If you were in the theater in 1967 as a 13 year old that dive for her ankle made everybody in the theater scream as one, and scream loud. I've seen other films that scared people, Psycho, The Exorcist, Alien, The Shining, but I've never heard EVERYONE scream at once like they did at WUD.
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I saw it first run, with a full house, and it sure did get a scream...as did the two or three minutes AFTER the jump...when Arkin's hand grips Audrey's ankle, she breaks loose, and he crawls after her.
Three reasons it was such a big jumper(I think):
ONE: Nowadays, the "dead killer who comes back to life" is a cliché, but that was the first time this gimmick was used, I think.
TWO: It was a more innocent time. The shock of the jump was enough to terrify everybody, no blood needed.
THREE: In terms of my audience, there had just been a standing ovation and applause and cheering when Audrey stabbed Arkin in the stomach and he fell "dead," clutching the knife in his stomach as his eyes closed. So the scream came in RESPONSE to having been cheering just moments before when we all thought "the evil Arkin is dead!"
I knew about the jump going in and did not expect to be scared at all. However, by the final scene in the kitchen, I was so utterly engrossed in the characters and story that it took me by surprise. I had a damn near heart attack-- and at the time, I was a seasoned horror movie geek. I rarely get frightened watching movies, but this one is tense as hell.
I have to say, I think the reason the jump works so well is because WUD is a movie that does not rely much on such shocks to generate terror. About the only other jump moment is the bit with Roat tenderizing Carlino with the Pontaic. Also, the jump happens right after the audience falsely believes Susy is safe-- just seconds before, she was being assaulted in a darkened bedroom, which was nerve-wracking and disturbing enough on its own. The jump is timed so perfectly after all that.
I saw it in a packed theater in 1967 when I was thirteen. From the moment Crenna got stabbed, the tension was high. When Arkin jumped across the screen everybody yelled and jumped. I almost fell out of my seat, and my heart was pounding until the cops broke the door down.
I just saw it again on TCM. I knew Arkin's jump was going to happen, and it still startled me!