I became aware that this movie is now available on DVD thanks to the IMDB...thanks folks! I've been looking for years to find a copy! I take it the reason this has not been seen on TV in a long time is, they mention actual phone numbers, something which was replaced with the 555-xxxx phone numbers in the '70's. Apparently someone figured pranksters would start dialing the numbers used in the story...
This is a good suspense thriller very much like other films of the '60's and later the made-for-TV '70's fare. It is enjoyable on its own terms, as are most of William Castle's movies.
What makes it stand out, historically, is that children who saw this film in the theater or on TV became EXTREMELY unlikely to make prank phone calls! Talk to someone who saw the movie in the '60'...they will tell you that they NEVER made Bart Simpson-type calls because this movie warned them off! In a way, that makes the movie a part of American culture in a bigger way than many big-budget flicks from the same era.
This is a good suspense thriller very much like other films of the '60's and later the made-for-TV '70's fare. It is enjoyable on its own terms, as are most of William Castle's movies.
What makes it stand out, historically, is that children who saw this film in the theater or on TV became EXTREMELY unlikely to make prank phone calls! Talk to someone who saw the movie in the '60'...they will tell you that they NEVER made Bart Simpson-type calls because this movie warned them off! In a way, that makes the movie a part of American culture in a bigger way than many big-budget flicks from the same era.