Is Robert a Liar?

Larry Balantine (Robert Young) is on trial for the murder of his lover, Verna Carlson (Susan Hayward). His defense attorney has put him on the stand to tell his bizarre tale of adultery and larceny.  Our film tonight is They Won't Believe Me (1947).

Robert Young gives an excellent performance as a suave and rather creepy opportunist. Told in flashback, his story IS unbelievable, but the film leaves it entirely to the viewer to decide fact from fiction. That Larry is so reprehensible a human being makes the audience doubt his word. Yet, his story is so entirely ludicrous, one wonders if even he could make it up.

Mr. Young's film career started in 1931 (he had three uncredited appearances in short films in 1928 and 1929), with a small role in a Charlie Chan film, The Black Camel. He worked consistently in supporting and leading roles, appearing in H.M. Pulham, Esq.(1942), Crossfire (1947), and Three Comrades (1938). In 1954, he started a new phase of his career, as the star of Father Knows Best, a TV series which ran for six years. In 1969, he began work on another TV series, as the kindly Marcus Welby, M.D., which ran for seven years. He worked in television until 1988. Married to Betty Henderson for 61 years, he became a spokesperson mental health issues - he had suffered from depression and alcoholism for thirty years. The Robert Young Community Mental Health Center is named for him because of his work to support mental health issues with the passage of the 708 Illinois Tax Referendum. Mr. Young died in 1998, at the age of 91 - he was survived by his four daughters and many grandchildren.

Mr. Young is ably supported by three excellent actresses.  Susan Hayward is believable as Verna Carlson, his secretary and mistress. She's far smarter than Larry, ambitious, and independent. She's willing to marry for money - she's already planning to marry Larry's partner Trenton (Tom Powers) when Larry shows up. What at first begins as a flirtation turns into something deeper, as the pair try to decide if they want each other, or wealthy spouses. Ms. Hayward had been borrowed Walter Wanger, and RKO had to shoot around her as she finished up work on Smash Up: The Story of a Woman (1947) (AFI catalog).

Jane Greer's Janice Bell is also smart, but she is far more gullible than Verna.  Where Verna has no illusions about Larry's character, Janice believes he is better than he is, even falling for him when she has been convinced he might be a murderer.  Of the three actresses, her's is the least fleshed out character. It's hard to say we get to know Janice in great detail. But the part would bring her much more attention, landing Ms. Greer what is possibly her most famous film, Out of the Past (1947) (TCM article).

Rita Johnson is probably best remembered today for two villains - in The Major and the Minor (1942) and Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). While Greta  Balantine  is a bit of conniver, she's a very sympathetic character.  For some reason, she genuinely loves Larry, even though she is well aware of his infidelities and the fact that he married her for her money.  Regardless, she's willing to overlook his straying, and give him some of the things he wants, but on her terms.  Sadly, Larry is better at thwarting her - he has no affection for her. She's merely a bank account.

The film was produced by Joan Harrison, who was at this time one of only three female producers in Hollywood.  Ms. Harrison's career was discussed in some detail in the Noir Alley intro and outro to the film.  Eddie Muller discussed Ms. Harrison's career with Christina Lane, the author of Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock.

New York Times review by A. H. Weiler (A.W.) was positive, callinig the film "engrossing entertainment." Sadly, in 1957, 15 minutes were cut from the film in order to make it more attractive as part of a double feature. It was this cut version that was available from that time forward.  In 2021, the film was released on BluRay (and on Turner Classic Movies) with the cut scenes restored.

We highly recommend this excellent film - and try to see the original version.  We'll leave you with this excerpt featuring Robert Young, Susan Hayward, and Rita Johnson.

Robert Meets a Shady Lady

Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) owns a gas station in a small Connecticut town. He's in love with Ann Miller (Virginia Huston) and the two are discussing marriage.  But the arrival of Joe Stefanos (Paul Valentine) spells trouble for Jeff - he's been hiding out from Joe's boss, racketeer Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas). Jeff - then named Jeff Markham - worked as a private investigator for Whit, and didn't finish up the operation to Whit's satisfaction. This week, we'll be discussing Out of the Past (1947).

Often cited as the penultimate film noir, Out of the Past is an excellent, albeit dense story, but with characters that completely hold your interest throughout. Frankly, it's a film that deserves several viewings, if only to puzzle out the sometimes confusing plot. Then again, Out of the Past is not really about the plot - it's about the multiple character relationships.  

Robert Mitchum has become so linked to this part, it's mind-boggling that he was not among the first considered for the role. Both Dick Powell and Humphrey Bogart were offered the lead part (Jacques Tourner: The Cinema of Nightfall by Chris Fujiwara) and Pat O'Brien and John Garfield were also in the running. Mitchum had been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in The Story of G.I. Joe two years previously, but he was still being relegated to supporting roles (like The Locket) when he was cast as Jeff. He works well with all of his co-stars, though it has been said that he and Kirk Douglas did not immediately hit it off, and there was a bit of jockeying for position (TCM Behind the Camera). Ultimately, the two found common ground; their different styles of acting compliment one another. This intro and outro to the film, featuring Eddie Muller and Chris Mitchum (Robert's son) is worth a viewing for more insights into the production.The part of Kathie Moffat was originally intended for Lizabeth Scott; after she dropped out, Jane Greer (Kathie Moffat) took on the devilish dame. Ms. Greer is remarkable as a woman who goes from good girl to bad girl in the wink of an eye.  In a TCM interview, Ms. Greer discussed director Jacques Tourneur's instructions to her on getting to the heart of the character - "impassive." Though only 23 when she filmed the picture, she is marvelous - seemingly sweet an innocent, her portrayal is more a praying mantis waiting to consume her mate. She would later say that she had an excellent relationship with Robert Mitchum, who took brotherly care of her, even adjusting her dress when he realized it wasn't filming properly (TCM articles).

 

Kirk Douglas, in his third film, is an excellent choice for Whit. Though Lex Barker was in the running for the part (AFI Catalog), Douglas brings both an apparently congenial, but ultimately menacing vibe to the role.  His obvious differences from Robert Mitchum just enhance the danger in his performance - when you first meet the character, the screen hums with the tension between the two men.

Rhonda Fleming (Meta Carson) has a small but memorable part as a secretary with ulterior motives. She's quite good in a relatively small part. This was, in fact, only her fifth credited role. Sadly, the lovely Ms. Fleming died at age 97 shortly after we viewed the film. You can see the TCM tribute video to her film work here.

 

Dickie Moore (The Kid), Jeff's deaf-mute assistant in the garage also gives a convincing performance. By the end of the film, we almost feel that The Kid has, in fact, been our narrator. It is he who gives the picture its ending, and he is instrumental in aiding Jeff as his life spins out of control. 

Based on the novel Build My Gallows High by Geoffrey Homes, the New York Times review by Bosley Crowther focused on the complexities of the plot.  And there are many, but as Mr. Crowther pointed out even then, the "challenge was worth a try." Since then, it has become very highly regarded - it was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1991, and is also on Eddie Muller's list of Top 25 Noir Films 

A 1975 remake using the novel's title fell through, but the film was remade in 1983 as Against All Odds, with Jane Greer and Paul Valentine in small roles. Robert Mitchum and Ms. Greer also guested on Saturday Night Live in a 1987 skit called "Out of Gas."  

If you are a fan of film noir, this is a picture that you must see. And, for film fans in general it is still "an essential". We'll leave you with the film's trailer: