Film,I Saw What You Did 1965 Starring Joan Crawford

I Saw What You Did (1965) is a Universal Pictures feature film starring Joan Crawford and John Ireland in a tale of murder. The screenplay by William P. McGivern was based upon the 1964 novel Out of the Dark by Ursula Curtiss. The film was directed and produced by William Castle, and co-produced by Dona Holloway. The 2002 widescreen DVD release used the film's original 1965 poster title "I Saw What You Did" And I Know Who You Are!.

Plot and cast

When two mischievous teens, Kit (Sara Lane) and Libby (Andi Garrett) are home alone with Libby's younger sister, Tess (Sharyl Locke), they begin randomly dialing telephone numbers and telling whoever answers: "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." One call is placed to Steve Marak (Ireland), a man who has recently murdered his wife (Joyce Meadows) and disposed of her body in the woods. Believing his crime is known, he decides to track down the girls and silence them. Neighbor Amy Nelson (Joan Crawford) is in love with Marak and has been trying to woo him away from his wife. She inadvertently saves Libby from being killed and is stabbed to death by Marak. He then closes in on the girls but their parents and the police arrive in time to stop him from committing another homicide. Others in the cast include Patricia Breslin, John Archer, and John Crawford.

Production notes

Advertisements for the movie read, "William Castle warns you: This is a motion picture about UXORICIDE!" and, in an early trailer for the film, Castle advised the audience that a section of the theater would be installed with seat belts for audience members "who might be scared out of their seats".  The advertised gimmick was abandoned prior to the release of the film and never actually used.

Reception

Saturday Review noted, "Unfortunately, there is little for the eye, ear, or mind in [the film]...The call, from teen-age pranksters [Lane and Garrett] probably seemed like a good "gimmick" on which to base an entire film. It isn't."
Variety commented, "[The film] is a well-produced, well-acted entry in the suspense-terror field...[the] slightest gesture or expression of [Crawford] conveys vivid emotion."
This was remade for TV in 1988 with Robert Carradine, David Carradine, Tammy Lauren and Shawnee Smith.

Director:

William Castle

Writers:

William P. McGivern (screenplay), Ursula Curtiss (novel)

Stars:

Joan Crawford, John Ireland and Leif Erickson