MAGNET contributing writer Jud Cost is sharing some of the wealth of classic films he’s been lucky enough to see over the past 40 years. Trolling the backwaters of cinema, he has worked up a list of more than 100 titles—from the ’20s through the ’80s—that you may have missed. A new selection, all currently available on DVD, appears every week.
Klute (1971, 114 minutes)
A Tuscarora, Pa., police detective questions Holly Gruneman (Betty Murray), her husband’s employer, Peter Cable (Charles Cioffi), and John Klute (Donald Sutherland), a family friend, about the recent disappearance of her husband. “Tom Gruneman was my best friend,” says Klute. When asked if Gruneman had voiced any discontent about his work at the plant, Cable answers, “Not at all. Tom operated best under pressure.”
“Forgive me, Mrs. Gruneman, but did your husband ever show any sexual peculiarities?” asks the detective. “We were very happy,” she replies. “We recovered a typewritten letter, sent to a girl in New York City,” he explains. “Situations of this kind are not unique. A man will lead a Jekyll-and-Hyde existence, and his wife has no idea what’s going on.” “I don’t believe it,” says Mrs. Gruneman.
“Has anybody talked to you about financial arrangements?” asks a sultry woman’s voice captured on a miniature tape recorder. “It depends on what you want to do. I have a good imagination. Do you mind if I take my sweater off? Don’t be afraid. I’m not. As long as you don’t hurt me more than I like to be hurt, I will do anything you ask.”
“Tom Gruneman’s been missing for six months, and all you have to offer is a report? Did you get anything from that woman in New York?” Cable asks a pair of FBI agents. “A good call girl will turn 600 tricks a year,” one agent replies. “Faces get blurred. She’s reported ‘breather’ phone calls, and somebody may be following her. It’s conceivable Gruneman is still around.” “We feel entitled to investigate on our own,” says Cable. “John Klute offered us his services and we have accepted.” One agent asks Klute, a Tuscarora law-enforcement veteran, “Have you ever done any missing-persons work before? Have you spent time in New York City?” Klute answers “no” to both questions.
The woman caught on tape, Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda), arrives at the hotel room of a nervous businessman. “What kind of party did you have in mind? We could have a nice half-and-half for 50,” she murmurs as she bites a button on his shirt. “Wow, that sounds fantastic,” she replies to his whispered request. “But it’s gonna cost you a hundred.” Fifteen minutes later, she’s lying on the hotel couch, groaning, “Oh, my angel!” as she sneaks a peek at her wristwatch.
The next morning, her doorbell buzzes as she’s drinking a protein shake. “I’m John Klute, an investigator. I’d like to ask you some questions about Tom Gruneman,” says Klute through the door-chain. “Who?” “He was a research engineer from Tuscarora Laboratories. He wrote you some letters. He disappeared last December. I’ve been hired to look for him.” Bree smiles sweetly, firmly closes the door and locks the deadbolt.
