Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play Misty for Me, is a taut psychological thriller set in his picturesque hometown of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Drawing on the lessons he learned from maestros Sergio Leone and Don Siegel, Eastwood stars as a primetime disc jockey and professional bachelor whose casual romantic encounter with Evelyn (Jessica Walter, in a career-best performance) turns into a harrowing tale of obsession and retribution. Featuring documentary-style visits from Johnny Otis and Cannonball Adderley at the Monterey Jazz Festival, the film became an essential entry in the 1970s Hollywood landscape. Though Play Misty for Me was well-received, it was Frenchman Pierre who first recognized the film as the debut of a truly distinctive filmmaker, sparking a close and abiding friendship. Eastwood later acknowledged this support during his 1992 Oscar win for Unforgiven.