Joanna Pettet plays an extraordinary fashion model who hooks up with a photographer played by James Farentino. He is used to abusing his models. When he finds Pettet she assumes control, and while making him rich and famous, maintains a mysterious existence. She comes and goes and does as she wishes. She seems to have eyes that reach into the souls of men. A macho friend of the photographer wants to meet the woman and is found dead that same night. One evening, against her wishes, Farantino follows her and witnesses her making out with a guy on the street. As he kisses her, he begins to convulse and falls dead on the ground. This is a good setup, but the resolution to the episode was very strange. You see, in such a world we need a set of rules to test our characters and that they can play by.
10 Reviews
Joanna Pettet at her sexy best
Woodyanders19 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Photographer David Faulkner (a solid and likeable performance by James Farentino) falls under the deadly seductive spell of a gorgeous and mysterious reclusive fashion model (a splendidly bewitching portrayal by the striking Joanna Pettet) who has "hungry" hypnotic eyes with the magical ability to sweep men right off their feet.
Director John Badham relates the engrossing story at a constant pace, ably crafts an intriguing enigmatic atmosphere, and provides a few nifty visual flourishes. Robert Malcom Young's smart script offers a neat variant on the vampire premise in the form of an energy-sucking supernatural being who feeds on such basic human weaknesses as lust, greed, and obsession. John Astin acquits himself well in a juicy supporting role as demanding client Munsch. But it's the perfectly cast Pettet who makes the strongest lasting impression with her spot-on winning combination of stunning beauty and exceptional poise as an extremely alluring and irresistible femme fatale par excellence.
Director John Badham relates the engrossing story at a constant pace, ably crafts an intriguing enigmatic atmosphere, and provides a few nifty visual flourishes. Robert Malcom Young's smart script offers a neat variant on the vampire premise in the form of an energy-sucking supernatural being who feeds on such basic human weaknesses as lust, greed, and obsession. John Astin acquits himself well in a juicy supporting role as demanding client Munsch. But it's the perfectly cast Pettet who makes the strongest lasting impression with her spot-on winning combination of stunning beauty and exceptional poise as an extremely alluring and irresistible femme fatale par excellence.
What A Girl
AaronCapenBanner13 November 2014
Joanna Pettet stars as the girl with the hungry eyes, a drop dead gorgeous fashion model who seeks out fashion photographer David Faulkner(played by James Farentino) who allows him to take her photos in various poses that become incredibly popular, making him a fortune, but he still becomes fascinated by her mystery, as she doesn't fall for his charms as quickly as his other models. He becomes concerned when it seems she may be responsible for some men dying(including a wealthy client played by John Astin) and he becomes determined to find the truth and stop her, if he can... Intriguing episode doesn't make total sense, but Pettet is perfectly cast and male viewers will no doubt be mesmerized by her just like the photographer! Strange ending too.
The eyes have it!
stones783 April 2014
The most notable aspect for many may be the appearance of veteran Night Gallery actress Joanna Pettet, who portrays the mysterious woman with the strange brightly lit eyes. Look for a few other familiar faces in James Farentino(David)and John Astin(Munsch), who are both intrigued by her, as David agrees to photograph her as a model, and Munsch makes her the face of his beer company; also, look for Kip Nivin(Magnum Force), who plays Harry, a close friend of David's who is also infatuated by the woman. She warns David to not ever follow her and even though he warns the men to stay away from her, they decide to follow her anyway, with dire consequences. I thought the special effects were done reasonably well, considering many episodes have rather cheesy effects, but these were effective to this reviewer. The same can be said for the acting here, as the performances were decent enough, as opposed to many other segments. If I have a small complaint, it would be how such a big city, that this episode obviously takes place in, could be so desolate for the outdoor filming. I still would recommend this episode that happens to be the final season of the series.
The eyes have it.
classicsoncall9 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Joanna Pettet returns for her fourth and final visit to the Night Gallery, and if it wasn't apparent in her earlier appearances, she's stunningly gorgeous in this story of a fashion model with a unique way of disposing boyfriends. Actually, the men who went out with her never hung around long enough to develop a relationship. Photographer David Faulkner (James Farentino) might have been claimed as one of her fawning victims if he hadn't followed her one evening against her specific advice not to. Realizing the true nature of Pettet's (funny, but she didn't have a name in the story) 'hungry' eyes, Faulkner decides to terminate her contract in more ways than one. Let's just say that as a fashion model, Pettet's character was flaming hot.
Really decent one
BandSAboutMovies16 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by John Badham (Bird On a Wire, Short Circuit, WarGames) and written by Robert Malcolm Young (Escape to Witch Mountain) from a Fritz Leiber story, this trip to the Night Gallery has photographer David Faulkner (James Farentino, Dead and Buried) becoming slowly obsessed with his new model. She has no name. Just eyes that want something. That's where this gets its title, "The Girl With the Hungry Eyes."
The Girl is played by Joanna Pettet, making this episode her fourth Night Gallery role. She's also in The Evil which also makes use of her ethereal beauty as she plays a vampire who haunts every man that sees her. Helping her exactly that are the photos taken by Harry Langdon Jr., a legendary Hollywood photographer.
Pettet
told authors Scott Skelton and Jim Benson in Rod Serling's Night Gallery An After Hours Tour, "Doing "The Girl With the Hungry Eyes" was just a total ego trip! I walked onto the set and there were floor-to-ceiling huge blowups of me! I looked out the window and they had literally made a huge billboard out of me, sipping beer, and erected it on a building across the street. And it was probably the best I ever looked in my life. We all go through our periods - "the look," you know? It was just perfect. And for the rest of my career I got to use these incredible shots from Harry Langdon. When would I ever have had a chance to get an entire day with somebody like that?"
Plus, you get Night Gallery regular John Astin as a beer company owner desperate to meet The Girl and a script as packed with eroticism as 1972 network television will allow. Badham argued with Jack Laird for more money and more time, even going way over to capture the final scenes inferno which got him fired until, as he said, "the next time they needed somebody." And they did just a few days later, working on an episode of Ozzie and Harriet.
As for the life-sized photos of Pettet, she wanted one for her own. By the time she asked for one, the crew had taken all of them. Somewhere in garages and dens across Hollywood, appreciative men were now staring at their very own girl with the hungry eyes.
The Girl is played by Joanna Pettet, making this episode her fourth Night Gallery role. She's also in The Evil which also makes use of her ethereal beauty as she plays a vampire who haunts every man that sees her. Helping her exactly that are the photos taken by Harry Langdon Jr., a legendary Hollywood photographer.
Pettet
told authors Scott Skelton and Jim Benson in Rod Serling's Night Gallery An After Hours Tour, "Doing "The Girl With the Hungry Eyes" was just a total ego trip! I walked onto the set and there were floor-to-ceiling huge blowups of me! I looked out the window and they had literally made a huge billboard out of me, sipping beer, and erected it on a building across the street. And it was probably the best I ever looked in my life. We all go through our periods - "the look," you know? It was just perfect. And for the rest of my career I got to use these incredible shots from Harry Langdon. When would I ever have had a chance to get an entire day with somebody like that?"
Plus, you get Night Gallery regular John Astin as a beer company owner desperate to meet The Girl and a script as packed with eroticism as 1972 network television will allow. Badham argued with Jack Laird for more money and more time, even going way over to capture the final scenes inferno which got him fired until, as he said, "the next time they needed somebody." And they did just a few days later, working on an episode of Ozzie and Harriet.
As for the life-sized photos of Pettet, she wanted one for her own. By the time she asked for one, the crew had taken all of them. Somewhere in garages and dens across Hollywood, appreciative men were now staring at their very own girl with the hungry eyes.
The Girl with the Hungry Eyes
paulbehrer2217329 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
When I saw this segment, it clearly demonstrated why Joanna Pettet is, at least in my viewpoint, the Glamour Empress of Night Gallery. It also made a valid comment about the consequences of materialism and lust, what with the girl sucking the life-force from the men that come into contact with her and all. Of course, my thought when I saw this was: It's possible that the girl might not have wanted to do this, because there could've been someone who truly loved her that she didn't want to be a victim of her hunger for souls, and maybe she could've been released from the curse of draining souls, lifted by Fritz Leiber, Jr. in some part from The Shunned House by Howard Phillips Lovecraft. The story goes like this: Glamour photographer David Faulkner (James Farentino) has a beautiful new model (Joanna Pettet) who displays a perceived need and hunger that he sees in her eyes, which frightens him as much as it attracts him to her. He soon discovers that that hunger is for the souls of her victims which include his friend Harry, and Munsch, one of David's clients, which gives her the name of Hungry Eyes. David gives her an incendiary death, thus ending her feeding cycle. Spoiler Alert: The photos in this segment in which Ms. Pettet appeared were taken in a shooting session with Harry Langdon, Jr. at his Melrose Avenue photo studio which was arranged for Ms. Pettet by the segment's director, John Badham.
A damn good episode.
Hey_Sweden26 September 2021
'The Girl with the Hungry Eyes'. Scripted by Robert Malcolm Young, based on a story by Fritz Leiber, Jr. This is interesting material notable for bringing together a couple of 'Night Gallery' veterans: James Farentino ("Dead & Buried"), Joanna Pettet (the original "Casino Royale"), John "Gomez Addams" Astin, and director John Badham ("Saturday Night Fever", "WarGames", etc.).
Farentino plays David Faulkner, a photographer whose newest model (Pettet) is an utter mystery. She prefers that people know practically nothing about her, yet she is the perfect image to sell product for a brewing company magnate (Astin). She is utterly bewitching, and gives strict warning that she not be followed around. Meanwhile, various strange murders (the police can't figure out if they ARE homicides or mere heart attacks) occur.
Pettet is at her best as the alluring and yet unsettling beauty, very capably selling the idea of the woman who captivates unwary men and may very well be leading them to their doom. Farentino does a good job, as does Astin. Kip Niven ("Magnum Force") has a small role as Faulkners' friend who is as smitten with the beauty as most unfortunate men in this tale.
This is an intelligent, provocative yarn with a special effects climax that is at least amusing and not as cheesy as some viewers may fear. It goes very far on Pettets' sex appeal and the overall serious tone of the material.
Nine out of 10.
Farentino plays David Faulkner, a photographer whose newest model (Pettet) is an utter mystery. She prefers that people know practically nothing about her, yet she is the perfect image to sell product for a brewing company magnate (Astin). She is utterly bewitching, and gives strict warning that she not be followed around. Meanwhile, various strange murders (the police can't figure out if they ARE homicides or mere heart attacks) occur.
Pettet is at her best as the alluring and yet unsettling beauty, very capably selling the idea of the woman who captivates unwary men and may very well be leading them to their doom. Farentino does a good job, as does Astin. Kip Niven ("Magnum Force") has a small role as Faulkners' friend who is as smitten with the beauty as most unfortunate men in this tale.
This is an intelligent, provocative yarn with a special effects climax that is at least amusing and not as cheesy as some viewers may fear. It goes very far on Pettets' sex appeal and the overall serious tone of the material.
Nine out of 10.
One of my favorites!
mm-3916 May 2024
Warning: Spoilers
The Girl with the Hungry Eyes is one of my favorites! The old black widow, the siren story of beauty luring a man to his own death/destruction. A good story of the siren tragedy executed with great acting, and directing. A model makes a photographer a star as a sole represents the woman no man can resist. The still shots, and interactions makes the model a mix of beauty and charm, which puts any man into lustful desire with the siren's sinister plan. The special effects were okay, the script was predictable, but the casting and directing put The Girl with the Hungry Eyes into a memorable classic.
Dated Rehash of a Rehash
JasonDanielBaker31 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Fickle and aloof hack of a photographer David Faulkner (James Farentino) is used to treating people - especially models disposably. In the hustle that goes with trying to eke out a living snapping pics he has lost a lot of the enthusiasm he once had for it as an art form and interest in even the most captivating of images after but a short time.
Pressured by a demanding client (John Astin) who rejects the models Faulkner has shown him he becomes open to looking at new subjects. A beautiful young woman (Joanna Pettet) boldly insinuates herself on to his roster and is immediately chosen as spokesmodel by the client. She uses it as a platform to captivate then suck the life of male admirers whom she leaves for dead.
I'm sure there is some commentary being offered here but the outdated point is one made apparent before - that a pleasing appearance can conceal something less than pleasing or even monstrous. Based upon the Fritz Leiber Jr. short story of the same name (Itself a rehash of an HP Lovecraft work) it was quite topical for 1949 when it was first published but badly dated and nearly impertinent for 1972.
The issues surrounding the setting of fashion and print ad models and photographers in the early 1970s forward to current times had nothing to do with models being monsters and everything to do with whether women (in general - not those being paid quite well to be photographed) felt exploited, objectified or whatever. They could have taken the basic set-up and made a completely different statement without using Leiber's story at all.
The casting also featured the very lovely Joanna Pettet who appeared in no less than four full Night Gallery teleplays as four separate but not wholly different characters. John Astin did three episodes as three different characters. James Farentino did two. Therein lies a huge excess of the series and any TV series that uses the same actors over and over.
Even in an anthology series if you bring an actor back you can have him be the exact same character or a completely different character. Bringing them back as someone completely different asks that the audience disregard what they have already seen whilst simultaneously demanding they keep track of what is being shown.
Pressured by a demanding client (John Astin) who rejects the models Faulkner has shown him he becomes open to looking at new subjects. A beautiful young woman (Joanna Pettet) boldly insinuates herself on to his roster and is immediately chosen as spokesmodel by the client. She uses it as a platform to captivate then suck the life of male admirers whom she leaves for dead.
I'm sure there is some commentary being offered here but the outdated point is one made apparent before - that a pleasing appearance can conceal something less than pleasing or even monstrous. Based upon the Fritz Leiber Jr. short story of the same name (Itself a rehash of an HP Lovecraft work) it was quite topical for 1949 when it was first published but badly dated and nearly impertinent for 1972.
The issues surrounding the setting of fashion and print ad models and photographers in the early 1970s forward to current times had nothing to do with models being monsters and everything to do with whether women (in general - not those being paid quite well to be photographed) felt exploited, objectified or whatever. They could have taken the basic set-up and made a completely different statement without using Leiber's story at all.
The casting also featured the very lovely Joanna Pettet who appeared in no less than four full Night Gallery teleplays as four separate but not wholly different characters. John Astin did three episodes as three different characters. James Farentino did two. Therein lies a huge excess of the series and any TV series that uses the same actors over and over.
Even in an anthology series if you bring an actor back you can have him be the exact same character or a completely different character. Bringing them back as someone completely different asks that the audience disregard what they have already seen whilst simultaneously demanding they keep track of what is being shown.
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