Experiment in Terror, a stylized noir thriller, was director Blake Edwards's second film in 1962, the first being a devastating portrait of alcoholism, Days of Wine and Roses. Neither film would seem standard fare for a filmmaker best known for his sophisticated slapstick comedies. For Experiment in Terror, Edwards perfected the stylish black-and-white cinematography he used to great effect in the 1950's TV series Peter Gunn. Glenn Ford plays a stalwart G-man out to thwart psychopathic extortionist Ross Martin's plans to force bank clerk Lee Remick to rob the bank where she works. San Francisco locations have never looked better or more ominous. One particularly chilling scene unfolds in the loft of an artisan who makes mannequins for a living ... though not for long. Blake Edwards's experiment in suspense grabs hold of you from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the final showdown at Candlestick Park. The film also features a near-legendary score by Henry Mancini. --Kristian St. Clair
