The Night of the Following Day (1969)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Expected more

Boring

best movie i've ever seen.

Marlon Brando should have known better than to get involved in rubbish like the above film. Apart from their being a severe lack of dramatic incident, the plot is completely unbelievable. How the American criminals in the story would be able to travel all the way to France when they are wanted by the police, is anybody's guess! The attempts in making "Night of the Following Day" something of a trendy film are excruciating! Brando's toupee doesn't exactly help either. As an actor, he is merely going through the motions - which was the best thing he could have done. Al Letteri is completely wasted in his brief screen time. He should have been cast as the main villain. My advice, would be to avoid this turkey.

Released in 1968, "The Night of the Following Day" is a realistic crime drama featuring Brando as one of four professional criminals who kidnap a girl (a teenage Pamela Franklin) and hold up at a beach house in France. Richard Boone stars as the fiendish member, while Jess Hahn plays a likable loser, the brother of the pathetically drug addicted Rita Moreno.At the time of this picture Brando was 44 years old and never looked better physically -- very trim and blond. Brando didn't start getting fat until the later-70's when he was well into his 50's. In other words, people need to quit envisioning Brando as some fat dude; most of his life he wasn't. Most men in their mid-40's would kill to look as good as Brando did at the this age.BOTTOM LINE: Coming from the mid-60s when realism was fashionable this crime thriller is more of a crime drama, but suspense slowly builds to a compelling final act, which shows that crime doesn't pay, but people are redeemable if they qualify. There's also an unexpected twist that was fresh at the time, but is now eye-rolling.The film was shot during generally cloudy conditions in France and runs a short but sweet 93 minutes.GRADE: B-

A young woman is seen on a flight that is bringing to France. As she exits the terminal, she is met by a chauffeur driving a Rolls Royce. We realize this is a girl from the upper classes. The surprise comes at an intersection where she is forced from the luxury vehicle and made to get into a dilapidated car. The worst nightmare comes true, she is being kidnapped.The men behind the caper take her to a solitary house by the ocean. Little do these people realize there is a local policeman who loves fishing nearby. At first, they get concerned, but there are more important things to consider, including the way they plan to exchange the young lady for the ransom money they are demanding from her wealthy father.The kidnappers turn out to be an assorted lot. There is Bud, the driver of the limousine, Leer, a hired gun from the United States, Vi, an airline hostess that happens to be on the flight where the victim travels. The fourth member is Wally, who happens to be Vi's brother and who has planned the snatching. It is clear not everything is well with them as Bud objects the inclusion of Leer, a sinister character, in the proceedings. Vi, on the other hand, has a drug problem; she is a cocaine addict, whose carelessness might put the whole process in danger. One feels for the innocent girl, who is helpless against the brutes that are holding her.Huber Cornfield was instrumental in getting Lionel White's novel "The Snatchers" to the screen. He wasn't a man with a lot of experience behind the camera though, and it shows. The basic problem is with the staging that, at times, seems weak. There is little logic in the way Mr. Cornfield and Robert Pippeny's screenplay that feels awkward at the most dramatic moments. Then, there was the notorious feud between the director and his star, Marlon Brando, who almost appears acting in a different film.Marlon Brando, a brilliant actor, was not an easy man to direct. He had strong ideas about acting and he tended to clash with whatever he thought was wrong. His Bud is a man that went along for the promise of riches that would be collected from the girl's father, but he also had a good side to himself in that he saw Leer for what he really was, a ruthless criminal. Bud and Vi were lovers, yet he felt she was beyond help and therefore she could derail the well made plans.Richard Boone, an excellent character actor, did not receive credit for directing some of the scenes involving Mr. Brando. He plays the creepy Leer who wanted more than just the money. Rita Moreno's wig made her look different in the opening scenes. There is no logic in her flight attendant's job, but we know she is Wally's sister. Drugs were not so prevalent in the late 1960s as they are today. Jess Hahn, an American actor that settled in France, makes an impression as the beefy Wally. Veteran actor Jacques Martin puts in appearance as the cafe owner. Gerard Buhr is the policeman that knows a lot more than what he lets on.The ending is left to the viewer's interpretation.

I just saw this DVD for the first time. I couldn't believe that in 1968 at age 44 that Marlon Brando was in such outstanding shape. He was fit and trim and blonde. His acting was unbelievable. In one particular scene with Jess Hahn, Brando is at his best. This "kidnap" film has a strong supporting cast which gives equally impressive performances. Richard Boone gives a very creepy performance as a sadistic psycho. He reminds me a lot of Alan Arkin's role in Wait Until Dark. Jess Hahn is great as the pot-bellied brother of Rita Moreno. The Night Before The Following Day is one of Marlon Brando's top 10 acting roles.