Gig is a Cop

Johnny Kelly (Gig Young)  works as a cop in Chicago, the City That Never Sleeps (1953). His father Sgt. John Kelly, Sr. (Otto Hulett ) is a police officer as well, and Johnny joined the force at his father's urging. But Johnny is sick of it; he feels underpaid and over-worked. His mother-in-law demeans his low earnings - his wife, Kathy (Paula Raymond) earns more than he does. Johnny has also become enamored of Sally "Angel Face" Connors (Mala Powers), a nightclub performer who is willing to become his lover IF he leaves town with her. So, when Penrod Biddel (Edward Arnold) offers Johnny a large sum of money to set up Hayes Stewart (William Talman), Johnny is tempted, but declines, as Biddel expects him to do it while on duty. In spite of his unwillingness to become involved with Biddel and Stewart, circumstances force him back into the case.  

This was another Noir City DC offering with which I was unfamiliar. I'll deal with the one negative issue of the story first - the attitude that Kathy Kelly is somehow an unsupportive wife because she gets a decent salary is annoying in this day and age. When she tells her father-in-law that she's going to stay home and live on Johnny's salary, there were groans in the audience. Putting that aside, the film is engaging, and keeps you guessing throughout - there are a lot of twists to the intricate plot.

 

Eddie Muller has called this one of the top 25 noir films (TCM article); it's an unusual film in that it told in a documentary style, with a little bit of the supernatural thrown in. The narrative voice of Joe Chicago (Chill Wills), Johnny's partner for this one, fateful day, gives the film an eerie, out of this world effect. 

Edward Arnold is good as the wealthy man with a young wife he adores - Lydia, played with her usual air of disdain by the wonderful Marie Windsor. They are, not surprisingly, an unlikely couple, so it's no surprised when we discover that Lydia is having an affair with Hayes Steward.  With his rumbling voice and bigger-than-life demeanor, Mr. Arnold brings a touch of menace to Biddel.

Until he was cast as Hamilton Burger on Perry Mason, William Talman seemed to have a career in which he was always a psychotic villain. Hayes Stewart is no exception to this assumption. He's a despicable individual - he's been working for Biddel as a henchman, doing the dirty jobs that Biddel is unwilling to do himself. Now that Biddel has found Hayes to be too big for his britches and wants him taken down a peg, we get to watch the two men turn on one another. Mr. Talman makes his character frightening.

Mala Powers is an actress who never gets the respect she deserves. She's wonderful as Angel Face, a woman who's dissatisfied with her life, and is determined to change it. Her relationships with the two men in her life - Johnny and Gregg Warren (Wally Cassell) are complicated, and Ms. Powers is able to show the complex feelings she has for these two very different men. As her attitudes change, Ms.Powers creates a character who is not fickle, but torn between love and the need to live a better life.

This was Tom Poston's first billed appearance (AFI catalog) - he only appears for a few minutes, but it was fun to see this familiar face as a police officer working with John Kelly, Sr. Though Mr. Poston did do many films, it was television that saw his best work, most notably as George Utley on Newhart. 

Gig Young is the key player in this film, and he is powerful as the conflicted policeman. You have to sympathize with Johnny, and Mr. Young does a good job in making you understand that Johnny is basically a decent man. The scenes in which he listens to the carping voice of his mother-in-law, followed by an offer from Biddel to do some work while on the job, set up the discords within this man who wants to do his job, but is tired of being considered second-rate because of it.

Some of the background shots were filmed in Chicago; the lighting and the cinematography by John L. Russell is properly atmospheric; the action of the film is set in one night. The director, John H. Auer, had an extensive career, primarily in low-budget movies, and accentuates the seedy nature of the City and of Johnny's job.

The New York Times review was lackluster when it was released, but the film's reputation has grown through the years. Martin Scorcese has called it one of his favorite films, (WBEZ radio) and assisted in efforts to get it restored and re-released.

I'll leave you with a clip from the film:

Cary Knits

A woman walks on a pier, her eyes fixed on the sea.  The waterfront guard, fearful that she is a potential suicide, is about to confront her when he is stopped by a sailor.  The sailor, Hard Swede (Charles Bickford) proceeds to tell her story. Our film for tonight is Mr. Lucky (1943).

Cary Grant is magnificent as the somewhat shady Joe Adams. He walks a fine line in making Joe (who'll use the name Joe Bascopolous throughout the film) both suspect and likeable. Classified as 1-A by the Draft Board, Joe gambles for, and wins the identity of the dying Bascopolous, as well as the gambling ship Fortuna from his former partner, Zepp (Paul Stewart), an equally devious character who's quite willing to cheat to get what he want. Joe then sets about finding some suckers to rent the ship. He focuses on a War Relief charity, run by Dorothy Bryant (Laraine Day). She's suspicious of his motives, but is eventually won over by his charm and seeming dedication to the war efforts. 

We, the audience, know that Joe is up to no good, but with Cary Grant in charge, it's easy to understand Dorothy's change of heart. And, as he gets to know her, we learn more about his life - Joe has not had it easy, and he's determined that nothing, not even war (it's not his war, he tells us) will alter his path. His growing affection for Dorothy is displayed by a tie she gives him as a gift - watch as he refuses to remove it (she tied it on for him).

 

Laraine Day is a good match for Mr. Grant - she's smart and determines. One doesn't feel that she is an easy mark, which makes her changing relationship with him all the more convincing.  Both Ruth Warwick and Anna Lee tested for the part (and Mr. Grant's new wife Barbara Hutton wanted to play Dorothy as well. Mr. Grant nixed that idea. (TCM article)), Ms. Day, however is ideal casting. The scene in which she uses the Australian (or Cockney) rhyming slang that Joe taught her to warn him away is beautifully done.

There are a number of wonderful actors in supporting parts. Charles Bickford's part is small but pivotal (we wish we'd seen more of him). Gladys Cooper (Mrs. Steadman) finally gets to play a good person - she is lovely as Dorothy's colleague in the charity. She, too, is intrigued by Joe; she's also immensely supportive of Dorothy when the going gets tough. Alan Carney (The Crunk) is amusing as Joe's henchman, and Paul Stewart is properly intimidating as Joe's enemy (when Mr. Stewart plays evil, he is most convincing). 

We had a bit of a problem with Mr. Bryant, as played by Henry Stephenson. Mr. Stephenson is  prim as Dorothy's grandfather, but he also has a loving relationship with his granddaughter. Is is hard to imagine him calling the police when it is sure to get Dorothy arrested.

As a knitter, I'm terrifically intrigued with Cary Grant learning to knit for the cause (you can see him in his early efforts here). And though the film gets chuckles out of men learning to knit, they also show him and The Crunk appreciating the craft after they learn it. Joe's admiration for a hand-knit tea cosy ("nice work") is endearing  Dorothy also points out that many men in England who are unable to serve in the military are learning to knit so they can provide warm clothing for the troops. If you would like to learn more about knitting in World War II, visit Knitting for Victory. Efforts still continue for today's veterans at the National World War II Museum (Knit Your Bit).

Based on Milton Holmes' story "Bundles for Freedom," which appeared in Cosmopolitan, the original ending of the story was far different that the one we see (AFI catalog), and it is for the best. Cary Grant asked RKO to purchase the film rights for him, and they obliged. Mr. Holmes and Adrian Scott were credited with the screenplay (Radical Innocence: A Critical Study of the Hollywood Ten by Bernard F. Dick).

Mr. Lucky opened at Radio City Music Hall and received a positive New York Times review - they called it "is a picture of many moods, and they are all handled expertly by Director H. C. Potter." Ms. Day and Mr. Grant reprised their roles for Lux Radio Theatre in October 1943. In 1959, a television series, loosely based on the film, premiered with John Vivyan (as Mr. Lucky) and Ross Martin.

If you've never seen this film, you are in for a treat. Here is the trailer:

Little Girl Lost

Five-year old Carolyn Crawford (Gwendolyn Laster) loves flowers. On her way to school one morning, she wanders into a field in search of some blossoms, and plunges into The Well (1951). Her mother, Martha (Maidie Norman) becomes concerned when Carolyn does not return home from school; she calls the local sheriff Ben Kellog (Richard Rober), who begins searching for the child. Some local people saw little Carolyn talking to a stranger, Claude Packard (Harry Morgan), and are convinced the man kidnapped her. Adding to the problem - Carolyn is African-American, Claude is white.

This film was part of the Noir City DC at AFI Silver. Our presentation featured an introduction by film historian Foster Hirsch.

Dr. Hirsch acknowledged that The Well is not really a film noir, though it has noir moments (A recent Facebook video by Eddie Muller also discusses the film's noir potential). Rather, The Well is two films in a brief 86 minutes. The first section focuses on how gossip and here-say in the small town results in an upsurge in racism and race riot, as the  citizens of the town - white and black - become incensed at what they see as injustices surrounding  little Carolyn's disappearance. The fury is so intense that Sam Packard (Barry Kelly), one of the chief instigators of the riot (it's his nephew who has been arrested) forgets why all the trouble started in the first place!  The second section of the film shows us the the town reuniting as they race the clock to rescue Carolyn before her fall is fatal.

This is clearly a B film, using actors most of us only see in supporting roles.  Maidie Norman, who spent her career playing maids, finally gets a role she can sink her teeth into as the distraught mother who only wants to find her little girl. Ms. Norman was born in Georgia but raised in Ohio (Profiles of Ohio Women, 1803-2003 by Jacqueline Jones Royster). She received a Master's Degree in drama from Columbia University in 1937; that same year, she married her first husband (they were together until his death). In 1946, she started performing on radio; the following year, she made her first film The Peanut Man (a film about George Washington Carver). It was difficult to find roles that truly used her talents - more often than not, she played domestics. However, she refused to speak in what she called "old-slavery time talk" (Jet Magazine obituary).  She went to television to find more challenging roles; she also became an instructor in drama at UCLA, where she introduced a course on Black Theatre history.  She died in 1998, at the age of 85, of lung cancer.

Harry Morgan, is - as always, excellent as the suspected kidnapper.  Claude is in town for a few hours, and attempts to visit his uncle. He's a kind man; he sees the child staring at some violets in a flower shop window, and buys them for her. That simple act of kindness opens up a maelstrom of trouble for him. Mr. Morgan began his career on Broadway (using his birth name, Harry Bratsburg); between 1937 and 1941, he appeared in 8 plays. In 1933, he appeared in a small role in The Kennel Murder Case; his screen career really started in 1942 in To the Shores of Tripoli (using the name Henry Morgan; he'd later be listed as Henry "Harry" Morgan. Around 1962, he was billed as Harry). Always a supporting player, he played a variety of "types" - good guy and villain alike. Radio and television, however, moved him into more prominent roles, such as Bill Gannon in Dragnet. But, the best was yet to come - after playing a psychotic general in M*A*S*H, he was offered the role of Colonel Sherman T. Potter, the new commander of the 4077th. He eventually was awarded an Emmy for the part. He married twice (the second marriage was after the death of his wife Ellen - they were together for 45 years). He died in 2011 at the age of 96.

The story was loosely based on the story of Kathy Ficus, a three-year old who fell into a pipe in an abandoned oil field (AFI catalog).The film received two Oscar nominations,  for screenplay and editing. This is not a great film, by any means, but (as Foster Hirsch said in his introduction), it's an important film.  If you can find a copy, we heartily recommend a viewing.  We'll leave you with a trailer:

Aldo is on the Run

James Vanning (Aldo Ray) goes into a Los Angeles bar for a drink, where he is approached by Marie Gardner (Anne Bancroft). She's got a problem - she was meeting a girlfriend for a drink and walked off without her wallet; would Jim loan her a small amount of money to pay for the drink she purchased? Jim agrees to help her; they strike up a conversation and decide to dine together. When they leave the restaurant, Jim is kidnapped by two criminals, John (Brian Keith) and Red (Rudy Bond), who plan to torture him for the location of something. We're going to discuss Nightfall (1957).

When I attend Noir City DC, I  try to select some films I've never seen before - sometimes ones I've never even heard of. This picture fell into the latter category. I openly confess to not being a particular fan of Aldo Ray, but after seeing this film, my opinion of his acting abilities has soared upward. Mr. Ray is both engaging and sympathetic as a man on the run both from the gangsters that want him to reveal the location of stolen funds, and from the police who believe he has committed a murder.

This was by no means Anne Bancroft's first appearance - she'd started in television, and made her big screen debut with Marilyn Monroe and Richard Widmark in Don't Bother to Knock (1952). She makes a lovely addition to Nightfall, appearing as a mannequin (modeling gowns created by fashion director Winifred Waring (AFI catalog)) at a local couture house, who becomes romantically involved with Jim.  In a sense, as is pointed out in this TCM article, the character is somewhat unnecessary to the story line, but she is so very engaging that you really don't notice. 

Brian Keith plays a truly despicable villain, though he's not nearly as bad as his murderous colleague, played with appropriate madness by Rudy Bond. Mr. Keith's calm delivery emphasizes how truly heinous John is. He commits murder with the ease of putting on a jacket. There is no guilt or emotion - it is just a task that he must perform.

It's always a pleasure to see Frank Albertson, here playing Dr. Edward Gurston, Jim's (or Art Rayburn; James Vanning is a pseudonym) best friend and camping partner. It's a small part, but he is, as always, enjoyable.Though he is only present for a few scenes, his character is crucial to the actions that follow, and his presence is felt through out the film.

Early in the film, we are introduced to Ben Fraser (James Gregory) and his wife, Laura (Jocelyn Brando). Their relationship is lovely - their marriage is obviously strong, and they are not afraid to tease one another about his job. James Gregory presents a man who is good at his job, and is also scrupulously honest. Though the authorities suspect Jim of robbery and murder, Ben has his doubts, based only on observation and a brief conversation between the two men. Ben's trust in Jim becomes a key factor as the plot thickens.

James Gregory started his acting career in New York (he was born in the Bronx and raised in New Rochelle) in the Broadway production of Key Largo. He would appear in 14 Broadway productions during his lifetime. After a three-year Navy stint, he did more theatre and radio - his distinctive, gravelly voice made him a natural. His first film role was as a police officer in The Naked City (1948); he's probably best remembered for his role as Senator Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He found a home guest starring in television series, including Star Trek, The Big Valley,  Hawaii Five-O, and Barney Miller, where he had a recurring part as Inspector Frank Luger. He retired in 1986, and lived with his wife of 58 years until his death at the age of 90 in 2002.

Director Jacques Tourneur  was no stranger to film noir - he'd already directed Out of the Past (1947), perhaps the penultimate film noir. Since then, attitudes towards television had changed, and the filmmakers, who had originally ignored it, realized the TV was another venue for their films after the screen time was over. However, noir's grey-shaded cinematography did not show up well on 1950s b&w televisions. The films looked muddy. So, Mr. Tourneur brought in cinematographer Burnett Guffey to create a look that would show more clearly on early TV sets (PaleyFest). This included moving the film from Los Angeles, where it opened, to the mountains of Wyoming. The result - the film becomes truly black and white - with the stark, white mountains and snow-covered fields, contrasting with the  dark trees and water. It's a beautiful piece of work.

The New York Times review was dismissive, though the reviewer complimented the actors on a job well done (he's particularly impressed with Brian Keith and James Gregory - I agree).  The evaluation of the film has changed in recent years, as is evidenced by this Huffington Post article, calling it "work of striking juxtapositions and tones that by picture end, come off like an unforgettably disarming person — you’re charmed, discombobulated, even slightly disturbed, and you’re not sure what to make of it all. You just know you like it, no matter how bizarre it all ends up."

I heartily recommend you look for this film - I think you will enjoy it. In the meantime, here is a trailer: