NIGHT MOVES (USA, 1975) ****
PRODUCTION: Distributor: Warner Bros. (USA), Columbia-EMI-Warner (UK); Production Company: Warner Bros. / Hiller Productions / Layton Productions / Major Studio Partners; Release Date: 18 March 1975 (USA); Filming Dates: fall/winter 1973; Running Time: 100m; Colour: Technicolor; Sound Mix: Mono; Film Format: 35mm; Film Process: Spherical; Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1; BBFC Cert: 18 – child abuse theme.
CREW: Director: Arthur Penn; Writer: Alan Sharp; Producer: Robert M. Sherman; Associate Producer: Gene Lasko; Director of Photography: Bruce Surtees; Music Composer: Michael Small; Film Editor: Dede Allen; Casting Director: Nessa Hyams; Production Designer: George Jenkins; Set Decorator: Ned Parsons; Costumes: Rita Riggs; Make-up: Bob Stein; Sound: Richard P. Cirincione, Craig McKay, Robert M. Reitano; Special Effects: Joe Day, Marcel Vercoutere.
CAST: Gene Hackman (Harry Moseby), Jennifer Warren (Paula), Susan Clark (Ellen), Edward Binns (Ziegler), Harris Yulin (Marty Heller), Kenneth Mars (Nick), Janet Ward (Arlene Iverson), James Woods (Quentin), Anthony Costello (Marv Ellman), John Crawford (Tom Iverson), Melanie Griffith (Delly Grastner), Ben Archibek (Charles), Dennis Dugan (Boy), C.J. Hincks (Girl), Max Gail (Stud), Susan Barrister (Ticket Clerk), Larry Mitchell (Ticket Clerk).
SYNOPSIS: In LA, a private detective is hired by a retired obscure Hollywood actress to find her 16 year-old missing daughter.
COMMENT: Extremely well-acted detective mystery with Hackman delivering a performance of depth as the private eye with things to prove to himself. The complex script focuses as much on character as plot progression and gives the actors plenty to work with and Warren and Clark are notable standouts. The finale contains a neat final twist. The only misstep is Small’s weak score, which fails to build on the tension evident in Sharp’s script and drawn out through Penn’s expert direction and Surtees’ moody photography.