Nancy Allen (Dressed to Kill) Dressed to Kill
Nancy Allen plays Liz Blake, the call girl who witnesses Kate Miller's murder and teams with Peter Miller to catch the killer. Dressed to Kill marked Allen's first leading role in a major studio film. She was married to De Palma during production (1979-1983) and would go on to play Sally in Blow Out the following year.
Allen inherited the film from Dickinson at the act break and carried it through to the end
Liz Blake enters the film at beat 9 when the elevator doors open on Kate's body. From that point forward, Allen carries the narrative -- interrogated by Marino, stalked through the subway, forming the investigative alliance with Peter, and seducing Elliott to spring the trap. Where Dickinson's Kate operates through desire and vulnerability, Allen's Liz operates through competence and street intelligence.
"We don't see anything like it now, do we? Studios are pretty much big blockbuster pictures or big comedies." -- Nancy Allen, Cinephilia & Beyond (2015)
Allen described De Palma's method as preparation-driven and calm on set
Allen worked with De Palma on four consecutive films -- Carrie (1976), Home Movies (1979), Dressed to Kill (1980), and Blow Out (1981) -- and described his directing as rooted in pre-production rather than improvisation:
"He likes preparing and he loves doing the storyboards, and shooting is just a means to an end for him." -- Nancy Allen, Cinephilia & Beyond (2015)
"He knew how I operated and how to get the best out of me as an actress." -- Nancy Allen, Cinephilia & Beyond (2015)
Filming on location in New York energized the thriller sequences
Allen, a New York native, contrasted the energy of on-location filming with the artificiality of soundstages:
"New York is a rather energetic city, so there's immediately that hum that's under everything you do that really energizes, particularly when you're running around and it's a thriller." -- Nancy Allen, SlashFilm (2015)
The subway chase sequence, in which Liz is harassed by a gang of young men while the blonde pursues her with a razor, was shot in the actual New York subway system. The authenticity of the location lends the sequence a documentary quality that De Palma's studio-shot sequences lack.
Allen received a Golden Globe nomination and a Razzie nomination for the same performance
Allen was nominated for a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year and simultaneously for an inaugural Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress -- the split perfectly mirroring the critical divide over the film itself. The Razzie nomination reflected the hostility of critics who objected to the film's violence and sexual content rather than a genuine assessment of Allen's performance. (wikipedia)