Elizabeth Taylor stars in this screen-adaptation of Lucille Fletcher's play, which initially presents little more than a roll-call for thriller clichés...but the picture turns out to be a dandy one. A married woman in England, haunted by a ghoulish memory from her past, suffers from insomnia and loneliness; her husband is always working, her best girlfriend runs around with married men, and she's left alone in a big house with a backyard that faces the rear of a deserted mansion. During a thunderstorm one night, our heroine sees a dead body in one of the neighboring windows (the viewer doesn't, at least not quite, which is a crafty touch courtesy director Brian G. Hutton). Vehicle for La Liz might have stood a stronger production, as the overall results are muddy-looking and cheap. Still, we never lose interest in the main character, as Taylor acquits herself well in these shuddery circumstances. The setup seem overly-familiar to movie-buffs, though it features an effective twist near the climax which I didn't see coming. **1/2 from ****
Review of Night Watch
