Seven in Darkness (1969)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Sorry, this movie sucks

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

A motley assortment of blind folks are forced to fend for themselves in the hostile wilderness after they are the sole survivors of a plane crash. Director Michael Caffey keeps the gripping story moving along at a brisk pace, takes some time to develop the characters, maintains a tough serious tone throughout, and generates a good deal of tension. John W. Bloch's tight script not only offers a touching message about the resiliency of disabled people and the need for our protagonists to set aside their differences in order to work together as a team so they can all survive, but also sets up assorted forms of cruel peril that include the bitter cold, a pack of vicious wolves, and a rickety old wooden bridge. The sound acting from the able cast rates as another substantial asset: Milton Berle as sour grouch Sam Fuller, Sean Garrison as troubled Vietnam veteran Mark Larson, Dina Merrill as the sweet Emily Garth, Barry Nelson as the selfish and deceitful Alex Swain, Lesley Ann Warren as the fragile Deborah Cabot, Alejandro Rey as the concerned Ramon Rahos, Tippy Walker as Ramon's pregnant wife Christine, and Arthur O'Connell as the amiable Larry Wise. Howard Schwartz's sharp cinematography provides lots of nice shots of the beautiful sylvan scenery. Mark Bucci's robust score hits the stirring spot. A nifty little nail-biter.

"Seven in Darkness" is the first episode of "The ABC Movie of the Week" and it's certainly a memorable...though contrived one. Think about it...an airliner with a group of blind people headed to a conference crashes...and just about all the blind people are fine but, miraculously, all the non-blind folks are killed!!! What are the odds?! So it's up to the blind folks to grope their way through the wilderness in order to find help...otherwise the gathering wolves will tear them to pieces. Along for the trek are a variety of caricatures-- such as the grouch who doesn't want to come to terms with being blind (Milton Berle), a pregnant woman, a war hero and a variety of other broad types. It's not a bad film and keeps you engaged...but the basic premise is a bit silly and tough to believe.

I have fond memories of this minor classic as the very first ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week. SEVEN IN DARKNESS was the premiere installment of these 90-minute films made for TV that appeared on Tuesday and Wednesday nights on ABC between 1969 and 1975. This film was an unsettling adventure about seven blind people, flying to some kind of convention for blind people and what happens when the plane crashes and they are the only survivors. Sean Garrison, Barry Nelson, Milton Berle, Dina Merrill, Alejandro Rey, Lesley Ann Warren, and Elizabeth (Tippy) Walker grope their way through the title roles. I remember finding it very unsettling to watching blind people stumbling in around in dark forests and tripping over things, but it definitely held my attention. The performances are OK, with Berle and Merrill doing standout work, but it is the plight of these survivors that sustains viewer interest here. No masterpiece, but a guilty pleasure of mine.

It's the story of a plane crash in a remote area, where the surviving passengers attempt to make their way to civilization and life. Here, though, they happen to be blind. Milton Berle is superb as Sam, an embittered, angry man caught up in his past disappointments and who is now in the struggle of his life.