Pretty Poison (1968)

Pretty Poison
Directed by Noel Black
Lorenzo Sempel Jr. based on a novel by Stephen Geller
1968/US
IMDb link
First viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] Sue Ann Stepanek: You are some character, Dennis. I’m surprised the C.I.A. lets you out without a keeper.[/box]

Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins made this a must-see for me.

Dennis Pitt (Perkins) is released from the psychiatric institution where he has been an inmate since the age of 15.  He is ill-equipped to re-integrate into society and is still delusional  Then he skips out on his case-worker and moves to a city where he has no support.  He meets high-school cheerleader Sue-Ellen (Weld).  She believes it when he tells her she is pretty and when he tells her he is a spy.

It turns out that Sue Ellen has problems of her own – problems that make them a perfect couple.

This is a nice little thriller.  Perkins had the dazed, sensitive, disturbed look down pat by 1967 and he employs it to the hilt.  I will watch Weld in anything.  Not a must-see but entertaining.

2 responses to “Pretty Poison (1968)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *