Cool DJ Clint Eastwood Undercut by Whack Job Jessica Walter in "Play Misty For Me"

Donna Mills sports a shag too

Why do their heads look pasted on?

I *hate* shags. Hated them then. Hate them now.

Borderline Personality Disorder. The sassy black maid gets cut up.

Buck would never wear a shag.

I love this film. I'll watch any time I see it listed. Jessica Walter was not very nice to that poor maid. Oh well.

[quote]Twice the thrills of "Fatal Attraction" and half hour shorter!

That's not true

I only love this film for Walters who is OTT crazy in it

Just came out on blu ray with Kino Lorber!

It’s amazing what a man will go through for a hot pastrami sandwich.

Clint. What a dumb name. He's gorgeous here, prettier than his female costars!

Mr. POTUS squints like Clint dumb name Eastwood.

When I first saw this as a kid I thought Carmel was the coolest place in the world and thought Clint's house was the grooviest.

I've been to Carmel once and thought it was lovely...

R7 You're right, Play Misty For Me is only about 20ish minutes shorter. It's most certainly better, however.

Here's the poor housekeeper finding Evelyn making a mess of Dave's bachelor pad...

It was a popular movie.

The housekeeper staying put while "Misty" is tearing up the place was a dumb bimbo move

Imagine what Ann B. Davis could have done with the role of Birdie, the housekeeper!

I grew up there, and this movie was on constantly. Love it!

Jessica's shag was only half as bad as G's perm, but her acting was only half as good.

It’s a perfectly fine movie, but I really love its backstory. I think the making of the movie would make for an even better movie than the movie itself.

So many interesting stories — about the screenplay (first draft by Jo Heims, former dancer and model and pal of Eastwood’s), Eastwood getting to direct (finally), Don Siegel helping him out while playing the bartender, the production being moved to Carmel so Eastwood could shoot in houses of friends and at bars he knew, filming at the Monterey jazz festival, Walter being cast at Eastwood’s insistence because she was damn good in “The Group,” despite the studio execs wanting other actresses, etc.

Just a great story, very early 70s Hollywood.

Hey Bootsy, Wonder if there's ever been a book or long mag article about the making of "Misty?"

[quote]r22 I really love its backstory. I think the making of the movie would make for an even better movie than the movie itself.

What isn’t usually discussed is the film was originally shot as a sitcom pilot. When it didn’t rate well with test audiences, a new ending was shot, the laugh track was eliminated, etc.

Thus is great cinema sometimes born.

There was a documentary made about it, r23, years ago (but also made many years after the movie was).

"Fatal Attraction" had a more extended reference to "Madame Butterfly."

Starring with the late Mr. Maharis...

the trailer

Today is Eastwood's 93rd birthday, and he is planning to direct a new movie (Juror #2). He has directed 45 movies in 52 years. Whatever you think of his work, the endurance is pretty amazing.

Terrible fashions in the 1970s. Only a natural beauty like Clint Eastwood could wear those clothings and hairstyles and not suffer for it. Even Donna Mills looks like a frump in these fashions. I saw this movie as a kid and didn't understand why Eastwood wasn't interested in an "exciting" woman like, "Misty".

Favorite scene? Misty running up on him during a business meeting and insulting his potential employer.

Thanks Bootsy, that was interesting to read!

My mother's friend saw him in Carmel in the 80's and "accidentally" on purpose rubbed up against him and he was nice about it. I don't know about his politics or what kind of husband/boyfriend he is, but from locals he sounds like a good guy and he has made some good films.

R22 Additional detail about the prep: Sondra Locke, fresh from her Oscar nomination for The Hear is a Lonely Hunter, read for the part for Eastwood, he turned her down and picked Walter. Several years later he cast Locke for The Outlaw Josey Wales, and the rest is ... good, bad and ugly history.

I didn't know that about Locke. She was only 3 years younger than Walter, but, like Sissy Spacek, looked much younger than her actual age; that might have given the character's obsession more of a older Daddy angle, even though Eastwood looks great at 40.

There was a great reference to Jessica Walter's "Misty" in "Arrested Development": When Lucille Bluth's daughter has a quick flashback to Mommie sticking her head in her bedroom door, scolding, "You're going to get fat!" Dressed in Evelyn Draper '70s drag!