Experiment in Terror

The legendary Pink Panther movies and hits like the sexy 10 and gender-bending Victor/Victoria make it easy to dismiss Blake Edwards as merely a slapstick comedy director. But in 1962, Edwards jumped off the comedy treadmill and switched gears, exploring two different genres with the same female star (Lee Remick). While many regard the heartbreaking Days of Wine and Roses as his finest film, Edwards' other 1962 release, Experiment in Terror, proffers further evidence of his versatility. Often overlooked and not entirely successful, the film marks the director's initial foray into suspense, and he displays his enthusiasm by embracing the genre like a Hitchcock protégé.

The film opens with the lovely Kelly Sherwood (Remick) motoring through the San Francisco night toward her home in the Twin Peaks neighborhood. Inside her garage, a wheezing intruder (Ross Martin) grabs her, then breathlessly spouts off detailed personal information about Kelly and her teenage sister Toby (Stefanie Powers). Eyes bulging with fright, Kelly listens as the man (cleverly masked by darkness) orders her to steal $100,000 from the bank where she works or risk family peril. He says he has killed twice before and is willing to kill again if Kelly doesn't fully cooperate or alerts the police. Despite the dire warnings, Kelly musters the courage to contact FBI agent John Ripley (Glenn Ford), who ultimately uses her as bait to catch the culprit.

A conventional woman-in-jeopardy thriller, the strength of Experiment in Terror lies not in its story, but in its presentation. Edwards at once fashions a dark, creepy climate that's enhanced by Henry Mancini's eerily elegant score, and his generous use of (often extreme) close-ups makes the tension more intimate and heightens the atmosphere of desperation. After a slam-bang opening, Edwards pulls back and deliciously elongates the suspense, allowing the plot and characters to percolate. Such a leisurely style is all too rare these days and lets the viewer cuddle up to the film and become immersed in the story.

Unfortunately, Edwards lingers a bit too long. Some judicious editing would have given the film a boost in its somewhat languorous second half, and the climax, which takes place at Candlestick Park during a Giants-Dodgers game (and features actual Major League Baseball players, most notably pitcher Don Drysdale) doesn't deliver to the desired extent. The abrupt ending also quashes the mood too quickly, but Experiment in Terror still pleases, just not to the anticipated degree.

Edwards wisely shoots Experiment in Terror in black-and-white and uses the film stock brilliantly in scenes with high contrast and murky shadows. Ditto his work with sound, employed to great effect to jolt the audience. Sirens, a ringing telephone, an alarm clock, and a shooting gallery all provide jarring thrills and ratchet up suspense. On the flip side, the villain's asthmatic whispering lends a sinister sense of foreboding to many scenes without delving into caricature.

Performances are first-rate, but hampered by a hit-and-miss script. Remick is given little to do except look frightened, which she accomplishes without sacrificing her cool, Grace Kelly-like beauty. Ford, one of Hollywood's most underrated actors, is solid as a rock, allowing a hint of sensitivity to soften his square-jawed G-man. And it's fun to see Powers early in her career carrying schoolbooks and wearing cardigans - a far cry from her worldly image in her popular TV series Hart to Hart a couple of decades later.

While well filmed and often engrossing, Experiment in Terror just misses inclusion in the classic thriller club. Still, Edwards' own experiment with the genre achieves the desired results, proving his light comedic touch could, on occasion, morph into a darker, heavier hand with equal style and skill. If only all experiments could turn out so well.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Experiment in Terror arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, and the default audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. (The film's original mono track is also included.) Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

This appears to be the same 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that graces the 2012 Twilight Time Blu-ray release. I don't own that disc, but I do own the 2003 DVD, and though the DVD transfer is quite good, this Blu-ray rendering eclipses it. Crisper, more vibrant, and devoid of the minor speckling that plagued the DVD, the Blu-ray boasts excellent clarity and contrast and faithfully honors the cinematography of two-time Oscar nominee Philip Lathrop. The movie's natural grain structure remains intact, which means levels fluctuate depending on the type of shot. Nocturnal exteriors generally exhibit more grain than carefully lit interiors, although some solid interior backgrounds do appear a tad noisy. Superior shadow delineation enhances details during the nighttime scenes, crush is remarkably absent (except when Edwards purposely shrouds the villain's identity), and silhouettes are clean. Dense blacks, bright, stable whites, and a wide grayscale produce an often striking image that exudes a fair amount of depth. Close-ups are dazzling, especially the extreme ones that highlight the pores and follicles on Martin's face, Ford's five o'clock shadow, and Remick's creamy complexion.

If you already own the Twilight Time Blu-ray, there's no need to upgrade to this Sony release, but if, like me, you only have the 2003 DVD, you'll want to seriously consider picking up this high-def edition.

A manufactured DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track supplies potent sound, but the audio is almost completely anchored up front. A bit of stereo separation can be detected across the front channels during periods of scoring, but the rears are completely silent. That said, the track still outputs rich, penetrating sound that's distinguished by excellent fidelity and tonal depth. A wide dynamic scale embraces all the highs and lows of Mancini's elegant music and all the dialogue, from the assailant's wheezy threats to the barked directives of law enforcement, is clear and easy to comprehend. Sonic accents like sirens and a ringing telephone and subtleties like street noise, a ticking clock, and Martin's labored breathing are all distinct and no age-related hiss, pops, or crackle intrude.

The original mono track is also included and presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

The film's three-minute original theatrical trailer is the only extra on the disc.

Experiment in Terror strives to rival Hitchcock and nearly succeeds. Filmed with panache and invention, this Blake Edwards thriller lags a bit during its second half, but still features an absorbing story and plenty of nail-biting suspense. Sony's video and audio transfers seem to be the same ones used for the 2012 Twilinght Time Blu-ray release, but that's not a bad thing. A beautiful image and robust audio heighten the allure and tension of this well-crafted film that still holds up more than 60 years after its premiere. DVD owners should strongly consider an upgrade. Recommended.