Movie Type: Psychological Thriller, Police Detective Film
Themes: Woman In Jeopardy, Mind Games, Blackmail
Main Cast: Glenn Ford, Lee Remick, Stefanie Powers, Roy Poole, Ned Glass, Ross Martin
Release Year: 1962
Country: US
Run Time: 123 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
Bank teller Lee Remick is accosted in her garage one dark night by asthmatic psycho Ross Martin. He forces her to go through with an elaborate robbery scheme, threatening to kill Lee's teen-aged sister Stefanie Powers if the police are summoned. FBI agent Glenn Ford suspects that something is amiss and advises Lee to play along with Martin, hoping in this way to capture this dangerous criminal with a minimum of bloodshed. Unfortunately, Martin is as clever as he is deadly, always managing to stay one step ahead of Ford. The now-famous climax of Experiment in Terror finds the feds closing in on Martin during a crowded night baseball game at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. Experiment in Terror is based on the Gordons' novel Operation Terror. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Blake Edwards' sole venture into the thriller genre is well-meshed entertainment, featuring a strong performance by Ross Martin as a truly creepy psychopath. Although Edwards' genre exercise may lack the complexity of a Hitchcockian thriller, he added some novel textures by shooting much of the film during daylight hours in nondescript neighborhoods of suburban San Francisco, and using Candlestick Park for the memorable finale. Martin had the role of his career as the asthmatic killer who abducts a teenaged girl (Stefanie Powers) intending to hold her for ransom until he receives 100,000 dollars, and he capitalized on the opportunity, creating a monster to rival Robert Mitchum's sociopathic ex-con in Cape Fear (1962). Ford, Remick, and Powers are fine in less flashy parts, but aside from Martin, the cast here may be less important here than Henry Mancini's edgy, jazz-tinged score, a perfect complement to the film's brooding ambience. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Anita Loo - Lisa; Patricia Huston - Nancy; Gilbert Green - Special Agent; Clifton James - Capt. Moreno; Al Avalon - Man Who Picked Up Kelly; William Bryant - Chuck; Dick Crockett - First FBI Agent; James Lanphier - Landlord; Warren Hsieh - Joey Soong; Sidney Miller - Drunk; Clarence Lung - Attorney Yung; Sherry O'Neil - Edna; Mari Lynn - Penny; James Callahan - F.B.I. Agent; Fred Coby - F.B.I. Agent; Frederic Downs - Welk; Edward Mallory - Dick; Fay McKenzie - Hospital Superintendent; Bill Neff - F.B.I. Agent; Karen Norris - Saleswoman; Gil Perkins - Taxi Driver; William Remick - Coroner; Audrey Swanson - Nurse; Barbara Collentine - Janie; Mary Ellen Popel - Secretary; Ken Wales - F.B.I. Agent; Helen Jay - Waitress; Russ Whiteman - TV Director; Beal Wong - Pastor; Robert Carraher - Police Lieutenant; Judee Morton - Louella; David Tomack; Ray Kellogg - Man at Ballpark; Richard Norris - F.B.I. Agent
Credit
Robert A. Peterson - Art Director, Blake Edwards - Director, Patrick McCormack - Editor, Henry Mancini - Composer (Music Score), Ben Lane - Makeup, Philip H. Lathrop - Cinematographer, Blake Edwards - Producer, James Crowe - Set Designer, Gordon Elliott - Screenwriter, Mildred Gordon - Screenwriter, Mildred Gordon - Book Author
A psychotic killer, Garland "Red" Lynch, uses a campaign of terror to force San Francisco bank teller Kelly Sherwood to steal $100,000 from the bank for him. Despite his threat to kill her or her teenaged sister Toby if she goes to the police, Sherwood contacts the San Francisco office of the FBI, where agent John Ripley takes charge of the case.
Ripley interviews a woman who implies that she's involved in some way in a serious crime, but before she can give Ripley the details, Lynch murders her. Sherwood continues to be terrorized with phone calls, an asthmatic condition making the unseen Lynch's voice all the more sinister.
The FBI identifies the criminal, noting that Red Lynch has a record of convictions for statutory rape, forgery, criminal assault, armed robbery and murder.
They track down his girlfriend, Lisa Soong, whose 6-year old son has just had a hip replaced. Lynch is paying all the hospital bills. Because of this, Lisa refuses to believe that Lynch is a criminal and will not cooperate with the investigation. Ripley nevertheless manages to get some information about "Uncle Red" from the boy.
Lynch finally gives Sherwood a time and date to steal the money, and just to make sure that she does, he kidnaps her sister Toby and holds her captive.
The climax of the film is a chase through Candlestick Park in the middle of a nighttime baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. Ripley and his men ultimately surround Lynch on the infield of the stadium.
Dodgers' pitcher Don Drysdale appears as himself in brief close-ups during the baseball game sequence.
Production
Experiment in Terror was filmed on location in San Francisco. The house used for the home of Kelly and Toby Sherwood was located at 100 St. Germaine Street.[1]
