THE PROWLER (1981), aka ROSEMARY'S KILLER

Director: Joseph Zito

Writers: Glen Leopold, Neal F. Barbera, with additional dialogue by Eric Lewald, Mark Edens, Michael Edens, and Rosemary’s letter written by Sarah Higgins

Producers: Joseph Zito, David Streit

Cast: Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Cindy Weintraub, Lisa Dunsheath, Farley Granger, Donna Davis, David Sederholm, Thom Bray, Diane Rode, Lawrence Tierney, Bryan Englund, Bill Nunnery, Carleton Carpenter, John Seitz, Joy Glaccum, Timothy Wahrer, Bill Hugh Collins, Susan Monts, Douglas Stevenson, Dan Lownsberry, Peter Giuliano (uncredited), John Christian, Richard Colligan, Matthew Iddings, Steven Bock

The proverbial “Dear John” letter to a World War II GI prompts him to return to Avalon Bay and murder his former lover Rosemary Chatham (Joy Glaccum) and her new boyfriend (Timothy Wahrer) at her college graduation dance on June 28th, 1945. When the first graduation dance since then is held 35 years later, the mystery killer begins a new murder spree.

The Flashback Fanatic movie review

With a sympathetic motivation and a war veteran background that contributes to his deadly skill set, his mental unbalance, and a sense of uniformed ritual, the title menace of The Prowler is one of my favorite slasher villains. As if the weapons he brandishes are not intimidating enough, the camouflage mesh head covering beneath his army helmet turning him into a faceless apparition distinguishes this kill-crazy grunt in creepy fashion. It is this neat consolidation of traits that bolster the validity of this killer’s MO.

The Prowler was at the forefront of that first onslaught of slasher films prompted by the success of Friday the 13th (1980). Once it worked out a formidable and novel villain, it did what the best slashers do: Keep the story simple, intimate, atmospheric, and deadly. That is probably why it is usually well regarded among most slasher fans. It also helps that it was working with the conventions of the genre while they were still fresh.

Director Joseph Zito shows here why he was sought out to direct Friday the 13th IV: The Final Chapter (1984). Despite a very simple plot and perhaps a bit too much time-killing snooping around footage of the leading couple, Zito manages to make things visually interesting. A nice sequence is the alternating shots between the mystery killer and the heroine (Vicky Dawson) as they both primp and accessorize preparing for the graduation dance. Zito also gets good performances from a cast of characters that one may be tempted to say are under-written. I think that simple characters in a simple story are less of a barrier to keep the audience from vicariously experiencing the situations those characters face. We are sharing in a relatable slice of life experience of these people as a murdering maniac suddenly confronts them.

During this era, gory make-up effects were often the star attraction in these films. The much-in-demand king of splatter was Tom Savini. Some of his best work is seen in The Prowler. Other reviewers have noted that the kills here seem to have an extra nasty edge. The deaths seem to be lingered on a bit longer than was usually the case in the '80s slasher films, at least in the unedited version of The Prowler that I have seen.

The adorable Vicky Dawson plays wholesome and beautiful heroine Pam MacDonald. She is instantly likeable and can subtly convey emotions that immediately register with the viewer without her saying a single word. Check out her range of changing expressions at the graduation dance when her sheriff’s deputy boyfriend (Christopher Goutman) arrives. It is a simple little incident that sends her emotions from the extremes of girlish joy to jealousy while she still tries to maintain her composure and be civil as she is serving punch. It’s a fine bit of acting and she damned near breaks my heart.

My other favorite performance is by Bill Nunnery in a bit part as the lazy motel desk clerk. Director Zito thinks the scene goes on a bit too long, but I think it’s great. We watch this character full of lazy contempt refusing to do his job as he pretends to go looking for the sheriff staying at his motel while the deputy is impatiently waiting at the other end of the phone line. This provides an odd and funny bit of quirky character conflict. It is little, extraneous bits of business like this in a film that can keep it seeming spontaneous and not so deliberately constructed as a piece of obvious fiction.

Farley Granger and Lawrence Tierney are the two notable veteran actors here. They play Sheriff George Fraser and Major Chatham, respectively. Granger’s role is small, but Tierney’s is, unfortunately, so minor that you may not even recognize him.

Due to inadequate distribution, this film did not achieve the success that it deserved during its initial release, but it has earned something of a cult status among horror buffs in the decades since. The Prowler not only checks off the boxes of slasher movie essentials, it also helped to establish them. All fans of the genre need to see it.