''Follow Me!'' (U.S.title: ''The Public Eye'') is a 1972 British

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film directed by

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for '' Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), '' The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded th ...

and starring

Mia Farrow Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera ''Peyton Place (TV series), Peyton Place'' and gained further recogn ...

, Topol and

Michael Jayston Michael A. James (29 October 1935 – 5 February 2024), known professionally as Michael Jayston, was an English actor. He played Nicholas II of Russia in the film '' Nicholas and Alexandra'' (1971). He also made many television appearances, whi ...

. Adapted by

Peter Shaffer Sir Peter Levin Shaffer (15 May 1926 – 6 June 2016) was an English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He is best known for the plays '' Equus'' and '' Amadeus'', the latter of which was adapted for the screen by Miloš Forman, with an ...

from his 1962 play ''The Public Eye'', the picture marks Carol Reed's last completed film. The score was composed by John Barry and the film was edited by

Anne V. Coates Anne Voase Coates (12 December 1925 – 8 May 2018) was a British film editor with a more than 60-year-long career. She was perhaps best known as the editor of David Lean's epic film '' Lawrence of Arabia'' (1962), for which she won the Acade ...

Plot

Set in London, it is the story of Charles, a successful but rather stuffy businessman, who meets and marries Belinda, a free-spirited American woman. After a time, he believes she is having an affair because she spends long hours away from home during the day. Charles hires a private detective to follow his wife. Belinda becomes aware that she is being followed, and the detective realises she has found out. However rather than abandoning the case, the detective begins an elaborate game of

cat and mouse Cat and mouse, often expressed as cat-and-mouse game, is an English-language idiom that means "a contrived action involving constant pursuit, near captures, and repeated escapes." The "cat" is unable to secure a definitive victory over the "mous ...

with the complicity of the wife. The detective finally informs Charles that his wife never had an affair, and merely goes on solitary exploratory walks around the city. The husband realises he has been neglectful and made his wife unhappy. He joins the game of following his wife as an adventure.

Cast

as Belinda * Topol as Julian Cristoforou *

as Charles *

Margaret Rawlings Margaret Rawlings, Lady Barlow (5 June 1906 – 19 May 1996) was an English stage actress, born in Osaka, Japan, daughter of the Rev. George William Rawlings and his wife Lilian (née Boddington) Rawlings. Personal life/affiliations She was e ...

as Mrs. Sidley *

Annette Crosbie Annette Crosbie (born 12 February 1934) is a Scottish actress.Annette Crosbie fi ...

as Miss Framer *

Dudley Foster Frank Dudley Foster (7 August 1924 – 8 January 1973) was an English actor who regularly appeared in television roles. Foster was born in Brighouse, West Riding of Yorkshire. His family had established links with the theatre; and a brother an ...

as Mr. Mayhew *

Michael Aldridge Michael William ffolliott Aldridge (9 September 1920 – 10 January 1994) was an English actor. He was known for playing Seymour Utterthwaite in the television series ''Last of the Summer Wine'' from 1986 to 1990 and he had a long career as a ...

as Sir Philip Crouch *

Michael Barrington Michael Barrington (3 July 1924 – 5 June 1988) was a British actor best known for his television work. His best remembered role is as the ineffectual Governor Venables in the BBC sitcom ''Porridge'' which featured Ronnie Barker in the lead r ...

as Mr. Scrampton * Neil McCarthy as Parkinson

Awards

Mia Farrow won the best actress award and Topol won the best actor award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

References

External links

*
''Follow Me!''
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

* * 1972 films 1972 comedy-drama films British comedy-drama films Films scored by John Barry (composer) Films based on plays by Peter Shaffer Films directed by Carol Reed Films produced by Hal B. Wallis Films set in London Universal Pictures films 1970s English-language films 1970s British films English-language comedy-drama films {{1970s-comedy-drama-film-stub