Dennis Pitt: Boy. What a week. I met you on Monday, fell in love with you on Tuesday, Wednesday I was unfaithful, Thursday we killed a guy together. How about that for a crazy week, Sue Ann?
Sue Ann Stepanek: "Unfaithful Wednesday?"
Dennis Pitt: I was just joking, Sue Ann. That was in another country. Forget it. I do. . . .
Sue Ann Stepanek: Marry me.
The Music Box in Chicago has been running films in the Film Noir tradition. One of their offerings today was Pretty Poison.
By 1968, thirty-six year old Anthony Perkins had become so identified with his 1960 Norman Bates role that it seems only natural that his character, Dennis Pitt, is just getting out of an institution for having burned up his aunt in a house fire when he was 15. Dennis, given to outlandish lies, may or may not believe all the stories he tells. When he meets Sue Ann Stepanek, a flag carrier for her high school band, he appears quirky enough to get her interest. Eventually he convinces her he works for the CIA and that she must help him. He believes the chemical plant he works for is poisoning the water with their colorful red discharge and he plans on sabotaging the plant by bringing down the metal discharge ducts. Sue Ann gets carried away and as they set about in their plan, she kills a night watchman by drowning him between her legs, holding him under water. This is definitely not the innocent Dennis thought she was.
Later that same night, the two are picked up by the police who assume that Dennis is trying to rape her at the local make-out area in the woods. Her mother tells the police to forget it and then tells Sue Ann she can never see him again. And the resulting actions show that the "Pretty Poison" of the title is not referring to the chemicals found in the lake.
Perkins gives us a sustained role without reprising the quirkiness of Norman Bates. Twenty-five year old Tuesday Weld is fairly convincing as a 18 year old who seems more dangerous than her paroled boyfriend. At times, the film feels like it had made for TV, including some of the musical bridges used. The plot remains interesting enough to keep our interest.
I found it interesting how a film that is 44 years old could show clearly one of the changes in today's culture. The clothing and houses could be today, but pay phones have disappeared from the side of the road. Today, Sue Ann would probably not be able to spend 10 minutes without texting Dennis.
I enjoyed the film as much for seeing the film noir aspects as the performances of two capable and underused actors.
Pretty Poison (1968) ***
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