Tom Loves a Bad Girl

E. V. "Marsh" Marshall (Tom Tryon) and his lover Paulie Nevins (Carol Ohmart) meet clandestinely in a wooded area outside Los Angeles. As they are leaving, they notice three men meeting. The couple sneak over to listen and hear the men discussing the robbery of a local home - the takeway will be $350,000 worth of jewelry. Paulie decides that, if they steal the loot from the thieves, it's not a crime, and they can use the money to run away from her husband - and his boss - Ralph Nevins (James Gregory). Our film is The Scarlet Hour (1956).

Noir City DC aired this rarely seen film. It's an interesting plot, but it suffers from a big problem - the three lead actors (Tom Tryon, Carol Ohmart and Jody Lawrance) can't act. Thankfully, there are other people in the film who can, so one ends up ignoring the leads, and concentrating on James Gregory and Elaine Stritch (Phyllis Rycker). 

 Directed by Michael Curtiz, the film "introduces" Tryon, Ohmart, Lawrance (and Ms. Stritch, though not listed as such). For Mr. Tryon, Ms. Ohmart, and Ms. Stritch, this was their first film. All had appeared on television; Ms. Lawrance however had appeared in several film prior to The Scarlet Hour, including a starring role in Ten Tall Men (1951) with Burt Lancaster.  Nevertheless, Paramount and Mr. Curtiz wanted to emphasize the "new faces" in the film; thus, they were "introduced" (AFI Catalog). 

Tom Tryon is just adequate as a man who can't make up his mind about much of anything. Mr. Tryon expresses everything - concern, fear, love, anguish - by furrowing his brow. It's not really convincing. He'd started on Broadway as a waiter in Wish You Were Here (the play starred Jack Cassidy). He continued worked in films and on TV, most famously on The Cardinal (1963), a film he disliked because of the abuse he suffered at the hands of Otto Preminger (The World and Its Double: The Life and Work of Otto Preminger by Chris Fujiwara). Preminger fired Mr. Tyron in front of his parents (later rehiring him). The abuse continued when Tryon was cast in Preminger's In Harm's Way (1965). It ceased when Kirk Douglas walked off the set in protest. Mr. Tryon eventually left acting and became a successful novelist. He died in 1991 of stomach cancer at the age of 65. 

Both Ms. Ohmart and Ms. Lawrance (Kathy Stevens) are simply okay as the Bad and Good Girls. Ms. Ohmart is rather flat; emotions rarely cross her face. Ms. Lawrance, on the other hand, simply oozes sympathy as she emotes in Mr. Tryon's direction. What's not clear is why she would be in love with this banal man who doesn't look in her direction.

The actor who makes this film worth watching is the always wonderful Elaine Stritch (Phyllis Rycker), playing Paulie's best friend from their days as B girls. While Paulie has married rich - and miserably - Phyllis has married a plumber, Tom (Billy Gray) and they are ecstatically happy. Ms. Stritch bubbles with joy, and does it all without being saccharine.
Elaine Stritch began her Broadway career in 1946; she would eventually be nominated for four Tony Awards (for Bus Stop, Sail Away, Company, and A Delicate Balance), and won Emmy Awards for appearances in Law and Order and for her one-woman show Elaine Stritch: At Liberty (which also won a Tony for Best Special Theatrical Event as well as two Drama Desk Awards). She didn't make many films, but was a frequent guest star on a number of television shows (including a one-year stint as Ruth Sherwood in My Sister Eileen). Much of her life is outlined, along with her stellar Broadway career, in At Liberty and a follow-up Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me. She retired to Michigan in 2013, and died there the following year.  You can see her performing the song "Zip" from Pal Joey in her one-woman show, as well as discussing her adventures getting to the previews.
James Gregory (Ralph Nevins) is back to playing a villain in the piece, and he is a doozy. Yes, his wife is a philanderer, but the film implies that she started fooling around when she discovered he was an abusive brute. It's really hard to have any sympathy for the character; were our lovers nicer people, we might end up rooting for them. 

Watch for E. G. Marshall  and Edward Binns as police officers Lt. Jennings and Sgt. Allen. And we get the pleasure of Nat "King" Cole singing "Never Let Me Go" in a nightclub. And though IMDB lists Billy Gray as Phyllis' husband, it's not the right Billy Gray (the star of Father Knows Best was only 18 years old when the film was released); our Billy was well into his 40s.

You can read more about the film in this article from the Film Noir Foundation, which it says of  "brings that arc of the noir cycle to a close—an arc that wouldn’t be reopened until Body Heat." If you are a noir fan, it's worth a viewing - and if you've never seen Elaine Stritch, watch to see her take control of the action. In the meantime, here is 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:

Interlude: The Road to Hollywood

The Movie Night Group had the wonderful opportunity to join Robert Osborne and Angela Lansbury for a screening of the 1962 The Manchurian Candidate in New York City.  Like most of the attendees, we had never seen this film on a big screen, and what a knockout.  The story of a Korean war troup that is kidnapped by the enemy, with one member programmed to be a stone-cold killer, it features outstanding performances by Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, and Angela Lansbury.  As Ms. Lansbury pointed out in the introduction, none of the actors was afraid to look bad, and all (except Ms. Leigh) have scenes in which the tension and horror of the movie is reflected in their face.  In particular is a scene towards the end of the film in which Ms. Lansbury's face seems distorted, bloated, and truly ugly (if one could believe that!). 

If you have never seen The Manchurian Candidate (big screen or small), it is one that you owe to yourself.  It has a script that will keep you on the edge of your seat til the conclusion. However, if you have seen it before, you will see new things with each new viewing. On our way out of the theatre, we heard a woman mentioning that she had seen the film before, but this time noticed the constant references to Abraham Lincoln (something I don't believe I had picked up on during my many small screen viewings). 

So thanks again to TCM for a remarkable opportunity to see classic movies the way they should be seen.  And thanks too, to Mr. Osborne and Ms. Lansbury for sharing their insight into the film with an eager audience.  For those of you who have never seen this magnificent film, here is the trailer (there is another scene on YouTube, but it gives away too much of the ending.  We'll put that at the bottom. DON'T watch it if you are new to the movie)

More Joan Crawford soon, but we felt our "readers" might like to join us for a few minutes at the special event.

And now, the SPOILER scene: