Frank Borzage's 1948 film "Moonrise" is a little off his beaten path, but it shows more of his capabilities.
This noir stars Dane Clark, Gail Russell, Harry Morgan, Allyn Joslyn and Ethel Barrymore.
Dark and atmospheric, the story concerns Danny Hawkins (Dane Clark) whose father was hanged for murder when Danny was just a child. His grandmother sends him to live in another town. There, he's made fun of and bullied his whole life because of what his father did.
One night, the town's rich boy, Jerry (Lloyd Nolan) taunts Danny and the two get into a fight. Danny winds up beating Jerry with a rock. He doesn't admit it; at first people think Jerry has just taken off, and then his body is found. To make things look even worse if people find out the truth, Danny is seeing Jerry's girlfriend, Gilly (Gail Russell).
Up to this point, Borzage's work had been somewhat romantic in tone. This film is harder hitting but there is a softness as well. Some have compared it to "The Night of the Hunter," one of the most beautiful films ever made -- a scary story lyrically told. I suppose in that respect, "Moonrise" is similar.
Unlike "Night of the Hunter," it's about love, and the power of love to force someone from the shadows and into the world. It's expressionistic, especially in the beginning with the use of shadows.
Dane Clark was a kind of poor man's John Garfield (and they loathed one another) who wound up doing a lot of television, but he does a terrific job here as a man with a quick temper, but a kind one, afraid that his heritage has negatively affected him. We see his fear as well as his gentleness.
This film is four years after Gail Russell appeared in "The Uninvited." A beautiful, sad-eyed woman, she is about 27 here, and the radiance displayed in "The Uninvited" is already gone, thanks to her alcoholism. A case of someone not suited to film despite her looks. In a desire to help her family, she went into film, but her nerves couldn't take it. One of Hollywood's saddest stories, she was often in the news, once for driving her car into Jan's Restaurant.
She gives a soft performance here, very sweet and believable.
Ethel Barrymore comes on close to the end of the film and gives a strong performance.
The film really belongs to Clark, a prolific actor who worked into his late seventies and was proud of being "Joe Average," which helped him get his big break at Warner Brothers. This was probably his best role. He was offered the role of Captain Smith in Titanic at the end of his life, but by then he was 84, and his health prevented him returning to the screen.
Interesting man, fascinating film.
This noir stars Dane Clark, Gail Russell, Harry Morgan, Allyn Joslyn and Ethel Barrymore.
Dark and atmospheric, the story concerns Danny Hawkins (Dane Clark) whose father was hanged for murder when Danny was just a child. His grandmother sends him to live in another town. There, he's made fun of and bullied his whole life because of what his father did.
One night, the town's rich boy, Jerry (Lloyd Nolan) taunts Danny and the two get into a fight. Danny winds up beating Jerry with a rock. He doesn't admit it; at first people think Jerry has just taken off, and then his body is found. To make things look even worse if people find out the truth, Danny is seeing Jerry's girlfriend, Gilly (Gail Russell).
Up to this point, Borzage's work had been somewhat romantic in tone. This film is harder hitting but there is a softness as well. Some have compared it to "The Night of the Hunter," one of the most beautiful films ever made -- a scary story lyrically told. I suppose in that respect, "Moonrise" is similar.
Unlike "Night of the Hunter," it's about love, and the power of love to force someone from the shadows and into the world. It's expressionistic, especially in the beginning with the use of shadows.
Dane Clark was a kind of poor man's John Garfield (and they loathed one another) who wound up doing a lot of television, but he does a terrific job here as a man with a quick temper, but a kind one, afraid that his heritage has negatively affected him. We see his fear as well as his gentleness.
This film is four years after Gail Russell appeared in "The Uninvited." A beautiful, sad-eyed woman, she is about 27 here, and the radiance displayed in "The Uninvited" is already gone, thanks to her alcoholism. A case of someone not suited to film despite her looks. In a desire to help her family, she went into film, but her nerves couldn't take it. One of Hollywood's saddest stories, she was often in the news, once for driving her car into Jan's Restaurant.
She gives a soft performance here, very sweet and believable.
Ethel Barrymore comes on close to the end of the film and gives a strong performance.
The film really belongs to Clark, a prolific actor who worked into his late seventies and was proud of being "Joe Average," which helped him get his big break at Warner Brothers. This was probably his best role. He was offered the role of Captain Smith in Titanic at the end of his life, but by then he was 84, and his health prevented him returning to the screen.
Interesting man, fascinating film.