Wait Until Dark (1967)

A psychopath (Alan Arkin) enlists the aid of two petty criminals (Richard Crenna, Jack Weston) to help him retrieve a doll, which contains heroin, from a blind woman (Audrey Hepburn) who is unaware of the doll's contents. Directed by Terence Young and based on the hit Broadway play by Frederick Knott (DIAL M FOR MURDER), the film is a cleverly conceived, if over plotted, thriller that slowly builds its tension to the near breaking point and then lets loose with a doozy of a "scream" moment that while it may lack its original shock (it's been done to death dozens of times since), still retains its intensity. Hepburn is simply sensational here and along with THE NUN'S STORY, this may be her finest moment as an actress. She's matched superbly by Arkin whose Harry Roat is one of the nastiest screen villains in movie history. The film retains much of its theatrical origins but it only aids in keeping an appropriate claustrophobic atmosphere. The marvelously unsettling score is by Henry Mancini. With Efrem Zimbalist Jr, Samantha Jones and Julie Herrod.