Another great made for tv movie. Tisha Sterling (Ann Sothern's daughter) plays a con artist who preys on wealthy, lonely women (Amanda Blake). Ms. Sterling starts out being a friend and companion to Ms. Blake who is quite lonely. Little by little we see how conniving Tisha really is. She's a thief, a liar and a master manipulator who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Ms. Blake starts to become suspicious and the fun begins. I don't want to spoil it by telling too much, but this is a fun movie. Tisha Sterling is an underrated actress who has always chosen some interesting roles despite her debut in 1965's campy "Village of the Giants". Amanda Blake really brings out the pathos in this role, as you really feel quite bad for her after all the drama she goes through by just wanting a friend to hang out with. Catch it if you can, as these made for tv gems are seldom on video.
6 Reviews
Enjoyed Dick Haymes Acting
whpratt14 October 2008
Enjoyed this 1974 film which deals with a couple, Helen Mercer, (Amanda Blake) and her boyfriend who are con-artists who go around getting the confidence of widow's that are lonely. In one scene, one widow is killed and they both move on to another woman named Gretchen Addison, (Tisha Sterling) who is a very clever woman who takes a liking to Helen Mercer and takes Gretchen under her wing, so to speak. Harold Porter, (Dick Haymes) plays the role as a judge who is good friends with Helen and also has a love interest in Helen. Some one is killed and this changes the entire story around and points the audience into another direction. This is a great Classic film and very worth your time to view and enjoy this film.
Kitty the foil.
Poseidon-311 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
One of countless little TV-movies from the glory days of the 70's when folks could be entertained for ninety minutes by a star or two (or more) that they'd come to love. Here, Blake portrays a wealthy divorcée who's recovering from a rather traumatic experience in her home. Despite the presence of attentive pal Haymes, she hires pretty, young Sterling to assist her with correspondence and to keep her company. Unfortunately, as shown in a prologue featuring Benson as a defenseless old woman, Sterling is a duplicitous thief and is in cahoots with Groom to bilk women out of their savings, silver and jewelry. Sterling and Blake strike up a sort of mother-daughter relationship and Sterling is considering going straight, but Groom shows up to carry out his end of the plan and things get complicated. Blake, finally ending her two-decade run as Miss Kitty on "Gunsmoke", must have welcomed the chance to play a contemporary character (though every costume she wears features a floor length skirt!) She imbues her character with warmth and concern, though sometimes she does look rather silly with a fall that doesn't exactly match her own shade of hair and a series of loud maxi-skirts.) Sterling does well in a sort of "Marnie"-like role. Haymes, who had long since lost his career, at least gets to work again and shares a nice chemistry with Blake. Groom seems a little white-bread to be playing so tough a character, but he gives it his best. In the prologue, he hilariously uses a pair of panty hose to obscure his face even though his features are completely visible save the control-top waistband that smears across his mouth! The film is very low-budget and suffers from either bad editing or halting performances, especially at the beginning, since there seems to be great pause between the lines at times. It's also rather pat, silly and scant (even though it's based on a novel!) However, there is a remarkable amount of suspense around the 3/4 mark as Blake attempts to evade an intruder in her labyrinth-like home. Though no one is likely to have nightmares after this (unless it's over the clothes!), it's a fun way to spend 74 minutes, watching a few name stars enact a simple, but compelling little tale.
Tisha Sterling entirely makes the film
smithbea18 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Actually a superb TV movie from 1974. A young man and a very beautiful young lady (Sterling) go conning and murdering old rich ladies for their cash. Then the young woman meets a spirited mature lady whom the young woman has every intention of ripping off and abandoning but not killing. This is NOT a buddy film of any kind. Sterling has lots of great scenes in it. An absolute Godsend of a performer she was. Too bad indeed she retired from TV and film in the late 1990's!
Seldom seen scene
dedmond50912 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I guess that may be a bit of a spoiler. I always thought Tisha Sterling was really pretty. And in this movie, the scene that stands out to me was when her boyfriend viciously punches her in the stomach! I had never seen such a thing - such a pretty girl get so brutally hit in the stomach like that. She goes down immediately, holding her stomach and in pain, unable to breath. The guy grabs her hair and berates her and then leaves her suffering from the stomach punch.
You hardly ever see the attractive girls in movies get hit in the stomach. I was rather young when I saw this and it was so realistic. Tisha's acting was superb. It made me wonder if this had ever happened to her in real life. In the movie, I could hardly tell it was acting.
Good movie all around, but I'll never forget the part where Tisha gets punched so hard in the stomach and doubles over onto a ottoman holding her stomach in pain - at length. I had never seen such a thing in real life or on screen before or since then.
You hardly ever see the attractive girls in movies get hit in the stomach. I was rather young when I saw this and it was so realistic. Tisha's acting was superb. It made me wonder if this had ever happened to her in real life. In the movie, I could hardly tell it was acting.
Good movie all around, but I'll never forget the part where Tisha gets punched so hard in the stomach and doubles over onto a ottoman holding her stomach in pain - at length. I had never seen such a thing in real life or on screen before or since then.
Wavers Some, but Generally Holds Interest
dougdoepke26 April 2020
Novel concept that plays out pretty well. An officious, dark hired woman assists an old lady until a masked intruder enters and kills the old lady for her money. Next we see a delightful young blonde woman (Sterling) applying to assist an emotionless wealthy older woman (Blake). Together, they really hit it off even though Blake mysteriously killed a man several years earlier. The plot then becomes whether these two women can remain together despite their backgrounds. We root for them since each overcomes the difficulties in the other. You can almost say it's a 'buddy' picture, despite the complicating moral conflicts just beneath the surface.
Both lead actresses shine in their roles, almost making me forget I was watching Gunsmoke's Miss Kitty. The unusual plot manages to involve us even though some implicit suspense threads are not played up. In fact, the script could be a lot tighter. Note too, how the story's outcome appears determined by the hand of fate, or should I say its head.
On a lighter note, watch for ex- big band singer Dick Haymes in an affably dangling role that looks like a needed payday for a kingpin of the late 40's and early 50's. Unfortunately for him, his career was ruined by accusations of draft-dodging during WWII. I recall it being quite a scandal at the time when the crooner was 'here today' and 'gone tomorrow'. So this is one of the few chances to catch him in his later, obscure, years.
Anyway, the flick's a novel concept, well-acted and mounted; it may waver some, but generally holds interest throughout.
Both lead actresses shine in their roles, almost making me forget I was watching Gunsmoke's Miss Kitty. The unusual plot manages to involve us even though some implicit suspense threads are not played up. In fact, the script could be a lot tighter. Note too, how the story's outcome appears determined by the hand of fate, or should I say its head.
On a lighter note, watch for ex- big band singer Dick Haymes in an affably dangling role that looks like a needed payday for a kingpin of the late 40's and early 50's. Unfortunately for him, his career was ruined by accusations of draft-dodging during WWII. I recall it being quite a scandal at the time when the crooner was 'here today' and 'gone tomorrow'. So this is one of the few chances to catch him in his later, obscure, years.
Anyway, the flick's a novel concept, well-acted and mounted; it may waver some, but generally holds interest throughout.
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