23 May 2012

reminiscent of Spellbound

This review is from: Somewhere in the Night (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) This film is about a man with amnesia (similar to Hitchcock`s spellbound) in that he`s trying to find out who he really is and in what way is he involved in a murder. A solid cast, good photography and well written. I found Nancy Guild to be adequate in her role, but there is no real chemistry between her and Hodiak. She reminded me of Veronica Lake who might have been better in the part with more charisma to offer. A good mystery that holds you to the end.

Neil Doyle

22 May 2012

The script is as muddled as the amnesiacs mind...

What might have been a very interesting film noir from the mid-'40s isgiven a B-film flavor with a muddled script full of red herrings thatkeep the audience as mystified as amnesiac JOHN HODIAK throughout thefilm. He wakes up in an Army hospital with a bad case of memory lossand immediately sets out to discover what's behind the few clues he hasto his identity.He gets help from a lounge singer, NANCY GUILD, in her first importantrole. She's a cross between Lauren Bacall and Lizabeth Scott, withstriking looks but not enough screen presence. A friendly cop offershis services (LLOYD NOLAN) and the owner of the lounge (RICHARD CONTE)is willing to join in the search for a man they all believe is at thebottom of the mystery.Well photographed, with good sets and art direction, it's not really aB-film but does give that impression from time to time. The scriptwanders all over the place as Hodiak searches for clues to his past.This search does lead to an excellent scene between him and JOSEPHINEHUTCHINSON which, unfortunately, has little bearing on the plot.In the end, it all seems highly derivative of other thrillers with morecoherent plots. This is an early work of Joseph L. Mankiewicz, but notas polished and focused as his later films would be.

oscarbreath

20 May 2012

A laugher

but it's not supposed to be. This one is just a mess, the plot is ...well, where IS the plot? Nancy Guild (rhymes with wild) does a very badBacall impression, Hodiak not quite handsome enough to pull off movieleads, Conte and Nolan dependable as always. Fritz and Margo make goodimpressions in bad parts.The best part of the 2005 version of the DVD is the commentary by EddieMuller; as a noir expert, he's not afraid to call a turkey a turkey andhe has a lot of fun poking fun at the movie and (surprisingly, sinceFox paid him) calling it out for what it is. So watch the movie just toget it over with, then sit back and enjoy Muller's critique. It's likea noir MST3000!

19 May 2012

Mankiewicz on His Learning Curve

Movie: *** DVD Transfer: *** Extras: ***1/2A mystery with film noir elements, "Somewhere in the Night" tells the story of an amnesiac WWII veteran (John Hodiak) who sets out to recover his prewar identity, only to learn that he once may have been involved in a crime that culminated in an unsolved murder. Yet despite this intriguing premise, the film never really jells because the script is both confusing and overlong, and because Joseph L. Mankiewicz's direction lacks the proper pacing and control, which causes the suspense to dissipate before the somewhat obvious climax (this was only his second directorial effort, following "Dragonwyck"). It's a pity, really, because there are so many things about this movie that do work: Norbert Brodine's brooding cinematography is superb; the costumes, set decorations, and art direction are particularly stylish; and there are wonderful performances from Richard Conte, Margo Woode, and especially Lloyd Nolan as a smooth detective and Josephine Hutchison, who makes her single scene in the movie a standout. The two romantic leads, John Hodiak and Nancy Guild, give acceptable performances but would have benefited greatly from tighter direction. Like the movie itself, Fox Home Video's presentation of this somewhat obscure noir is lacking. Although the video contrast is generally commendable, there are several scenes in which the graininess of the transfer is distracting, and there are one or two sequences in which the film is plagued by vertical lines of video noise (especially during the opening credits). The sound, however, is crisp and clear throughout. The extras include a commentary track (which I did not play), the Original Theatrical Trailer, and the trailers for three other Fox noirs, including "The Street With No Name", and the soon-to-be released "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and "No Way Out". Although I can't in all good conscience give "Somewhere in the Night" an enthusiastic recommendation, I can tell you that despite its faults I enjoyed watching it, and that if you're a film noir or mystery buff ... or a Mankiewicz completist ... there's a good chance you will find something here to like as well.

dougdoepke

18 May 2012

A Jumble

Ten minutes into this jumble and I thought the writers were being paidby the word, either that or they were trying to talk the audience todeath. Which might be okay if the dialog added up to an interestingstory. But instead, it goes off in ten different confusing directionsnot even a Rosetta Stone could unpack. The credits list five differentwriters, which is not surprising since they appear to be working inseparate cities. Now, I don't expect every loose thread to get tied up,especially in noir. However, I do expect a general shape or coherence,which this screenplay unfortunately lacks. It's like a jigsaw without aconcept.Leading lady Nancy Guild (Christy) does deserve some sympathy. This isher first movie and Fox thrusts her into a demanding role with lots ofdialog. And that's the trouble. In her under-trained mouth lines ofdialog sound just like that, lines of dialog. At times it works, butmostly it doesn't. She may look like Bacall—likely why she was promotedin the first place-- but lacks the needed smolder. Unhappily, hercareer proved downhill and short, so likely the resemblance was both ablessing and a curse.What the movie does have are some striking cameos—a cranky HenryMorgan, a sassy Margo Woode, a sweaty Sheldon Leonard, and in a partthat steals the movie, Josephine Huchinson as Elizabeth. True to thescrambled screenplay, her wounded spinster sort of drops out of thesky. Nonetheless, catch her many nuanced expressions that are reallyquite touching. I just wish the editor or the director had cut thescene after it peaks since we've already gotten the idea. Then too,Nolan and Conte are quite good in their supporting roles, parts thateach could probably do in his sleep. On the other hand, leading manHodiak looks good in a suit, but like the disappearing man, has apresence that becomes fainter and fainter as time goes on. Perhaps hewas as confused by the script as others of us.Now, I'm as big a fan of noir as anyone. However, I think this filmproves an important lesson. Namely, there is more to noir than just asmoky aesthetic, a big-hair dame, and a catchy title.

18 May 2012

Style Over Substance

This review is from: Somewhere in the Night (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) Despite weaknesses in this film it has enough good qualities to recommend. For starters, despite layered plotting and red herrings the script telegraphs it's inevitable conclusion. The film's leads, John Hodiak and Nancy Guild, though attractive are merely serviceable. The film though does boast great atmosphere with it's use of shadowy cinematography and seedy L.A. locations. The film also has a better than average supporting cast in Richard Conte, Lloyd Nolan, Sheldon Leonard, Harry Morgan, et al. This one is a tough call because the potential is here for a better than average noir. If you're a completist of Fox's noir series like I am you're obligated to purchase it. Otherwise, rent it or wait until it pops up on TV.

Alex da Silva

17 May 2012

Worth another look

George Taylor (John Hodiak) wakes up in a hospital with amnesia. Hedoesn't even know who he is and he spends the rest of the film tryingto track down Larry Cravat who has left him some money. His journeytakes him to a nightclub called "The Cellar" where he meets Christy(Nancy Guild) and they form an alliance. So where is the mysterious MrCravat.....? It is so bleeding obvious where Mr Cravat is. You should guess thatpart of the plot within 10 minutes. However, there are other twists andturns that keep you guessing and I didn't expect the final plotdevelopment. The story is confusing at times, especially at thebeginning, but it becomes more enjoyable as the film progresses. Youneed to just go along with it even though it is a little too long. Thecast are fine - my favourite character being Lloyd Nolan's PoliceLieutenant. Nancy Guild is a cross between Lauren Bacall and EllaRaines, and while many reviewers have given her a hard time about heracting (my girlfriend didn't think much of her either), I thought shewas fine, especially in her first scene with Hodiak at the nightclub.The film starts with an overlong narration and there are dumb parts tothe story, eg, why does Taylor run out of the bank when he is asked tostay and have a quick word with the manager when he goes to cash hischeque from Larry Cravat. Surely, he would be only too pleased to speakto someone who may shed light on his past life or give him informationabout Larry Cravat. Another ludicrous concept that you have to acceptis that Taylor fell onto a bomb when it exploded. He looks pretty goodto me. What a nonsense! However, there are also good moments thatprovide tension, eg, the episode at the asylum and the scene at thedocks where Taylor and Christy go in search of the missing £2 million.There is also a moment that will make you jump when an attempt is madeon Taylor's life. You'll know the one I mean. That would have properlybeen game over! It's a film that I'm keeping onto to watch again at a later date. Ithink it's worth a second look.

17 May 2012

JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZ, OPUS 2

This review is from: Somewhere in the Night (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) **** 1946. Co-written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. An amnesiac tries to find out, all alone, in Los Angeles the man who could reveal him his identity. Another great film noir of the Fox collection even if its last 30 minutes are a little too verbose even for a film directed by Mankiewicz, the dialogue's wizard. Note Lloyd Nolan's performance as the detective movie-goer and bear in mind that the British writer Somerset Maugham also worked on the screen adaptation of the story. Recommended.

15 May 2012

Sometimes the postman only rings once

OK, as film noir goes this isn't "Double Indemnity," but "Somewhere in the Night" is well worth a look anyway. It's pure B-picture noir, the sort that made your mother or grandmother run down to the local movie house and shell out a couple of bucks for the full double-bill and come home happy that they did. There's not too much heavy social commentary and, as noted elsewhere, this is one of those convoluted amnesiac plots that have been so over-worked by Hollywood. Still, a somewhat green director Joseph Mankiewicz, in one of his first solo runs well before he hit his stride in "All About Eve", and the strong cast of John Hodiak and Nancy Guild manage to pull it off, with plenty of atmosphere and some good crackling dialog (and a few wonderful little in-jokes woven into the plot, if you're quick and clever enough to catch on).Another thing about this film worth seeing, besides Mankewicz's solo effort, is John Hodiak, who regrettably died at age 39. Had he lived a little longer I suspect he'd have found his way into the pantheon of great leading men, and we'd have this little gem to point back to as the start of a wonderful Hollywood career. Unfortunately for us, it never happened. I rate this four stars for fun and effort, five for a great way to waste a rainy Saturday afternoon.

15 May 2012

OK but pretty lame

I liked Nancy Guild--hadn't heard of her before--but it was a little creepy to watch her at 20 or 21 puffing away on her cigs and knowing that 50 years later she'd be dead from emphysema.As to the movie...too much reliance on willing suspension of disbelief in the viewer. And it wasn't John Hodiak's finest moment. If you just have to watch every noir ever made, go ahead and watch this movie. If you aren't a completist, don't bother.

12 May 2012

Mankiewicz Embodies Film Noir in Excellent Amnesiac Thriller...

The predicament with amnesia, besides the obvious loss of memory, is the confusion and disorientation that the individuals experience while trying to get a grasp with reality. A simple direction might be more impossible than the most complex of riddles, as there is no coherent foundation to lean on in regards to previous experiences. Names, locations, and knowledge are only foggy symbolical representations of the unknown while only adding more bewilderment within the individual. Thus, amnesia presents a terrific opportunity to create film noir, as the loss of cognitive processes induces an ominous and mysterious atmosphere that does not let its grip go of the audience. Somewhere in the Night offers such an experience where a man drifts out of hazy unconsciousness to find himself lost in his own existence. An angled rear shot of a man's head and an upside-down IV-bottle on which the words "Normal Human Plasma, Dried" fade in after the appearance of director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's name. Symbolically, the shot suggests immediately that something is wrong, as the inverted bottle is an icon for hospitalization and illness. Furthermore, the overturned text of the bottle hints toward the notion of a puzzled existence of a normal human being. Thanks to Mankiewicz's inspiring direction the film's first shot facilitates mind provoking suspense, as the camera slowly pans to the left displaying a small military hospital tent with some severely injured and a disheartened man covering his face in his hands. An unpromising future arises within this initial scene where death, injury, and hopelessness metaphorically present itself through the bleak future that many injured soldiers faced in military hospitals. It is clear that Mankiewicz understands the film noir spirit, as he offers such a meticulously planned first scene that sets the mood for the rest of the film.After the pan the camera smoothly focuses in on a man who wakes up out of his injury-induced sleep discovering that he cannot move his mouth, or remember who he is, while other than people address him as George Taylor. He has no other choice than to assume that he is George Taylor (John Hodiak), as he recovers from his severe injuries at the final stage of the war. He becomes a civilian shortly after the end of the war, but he has very few clues about his identity other than his name. The lack of concrete evidence is unnerving and troubling to him, as it only makes him more suspicious about himself and whom he can trust. In addition, it is even more bewildering that he has a hard time uncovering the truth about his own identity. The only thing that is certain with his situation is that something is wrong when he begins to investigate himself. The first clue that he follows only adds to the perplexity of his situation when he finds another clue in a gun, a bank account with $5,000 (at the time it was a large amount of money), and a name.Somewhere in the Night cleverly applies the concept of amnesia in a well-made film noir experience with a vague and ominously pensive mood even though the story might seem a little implausible. The camerawork and framing of several scenes augment the doomed atmosphere, as the protagonist seeks the truth. George's search keeps the audience guessing, but never completely sure about what has happened in the past, as he exposes new hints of his identity. Not only does Mankiewicz capture the tone of film noir through George, he embodies the theme of noir in an utterly exceptional manner. Every aspect of the film raises dubiousness: the characters, the hero, the plot, mise-en-scene, and the location of the film. There is nothing left to chance, as Mankiewicz provides a truly extraordinary cinematic experience that offers amusement, suspense, and contemplation.

BOUF

11 May 2012

Curious, way-too-talky noirish mystery with a passive protagonist and a charming female lead, making her debut

If you like a mystery full of shadows and moody lighting, you'll quiteenjoy this rambling yarn. John Hodiak (who looks here like a classicco-respondent in a divorce case), is an amnesiac, who wanders from clueto clue, from character actor to supporting player, in a sort ofbemused trance as he tries to piece together who he is and why acertain Larry Cravat wrote him a mysterious note. The mystery holds fora while, then this viewer became a bit tired of scene after scene oftalky explanations, and not much cinematic action. Fortunately Hodiakmeets a nice girl, played by the charming Nancy Guild, and thingslooked up (for me). Nancy falls for John, for some reason, and believesin him, although he is becoming convinced that he may be a killer. Onhe rambles, trying to unravel, in murky apartments, the docks, aninsane asylum, etc. There's Nazi loot and a nightclub, and Lloyd Nolanas a chummy cop, and lots of quirky characters (including one of myfavourites, Housely Stevenson), who are there mainly to distract you,because Hodiak's character is so passive that he isn't even in thefinal scene - a cheery wash-up reminiscent of a mild sitcom.

07 May 2012

A B Noir Which Picks Up Steam As It Goes Along

George Taylor (John Hodiak) wakes up in a Marine field hospital in the Pacific. His jaw is wired shut, his face has been rearranged by a grenade, he has no memory. He finds in his wallet an old note from a friend, Larry Cravat. He's finally discharged and goes to Los Angeles, where Cravat's letter said he'd put $5,000 in a bank account for Taylor. He still has no memory. Suddenly, he finds himself up to his neck in a three-year-old murder supposedly committed by Cravat, a missing suitcase containing $2 million of Nazi money, a nightclub songstress named Christy Smith (Nancy Guild), her boss, Mel Phillips (Richard Conte), and an assortment of bruisers, low lifes and mental cases. Off to the side, watching and waiting, is police lieutenant Don Kendall (Lloyd Nolan), who has a hunch Taylor may lead him to Cravat.This was one of Joseph Mankiewicz's first director jobs. He'd made his reputation writing screenplays and he wrote this one. As a director, he was still learning his way. The movie is interesting, but is not in the league of the films he would start making in two or three years. Once the plot really kicks in, however, about a third of the way, the movie starts getting better and better.Although as a noir, the film has all the nighttime scenes and tough dialogue you might want, it still is very much a B movie, and this is, I think, because of two flaws you need to accept if you're going to enjoy it. The two leads, John Hodiak and Nancy Guild, aren't very effective. Hodiak was a sincere, somewhat stolid middle-of-the-road actor. At his best, as in A Bell for Adano and Sunday Dinner for a Soldier, he could be effective. I don't think tough-guy roles played to his strengths. He was only 41 when he died of a heart attack. This was Nancy Guild's first film. She had no acting experience and it shows. Her lack of snap and her slow line readings drain interest from the character. On the other hand, the movie features two first-rate actors in major roles, Richard Conte and Lloyd Nolan. Fritz Kortner, who plays a bad guy with humor and ham, is fun to watch. In small parts you can get a glimpse of Sheldon Leonard, Whit Bissell and Harry Morgan.There's also the pleasure of hearing some vivid Mankiewicz dialogue: At one point a woman kisses Taylor flat out. He's unresponsive. "Did you have fun?" he asks her. She looks at him. "I've had more fun drinking a Bromo-Seltzer," she says. One night Taylor arrives late at Chris' apartment. She'd waited up for him and had fixed food. "There are some sandwiches over there," she tells him, "with their toes curled up.""Memories have a way of getting stuck together like pages in a book," one character says.Enjoy the film for what it is, a B noir with some good lines and, even if Hodiak and especially Guild can't pull it off, some good performances by the other actors. The black and white DVD transfer is first rate, clear and sharp. There are a lot of nighttime scenes and they look great. The DVD has a commentary track by a fellow named Eddie Muller who has written some books about noir. I listen to some of it, then switched it off.

T Y

07 May 2012

Plot by the pound

This is not good. It's some sort of generic, B-movie, noir epic ...withall of those ideas in conflict. Twenty "developments" get teased out,to no discernible entertainment value. It's a very, very long movietrying hard to believe it has peaks and structure, but themeaninglessness begins piling up quite early. The actors drift, becauseMankewicz isn't doing anything to shape the movie. It ain't deep, sowhy is it the length of an opera? I'll give you twenty minutes todetect the big twist. You'll still be ahead of the characters by 80 or90 minutes. The script is overdeveloped, and can't bear inspection forits two hour length. The cast of characters is rather extended. It'sjust a mess, going through the noir motions, and a uniform texture oftedium. It's uninvolving in the extreme. Hodiak has leading man looks but very little presence. He's exactly thesame from scene to scene; inexpressive, diffuse. He's like a prop thatcan talk.Eddie Muller seems silently aware of the problems, and doesn't evenbother with any framing remarks in his glib, unhelpful commentary. Hejust starts describing things on the screen. If Eddie Muller can't helpyou find the merit in a noir, you're in for a long ride. I can't thinkof a single reason you should watch this. This and 'The Big Knife' arethe two most tedious movies I've seen in the last ten years. Notrecommended.

kenjha

05 May 2012

Forgettable Noir

A war hero suffering from amnesia tries to figure out who he is. Itgets off to an intriguing start, but soon runs out of steam and becomesmuch too muddled before reaching a predictable ending. Dour-facedHodiak gives a one-note performance, lacking the looks and charisma tocarry a film. Guild, making her film debut, is charming as a nightclubsinger who inexplicably falls in love with Hodiak. There are goodperformances from Nolan and Conte; the latter would have been a moreinteresting choice for the lead role. Mankiewicz's screenplay includessome good lines but the plot is convoluted and confusing. He faresbetter in the director's chair, creating a solid film noir look.

mackjay

05 May 2012

Hodiak, Conte and a host of Great Supporting Players in a Class-A Film Noir

SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT is not only a pleasure in terms of plot andatmosphere, it is filled with terrific supporting actors: Lloyd Nolan, JeffCorey, Whit Bissell, Sheldon Leonard, Henry Morgan, Fritz Kortner, and thesuperb, virtually ignored Josephine Hutchinson, who has the emotional centerof the film as a lonely victim of the murderous scheme. Some may rememberHutchinson as the android babysitter from The Twilight Zone episode "I Singthe Body Electric". And when are Corey, Bissell, Morgan and Nolan notwelcome? Only Nancy Guild fails to equal her surrounding players, but shegets to deliver a few wry observations.Not much can be said about Richard Conte, without spoiling the plot, butthis is another one of the infallible actor's memorable characterizations.John Hodiak probably never had enough opportunities to play lead in goodfilms. We are fortunate to have here his extremely convincing amnesiacveteran: in a sense, the ultimate existential noir protagonist. A voicecredit has been given to John Ireland, but it certainly sounds like Hodiakduring the nightmarish opening sequence.This was the second film Mankiewicz directed, and it's a big improvementover DRAGONWYCK. SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT belongs in the canon of compulsoryFilm Noir. Go out of your way to see it.

planktonrules

05 May 2012

This should have been a lot better...

The film begins with John Hodiak in a military hospital. It seems he'shad a horrific injury while serving in WWII. The wound is so bad thathe has no recollection who he is--which is strange, as he hasn't got asingle scar throughout the film! This seemed sloppy--a couple nice bigscars on his head would have been appropriate and made the film seemless contrived. This is exactly the sort of injury that happens inmovies--not in real life. Armed only with a few tiny bits and pieces onhim, he tracks down who he might be once he's discharged.It's obvious early on that who Hodiak is and who is old 'friends' wereis pretty bad--as the trail leads him to thugs and creeps galore. And,on top of that, people start making attempts on his life and beat thecrap out of him! Now you'd think that in a situation like this, he'deither give up his search OR he'd get the police involved. After all,with no memory, he's just blindly walking into one dangerous situationafter another! Herein lies the problem--with him running about like aproverbial bull in a china chop, he should have been killed early on inthe film. But because he ultimately is able to unravel the mystery, itall seems very contrived and totally unbelievable.Despite a good cast and Joseph L. Mankiewicz co-writing and directing,it's only a so-so film. There were a few decent story elements (such asthe film noir look and some of the acting). However, you might expectmore, as in the late 40s and early 50s, Mankiewicz was perhaps THEpreeminent film maker--with such wonderful credits as "A Letter toThree Wives" and "All About Eve" to his credits. This film simplydoesn't show the Mankiewicz brilliance--plus this sort of idea has beendone better (such as with Edmond O'Brien in "Man in the Dark").It's odd. After looking at the reviews, I noticed that what peoplethought was all over the place--many hated it, many thought is wasbrilliant. I thought it was neither.By the way, was it just me or was Richard Conte's move to disarm thelady with the gun near the end of the film a bit hard to believe?!

JohnHowardReid

04 May 2012

One of the Best Fox Film Noirs!

Few actresses jump from a thespic nowhere into a star role. You mightcount them on the fingers of one hand. But it happened to Nancy Guild.Signed to a Fox contract when casting director, Rufus Le Maire, spottedher picture in a 1946 Life magazine lay-out of current college girldress fashions, Nancy jumped straight from Fox's dramatic school (whereshe spent "a few months as the star pupil") to the lead feminine rolein Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Somewhere in the Night (1946). And she doeswell too. Extremely well by a rather difficult role. Is she a goodgirl, or one of the villains? Nancy plays it cool, which is a perfectchoice, especially when surrounded by consummate scene-stealers likeRichard Conte, Lloyd Nolan, John Hodiak and Fritz Kortner. But herdebut proved to be the high point of her motion picture career. Nextcast in a Fox "B", The Brasher Doubloon (1947) opposite GeorgeMontgomery's Philip Marlowe, she followed with a minor Dan Dailey 1948musical, Give My Regards to Broadway. Fox then dropped her. At thisstage, Orson Welles came to her rescue by offering her the part ofMarie Antoinette in Black Magic (1949) in which Gregory Ratoff frontedfor him as producer and director. (Ratoff actually did direct half themovie, but Welles handled all his own scenes and wrote some of his owndialogue). Although this United Artists release was anything but asuccess, Universal offered Miss Guild a contract. She played the mainfeminine role in Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) andwas then third-billed (Mark Stevens and Rhonda Fleming were the starsfeatured on all the posters) in Little Egypt (1951). Fourth billing inFrancis Covers the Big Town (1953) and a minor role in Otto Preminger's1971 Such Good Friends completed her motion picture career. Eight filmroles, only one of which (her first) is of any importance. What awaste! Getting back to the rivetingly noir, Somewhere in the Night, this movieis not just an actor's heyday (which it is – you'll probably miss theclever way one of the players signals the plot to the audience in thefirst 15 minutes, so watch for it on a second view), but aphotographer's and set designer's paradise as well. Mankiewicz keeps afirm control of both acting and atmosphere. This exceedinglywell-produced movie always enjoyed a considerable cult reputation,which, for once, was thoroughly deserved. Full marks for a really solidscript on which none other than leading novelist W. Somerset Maughamworked with Lee Strasberg (later to gain fame with his Actors Studio).

02 May 2012

A Spectral Radiance

This review is from: Somewhere in the Night (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) John Hodiak always reminds me of a pre-Travolta John Travolta, and his little mustache here exactly matches his sergeant's stripes. Nancy Guild is sultry, take-charge, jokey and terribly young. Her movie career didn't pan out the way it might have, and yet there's nothing to be ashamed of among her credits. GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY and BLACK MAGIC are especially good, and she's excellent in both. In SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT Hodiak and Guild make a great screen team, one I wish had been repeated in other films.Eddie Muller's commentary is sparse, considering his great reputation as the Czar of Film Noir. Over and over again I kept expecting him to mention things which even I knew. Repeatedly he tells us that "this sort of nightcclub is a staple of film noir," or "a crooked fortune teller is a staple of film noir." While he stops himself from saying what he apparently feels, that the film is a string of cliches, what we want from a commentary is not an analysis of how the film is similar to all others in its category; we want to know why it is different. He knows a lot about the movies, he just seems too casual to show it off. And he knows a lot about Mankiewicz, so I wonder during the film's extended Salvation Army scene, why he never thinks to compare it to similar scenes in Mankiewicz' later GUYS AND DOLLS. That would have made all the difference in watching it.And he's also maybe too macho to tell us much about Anderson Lawlor, the failed Hollywood actor of the 1920s whose producing debut this was. Muller mentions that Lawler was a "friend of Tallulah Bankhead," thus he has an indirect link to John Hodiak, with whom Bankhead co-starred in LIFEBOAT, but surely Lawler's notoriety as one of the few openly gay actors in Hollywood, and his status as Gary Cooper's "maybe" boyfriend could have been mentioned, if only to help illuminate some of the darker corners of SOMEWHERE's mise-en-scene, like that opening hospital tent scene, man after man in bed after bed, each one better looking than the next, or the scene in the "Elite Baths"? How do such scenes play out in light of Lawlor's biographical melodrama? For more details on Lawlor, interested parties mioght consult William Mann's BEHIND THE SCREEN: HOW GAYS AND LESBIANS SHAPED HOLLYWOOD 1910-1969, or JACK LAWRENCE'S recent memoir THEY ALL SANG MY SONGS.

01 May 2012

A Nifty Noir

I have always enjoyed this flick, a interesting example ofpost WW2 film noir....I suppose that's why Nicholas Christopherchose it as the title for his book on the noir genre...Eventhough the plot and continuity take a few sharp turns, theoverall story was unique....I paricularly enjoyed the wellchosen cast---a "duke's mixture" of characters...I thoughtJohn Hodiak's especially good, as was Fritz Kortner's...PerhapsNancy Guild's was somewhat weak considering she had the leadfemale role but, I don't feel she subtracted anything fromthe story either...My cousin, Anderson Lawler, produced thisfilm so, I may well be biased...His chief role was in selectingthe various actors albeit, he had no veto on Guild....Zanuckchose her to make a debut in it, hoping it would propel herto stardom I guess....Joe Mankiewicz was still relativelyunexperienced as a director---really only his second exposureto the field; but, still turned out a credible film...Thisfilm got wonderful reviews when first released but, as theyears passed, almost fell into oblivion....Thankfully, Foxrescued it and made it available....If you're a noir buff,you'll surely enjoy it; good entertainment for almost twohours with an interesting blend of actors...You'll have topay close attention to the story line to understand the eventsas they unfold....Last but not least, sights and scenes from1946 L.A. should be rewarding as well....The quality of thevideo and audio in this DVD is excellent I feel..! Go for it..!