Perkins stars as Dennis Pitt, a recently released mental patient with a
record for arson. With help from his counselor, Pitt gets a job at a
chemical plant in a sleepy little New England town where he meets the
beautiful high school cheerleader, Sue Ann Stepanek. Pitt’s mysterious
nature intrigues Sue Ann, and when he tells her that he’s a secret agent
working for the CIA, that only serves to heighten her fascination. Sue
Ann and Dennis embark on a number of “missions” where the young girl
soon proves herself to be a cold blooded and calculated killer, far more
capable of violent acts than the delusional Mr. Pitt. Sue Ann soon
begins to pressure Pitt to run away with her to Mexico, but before they
go, Sue Ann insists they must do away with her domineering mother
(Beverly Garland).The real joy of the film is the chemistry between Perkins and Weld. Like
Norman Bates, Dennis Pitt is also controlled by a woman, but it is not
the spectre of a dead mother but rather the innocuous virtue of Sue Ann
Stepanek that controls Pitt. The film’s quick turn, from watching a
crazy man con a young girl to the unveiling of the cheerleading
sociopath is so well played by the actors that I took great joy in
watching them develop the bait and switch. While Perkins is exceptional,
Weld really impresses.
