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).
Review of I Saw What You Did
