Classic Horrors Club

We’ve seen the story many times, going back at least as far as 1954 with Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Sure, there are variations and twists, but the basic plot is the same: somebody sees something bad happen in an adjacent building. Usually, nobody believes them and, at some point, they find themselves in personal danger because of it.

Most of the characters in these films don’t have enough sense to just let sleeping dogs lie, or, in this case, let shooting men… shoot? If the police don’t act fast enough, these characters take it upon themselves to investigate. There’s usually something that throws them off the scent, such as a building not having a 13^th floor.

You’d have to try pretty hard to make these movies not be entertaining. Writer David Wiltse and director William Hale do a better than average job with Nightmare (1974.) Wiltse later wrote Revenge of the Stepford Wives (1980) and Hale later directed Red Alert (1977), two TV movies that were also better than average.

What I liked most about this one, though, were the actors and their characters. The always reliable Richard Crenna plays Howard Fallon, the man who witnesses a sniper across the way. He lives in sin with his girlfriend, aspiring actress Jan Richards, played by Patty Duke.

They have good chemistry and their playful interactions add a simple, yet impactful, layer of a little something extra to the proceedings. Not all movies (TV or theatrical) add this touch and it makes a world of difference. For example, when she accuses him of not being spontaneous, he acts like a gorilla and jumps in the shower with her.

At first, Howard is unsure about what he saw; however, when they see a news report about a shooting in the area, Jan and their friends convince him to call the police. Detective Rausch (Vic Morrow) arrives fairly quickly, but when he asks, “Did you see something or didn’t you you?” Howard replies, “I don’t know.”

You can’t blame Rausch for his lack of concern. Even though the shooting occurred nearby, Howard isn’t giving him much to go on. Then, when he’s watching out the window and the sniper turns the rifle in his direction, Howard himself takes it more seriously. Paranoid, maybe, but then someone tries to attack him in the basement.

Amid the excitement, the story takes time to breathe. The couple wisely leave their apartment to spend the night at a hotel. Again, it’s a simple thing, but Jan has an opportunity to express her personality. She tells Howard that it’s erotic to think of all the people who have stayed in their room, then tells him he’s not only her love, but her best friend.

These three characters may as well be the only ones in the movie. It’s a three-way battle of wits, or at least patience and perseverance. I say “three” because Jan decides to go on a private stakeout in front of the building. She identifies who she thinks is the perpetrator, then follows him, putting herself in danger and escalating the threat.

I was excited when I saw Henry Winkler as an uncredited “Auditioning Actor,” but I missed John Travolta as “Man Outside Store.” Their appearances add something else special to Nightmare. Winkler appeared only one week later as Fonzie on Happy Days and Travolta during the 1975 fall TV season as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter.