"Hanky Panky" was a big box-office failure, perhaps because it was mismarketed (and mistitled) as a comedy. There are sporadic comedic moments, but the balance is tipped heavily in favor of the thriller aspect (in fact, there is a disturbingly violent fight scene between Richard Widmark and Kathleen Quinlan, in which he punches her brutally in the face). The material is pretty stale, but the film is crisply and skillfully directed by Sidney Poitier, who takes several pages out of the Alfred Hitchcock guidebook (the opening sequence, the chases in public places, the apartment gas murder, etc.), and is helped along by on-location shooting and a choice cast. The film should have been shorter, though. **1/2 out of 4.
Review of Hanky Panky
