The director, Andre de Toth, is perhaps better known for his efforts in American westerns, epic historical dramas and even the occasional war movie. Hence, to come upon a crime thriller directed by Toth in late forties Los Angeles, and which stars Dick Powell, Lizabeth Scott, Jane Wyatt and Raymond Burr, surely, I felt, promised a taut human drama.
Well, the drama is here, for sure. There is a variety of different criminal acts, including murder. The movie has Powell and Scott, two of my favorite actors of those times. The Los Angeles setting is suitably relevant for a bored, frustrated insurance agent, Johnny Forbes (Powell) who is looking for something other than same-old, same-old, day in, day out ... especially when happily(?) hitched to Sue (Jane Wyatt) and father to Tommy (Jimmy Hunt) for the rest of his sedate, suburban life....
That 'something other' finally turns up, after ten story minutes or so, when Johnny meets Mona (Scott) about an insurance claim. One thing predictably leads to another until Johnny and Mona are meeting more often for more than just insurance. Into that mix stalks Mac (Burr), a slimy PI who's intent on ruining Johnny's affair because he's infatuated with Mona. And won't stop until.... Well, that's when Mona's criminal boyfriend, Smiley (Byron Barr) is freed on parole and who, after Mac has whispered a pack of lies to him, sets off, with a gun from Mac, to find Johnny to deliver his brand of rough justice. And Johnny doesn't know any of that until Smiley comes knocking at night on his suburban door....
Just how the finale plays out, I leave you to savor for yourself.
Powell, aided by one-liner zingers, is in full form throughout; Burr is dramatically creepy and unpleasant; lissome Scott is just so delightfully forlorn; and Wyatt shows her strength when the chips are down. All four are well cast for this story. The breakout acting though, for me, is Byron Barr with his portrayal of the jealous parolee, Smiley; not on screen for much time but he gives a truly riveting performance.
As film noir, however, this is not equal to Powell's own Murder My Sweet (1944); his To the ends of the Earth (1948) and certainly not Robert Mitchum's Out of the Past (1947). And I have no quibbles about the production as a whole, except perhaps for a tedious speed boat ride as Johnny and Mona race around the coastline; or was that a metaphor for something a bit racier, maybe? Whatever ... even if the pacing is a bit slow occasionally, this effort is a thoroughly entertaining piece of forties nostalgia I'd be happy seeing again.
Recommended for all. Give it 7/10.
Well, the drama is here, for sure. There is a variety of different criminal acts, including murder. The movie has Powell and Scott, two of my favorite actors of those times. The Los Angeles setting is suitably relevant for a bored, frustrated insurance agent, Johnny Forbes (Powell) who is looking for something other than same-old, same-old, day in, day out ... especially when happily(?) hitched to Sue (Jane Wyatt) and father to Tommy (Jimmy Hunt) for the rest of his sedate, suburban life....
That 'something other' finally turns up, after ten story minutes or so, when Johnny meets Mona (Scott) about an insurance claim. One thing predictably leads to another until Johnny and Mona are meeting more often for more than just insurance. Into that mix stalks Mac (Burr), a slimy PI who's intent on ruining Johnny's affair because he's infatuated with Mona. And won't stop until.... Well, that's when Mona's criminal boyfriend, Smiley (Byron Barr) is freed on parole and who, after Mac has whispered a pack of lies to him, sets off, with a gun from Mac, to find Johnny to deliver his brand of rough justice. And Johnny doesn't know any of that until Smiley comes knocking at night on his suburban door....
Just how the finale plays out, I leave you to savor for yourself.
Powell, aided by one-liner zingers, is in full form throughout; Burr is dramatically creepy and unpleasant; lissome Scott is just so delightfully forlorn; and Wyatt shows her strength when the chips are down. All four are well cast for this story. The breakout acting though, for me, is Byron Barr with his portrayal of the jealous parolee, Smiley; not on screen for much time but he gives a truly riveting performance.
As film noir, however, this is not equal to Powell's own Murder My Sweet (1944); his To the ends of the Earth (1948) and certainly not Robert Mitchum's Out of the Past (1947). And I have no quibbles about the production as a whole, except perhaps for a tedious speed boat ride as Johnny and Mona race around the coastline; or was that a metaphor for something a bit racier, maybe? Whatever ... even if the pacing is a bit slow occasionally, this effort is a thoroughly entertaining piece of forties nostalgia I'd be happy seeing again.
Recommended for all. Give it 7/10.