Oooh, you’ve stumbled on an Easter egg! If you watched my video about Patty Duke being an underrated scream queen, you’ll know that I ended the video by talking about a written review I made for the film She Waits. My Facebook page is now defunct, but here is the review mentioned in that video. Enjoy:
Patty Duke stars as a recently married woman who meets her mother-in-law in her giant creepy house and the visit soon turns sour. You might think that I am referring to the 1972 horror, You’ll Like My Mother, but I am actually referring to the 1972 TV movie, She Waits.
Patty Duke plays Laura, who after marrying her husband in Japan, returns to Los Angeles to meet her husband’s mother. Although her new mother-in-law is nice to her, it is clear she is uneasy having Laura in the house. It is soon revealed that Laura’s husband was married before and his wife died. It’s not long before Laura realizes that his late wife has some unfinished business and this isn’t good for Laura.
It’s very hard to watch She Waits without comparing it to You’ll Like My Mother. Both films were made in 1972, both star Patty Duke, both take place in a creepy mansion, and both are centered around Patty Duke meeting her new mother-in-law. You’ll Like My Mother is clearly the superior film. It had a theatrical release while She Waits was a TV movie, You’ll like My Mother was nominated for an award (Golden Globe Award for Best New Star of the Year – Actress for Sian Barbara Allen) and She Waits has no accolades under its belt, and lastly, You’ll Like My Mother has a big enough following to get a Blu-ray release while She Waits hasn’t even been released on DVD.
I am always one for the underdog, so naturally, I want to inform you that She Waits is far superior…but I can’t. Don’t get me wrong, She Waits is great, and the story is entertaining, but it doesn’t hold a candle to You’ll Like My Mother.
I think the issue with She Waits is it runs a bit long. This is odd because the runtime is under 75 minutes, but you will feel each and every minute. The problem is, this had no business being a movie. If this was cut down to be an episode of The Twilight Zone or Night Gallery, this would be amazing. Still, She Waits is worth checking out. As usual, Patty Duke delivers and it is also interesting to watch a film that feels like a precursor to the 2000 hit, What Lies Beneath.
