Wait Until Dark

by Roger Leese
(Manheim, Pa.)

I first saw this thriller in 1967, during it's original theatrical release, when I was fifteen years old. The last fifteen minutes of this film were among the most frightening times I have ever spent in a movie theater. It's ad campaign, similar to that of "Psycho", did not allow anyone to enter the theater during those last minutes. "Psycho", you may recall, did not allow anyone to enter the theater once the film had begun, so no one would wonder what happened to star Janet Leigh. But, with this film, the purpose was to heighten the extreme tension of the closing minutes. During it's original run in theaters, the theater was darkened completely. You might think that a movie theater is always dark, but there are exit lights and small aisle lights that do, in fact, prevent the theater from being totally dark. "Wait Until Dark" was based on a popular stage play by Frederick Knott, who had previously written "Dial M For Murder", which had been filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1953. "Wait Until Dark" appeared on Broadway with Lee Remick in the lead role of a blind girl who is terrorized by a trio of criminals. Audrey Hepburn would play the blind girl in the film adaption, produced by her husband, actor Mel Ferrer. For this role, Audrey Hepburn would receive her fifth Oscar nomination as Best Actress. She had previously won the Award for her first nomination in William Wyler's "Roman Holiday". The film version of "Wait Until Dark" would be directed by Terence Young, who had directed the first two James Bond movies "Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love". I highly recommend this film, but, when you watch it, during those last minutes, when Audrey Hepburn smashes all the light bulbs in her apartment to make her terrorists as much in the dark as she is, TURN OFF ALL YOUR LIGHTS, and view those final moments as they were viewed by audiences in 1967!