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Wait Until Dark

Director: Terence Young
Writers: Robert Carrington, Frederick Knott (play)
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Elfrem Zimbalist Jr., Jack Weston, Samantha Jones, Julie Herrod
Music by: Henry Mancini
Photography by: Charles Lang
Runtime: 107 min.
Year: 1967

About: Susie's husband is asked to hold a doll for a woman as they get off an airplane. She disappears. Mike and Carlino are small time hoods who find the woman's body in Susie's apartment, placed there by her partner, Harry Rote. Susie's blindness is the key to them searching the apartment for the doll that contains smuggled drugs.

Trivia:
¤ Movie was roduced by Audrey's then-husband, actor Mel Ferrer.
¤ Hepburn and Terence Young attended a school for the blind to learn more about the visually impaired. Hepburn even learned to read Braille.
¤ Despite getting an Oscar nomination for this movie, Hepburn would not make another film until "Robin and Marian". She devoted her time raising her children.
¤ When the film was released, the theatres darkened all their lights "to the legal limit" during the last twelve minutes of the film, each light going out as Audrey smashed each light bulb. The one remaining light in the theatres would be switched off as the last light source in the film went out.
¤ The role that eventually went to Alan Arkin was difficult to cast because the producers couldn't find actors willing to be cast in such a villainous role - not only terrorizing a blind woman, but terrorizing beloved Audrey Hepburn.
¤ Hepburn tried to get this film shot in Europe, but relented when she was told not filming it in the US might have led to the closure of underused studio facilities in Hollywood.
¤ Jack L. Warner first considered George C. Scott for the role of Harry Roat and Robert Redford for the role of Mike Talman before casting Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna in the parts.
¤ During the credits there is no credit for costumes, this is because Audrey herself picked the clothes she wore from the stores in Paris.
¤ Julie Andrews was considered for the role of Susy Hendrix.
¤ In a recent interview, Alan Arkin talked about the Oscar nominations he received for his early major film roles ("The Russians Are Coming" and "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"). When asked if he were surprised that he was overlooked for "Wait Until Dark", his second movie, he replied: "You don't get nominated for being mean to Audrey Hepburn!"
¤ since Aydrey's eyes were deemed too expressive in their natural style, the director had her fitted with uncomfortable contact lenses, which she was forced to endure throughout the film's production.

Awards:
Oscars: nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Audrey Hepburn).
Golden Globes: nominations: Best Motion Picture Actress - Drama (Audrey Hepburn), Best Supporting Actor.
Laurel Awards: Female Dramatic Performance (Audrey Hepburn - 3rd place); nominations: Drama

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