This film, considered among the initial movies to deal with dangerous obsessions involving young girls, presents a story of a prosperous family—featuring William Shatner, Patty Duke, and Quinn Cummings—who relocate to Bainbridge Island near Seattle. They hire an eighteen-year-old who has become friendly with their daughter (Stephanie Zimbalist), which turns out to be a regrettable decision. John Houseman also appears in the film. "The Babysitter," released in 1980, blends drama and mystery elements with touches of thriller and horror, and it’s noted as having impacted later films such as “Summer Girl” (1983), "Poison Ivy" (1992), and "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle" (1992). Patty Duke was 33 years old during filming, while Stephanie Zimbalist was 23. Viewers who are particularly drawn to Zimbalist’s performance may enjoy this movie more than I did; in my opinion, she could have used a better meal. While it's skillfully produced for television and demonstrates artistic merit—similar to “Poison Ivy,” though not to the same degree—there are also sections with slow-moving dramatic scenes. I found it commendable that at least one scene involving a boat trip was filmed in the rain, which seems fitting given the location. The movie’s length is 1 hour and 36 minutes, and filming took place in Burnaby and Deer Park, British Columbia, with additional footage captured around Puget Sound near Bainbridge Island and Seattle. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB