drive-in audiences with medium-sided thrills in 1965 - but, today, it's very tame stuff. There is an interesting gender-reversed twist on Hitchcock's "Psycho" (1960) shower scene. The best part of the film is definitely huge-haired Joan Crawford (as Amy Nelson). Every inch the star (although only a supporting player in this story), Ms. Crawford relishes each second before the camera. Her role as the horny, fiftysomething neighbor, who knows how to prepare a stiff drink, is absolutely delicious.

****** I Saw What You Did (7/21/65) William Castle ~ John Ireland, Andi Garrett, Joan Crawford, Sarah Lane

A good idea given mediocre treatment

[aemmering · 5/10 · 23 March 2007]

This 1965 offering, directed by the famed horror/schlock director William Castle, on one level, is quite fascinating. The idea of two teens making creepy prank calls to unsuspecting victims is rife with possibilities. The film starts out with our two heroines paging through a phone book. A food stain lands on the name of their next victim, a middle aged man named Steve Marak. The prank call begins with their standard line, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are". This time there's a switch-you see, Marak has just finished murdering his wife in a particularly brutal fashion. Needless to say, he doesn't see this message as a harmless prank. He demands to see them, thinking he can either shut them up permanently or bribe them to stay silent. The girls, intrigued by his sexy voice, sneak off in their parent's car to see him. After a good start, the film begins to show its flaws. Joan Crawford, top billed as Steve's girlfriend, is actually on screen only a few minutes. The only really big name in the cast, she chomps up the scenery mercilessly, all the while wearing some ridiculous piece of jewelry which distracts us from just about everything except for her ridiculous performance. The two little pranksters are played by virtual unknowns, who remained unknown thereafter for no unknown reasons. The acting honors here go to John Ireland as Steve. As the wife killer and victim of the girl's tricks, his is the only believable performance in the film. This is unfortunate, for better acting could have made a real difference for the interest and tone of the film. Overall, a better cast (excepting Ireland) and a much better script could have lifted this from just another routine horror melodrama to a fascinating study of voyeurism, and the role this plays in these young girls' lives. The prank call angle is the most interesting angle in what is otherwise a routine melodrama centering on infidelity and murder. Five out of ten (for some good atmosphere, an interesting idea, and Ireland's performance).