The Sadist (1963)

The Sadist (also known as Profile of Terror and Sweet Baby Charlie) is a 1963 black-and-white exploitation film written and directed by James Landis, and stars Arch Hall, Jr. The film was distributed by Fairway International Pictures of the United States and Prima Film of Canada.

The film is loosely based on the killing spree of Charles Starkweather, upon which the films Badlands and Natural Born Killers were also based. It was shot by famed cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond over a period of 2 weeks for $33,000 with a cast of five, one of whom doubled as the film's production manager. It was Zsigmond's first full length film as a director of photography, and he is credited as "William Zsigmond."

The film is a favorite of director Joe Dante, who owns the 35mm print that has been the source for many of the DVD releases of this film.

Synopsis

Three high school teachers, Ed, Doris, and Carl, are driving through California's Antelope Valley on their way to a Dodgers game in Los Angeles. The group’s Chevrolet Bel Air has some trouble and they are forced to pull off to a gas station/junkyard on the side of the road. After examining the vehicle Ed concludes that the fuel pump will need to be replaced. Doris and Carl search the junkyard looking for the owner, but they cannot find him.

Actors