OVERLAY REPORT

The main character of the 1967 psychological thriller Wait Until Dark is Susy Hendrix, portrayed by Audrey Hepburn. Susy is a woman who was recently blinded in an automobile accident and is still adapting to her lack of sight. The film’s tension arises when three criminals (led by the psychopathic Harry Roat, played by Alan Arkin) realize a heroin-filled doll has been unwittingly brought into her apartment by her husband, Sam. Susy is forced to use her heightened senses and sharp wit to survive a "home invasion" where she is at a severe physical disadvantage. ### Most Memorable Lines & Context 1. "Now you tell me." * Context: After the con artist Mike Talman (Richard Crenna) attempts to "warn" her about the dangers of the world to maintain his ruse of being a friend, he says, "This is the big bad world, full of mean people, where nasty things happen." Susy, having already begun to suspect she is being manipulated, responds with this dry, ironic line. 2. "Please may I give you the doll?" * Context: This is a chilling moment during the film's climax. The antagonist, Harry Roat, has dropped his disguises and is openly terrorizing her. He forces Susy into a submissive position, demanding she ask for permission to hand over the doll. Her trembling delivery of this line emphasizes her vulnerability just before she turns the tables by plunging the apartment into darkness. 3. "I saw through you too." * Context: This line occurs when Susy confronts Roat. He tells her that she only saw through his accomplices because they were "amateurs," but Susy defiantly makes it clear that she was not as easily fooled by his various personas (the old man, the son, the sergeant) as he believed. 4. "Now... the first thing we have to do is stay calm." * Context: Susy says this to her young neighbor, Gloria (Julie Herrod), who is helping her. It highlights Susy’s internal strength; despite her terror, she takes charge of the situation and begins to strategize how to fight back against the men in her home. 5. "Where is it? Where is it? OH GOD!" * Context: During the final, desperate struggle in the dark, Susy is searching for the refrigerator plug. Her plan depends on keeping the room pitch black, but Roat is trying to find light. This line captures the raw panic of the film's famous jump-scare-filled finale. 6. "Bye, dope." * Context: This is a recurring, affectionate exchange between Susy and her husband, Sam (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.). While seemingly minor, it serves as a "normalcy" anchor for her character, making the invasion of her safe space feel even more violation-heavy when the criminals later use Sam's absence to trap her. ### Character Detail Audrey Hepburn’s performance as Susy Hendrix is widely considered one of her best, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. To prepare for the role, Hepburn spent weeks at a rehabilitation center for the blind and wore contact lenses that actually blurred her vision, allowing her to realistically portray the physical and emotional challenges of someone navigating the world without sight.