Jean is No Angel

Ambulance driver Frank Jessup (Robert Mitchum) is wooed by Diane Tremayne (Jean Simmons) after he responds to an emergency call involving Diane's stepmother Catherine (Barbara O'Neil). Diane convinces him to accept a job with her family as a chauffeur, ostensibly to help Frank earn enough money to open a garage. However, Diane has other plans for Frank.  Our film this week is Angel Face (1953).

One of the great attractions of this film is the presence of three really strong women.  Mona Freeman, who finally gets to play a character with gumption; Jean Simmons playing the determined murderess; and Barbara O'Neill as the bane of Ms. Simmons existence.  These are all performances worthy of these excellent actresses.

Jean Simmons stars as the malevolent Diane, who hungers to again be alone with her father.  In the way is her wealthy stepmother, Catherine.  When Diane meets Frank Jessup, she sees him as a possible accomplice in the removal of her stepmother from Earth. Ms. Simmons is excellent in the role that she really didn't want. She was under contract to Howard Hughes, who was furious at Ms. Simmons for cutting her hair, and with 18 days left on her contract, forced her into this film. Mr. Hughes told director Otto Preminger to make the set as uncomfortable for Ms. Simmons as he could, so Mr. Preminger felt quite comfortable slapping Ms. Simmons one day when he was annoyed with her.  He came to regret his actions - Robert Mitchum punched him back in retribution (TCM article).

Once Diane sees Frank, she is determined to lock him in.  That means getting him away from his long-time girlfriend, Mary Wilton (Mona Freeman). Frank is quick to cheat on Mary - we wondered how many times he had done this before. While Mary is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in the beginning, a meeting with Diane makes Mary question her feelings for Frank.  Ms. Freeman plays the character with resolve.  She's no meek mouse allowing a man to get away with anything.  She wants her man to love her, not every female in the vicinity.

Catherine Tremayne, on the other hand, is satisfied with being second in her husband's life. She's aware that her writer-husband (who's been unable to produce a book for years) married her for her money. But he has affection for her, She is generous to him, and to Diane, but Diane is obsessed with her father, and sees Catherine as a barrier to her relationship with her father. Barbara O'Neil paints a portrait of a warm woman who is being maligned by her ungrateful stepdaughter.

Which brings us to the male members of the cast.  Robert Mitchum does a good job playing a not very strong man - Diane especially leads him around by the nose.  Shortly after we meet Frank, he's lying to his long-time girlfriend - and we don't trust him. Frank is a fairly unambitious man. He's interested in Diane, but it's a lazy kind of interest.  

Herbert Marshall (Charles Tremayne) is a good companion to Frank - he too is subservient to the women in his life - both Diane and Catherine.  Charles is weak and has lost any drive he might have had. One can see Frank becoming the same person in later years. 

The story was loosely based on the case of real-life case of Beulah Louise Overell and George Gollum who were accused of killing her parents (AFI Catalog).  The New York Times review by Howard Thompson (H.H.T.) was unenthusiastic, but this is an excellent, dark movie, with references to Out of the Past, Double Indemnity, and The Postman Always Rings Twice, without being a copy of any of them.  For more detailed information on the film, I invite you to view Eddie Muller's Noir Alley intro and outro to the film's airing.  Here's a trailer to give you a peek at the picture.

Robert Meets Jane

After several thugs beat Dan Milner (Robert Mitchum) with claims that he owes a gambling debt, Milner is offered an opportunity - go to a ritzy resort in Mexico, all expenses paid, and stay for one year. En route, he meets Lenore Brent (Jane Russell), a wealthy woman who is also going to the resort. When he arrives, he meets various characters, including hunting-mad actor Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price), FBI Agent Bill Lusk (Tim Holt), and the threatening Thompson (Charles McGraw). But what is becoming clear is that Dan is in danger.  Our film this week is His Kind of Woman (1951).

Any discussion of this film has to start with the fact that it is weird. It's classed as a film noir in many publications, but it is more than that - it's got a little marital melodrama, elements of the traditional gangster film, and a lot of comedy.  This by no means is to intimate that it is a bad film - there is pleasure in weirdness, and there certainly is in His Kind of Woman.

 

The audience is often in the same situation as Dan Milner - going on an unknown ride, with precious little information to guide us.  We know from the start that Nick Ferraro (Raymond Burr) is up to something, and that Dan's appearance is part of the factor, but we aren't sure of what, which adds to the suspenseful aspects of the film.  There is supposed to be a resemblance between Dan and Ferraro, but the camerawork also makes it seem that Mr. Mitchum is much taller than Mr. Burr (there was actually only a 1 inch difference in their heights), so we finally see the two together, the similarities are slim at best. 

Mr. Burr was the THIRD person cast in the role of Ferraro, a character loosely based on Lucky Luciano (TCM article).  Lee Van Cleef had shot his scenes when Howard Hughes informed his second director, Richard Fleischer (more on that later) that he didn't like Van Cleef.  So Fleischer re-filmed all the scenes with Robert J. Wilke, only to have Mr. Burr walk in one day to tell Fleischer that Mr. Hughes had ordered Mr. Burr to the set to again re-film the Ferraro scenes (Movies!TV). Mr. Burr is convincingly menacing as Ferraro - even in stillness, he has an air of danger around him. It's been said that, in one of the intense fight scenes, he accidentally knocked out Robert Mitchum (AFI catalog). We felt he was a real asset to the film, but three different filmings does seem a bit excess. 

Robert Mitchum was Howard Hughes only choice for the role, and he's excellent as a man way out of his depth.  In the extended ending, he is truly fearful - something you don't often see from a hero.  Also, he has an excellent rapport with his fellow actors, especially with Jane Russell (who became his long-time friend with this film) and Vincent Price (who called Mr. Mitchum "an extraordinary actor" who was "heaven to work with").  

Jane Russell brings just the right amount of street smarts to the character of Lenore, who is really Liz Brady, a former singer trying hard to find a rich husband.  She and Mr. Mitchum bounce off of one another beautifully; she's also smart and gutsy.  When the final showdown begins, she's all set to storm the gates with Mr. Price's ragtag army.  She brings a sweetness to Liz that is refreshing - yes, she's planning to marry Mr. Price for his money, but the audience never feels that she is completely mercenary. 

 

Some other supporting parts worth mentioning are Jim Backus as a professional gambler who is using his skills to railroad a newlywed into his bed - watch for the Casablanca-inspired scene with Leslye Banning (Jennie Stone), who was, in fact, Jane Russell's sister-in-law.  Ms. Banning and Mr. Russell were divorced in the 1950s; she remarried and had a total of 10 children - 3 with Mr. Russell and 7 with her second husband Keith Rogers, to whom she is still married). Marjorie Reynolds (Helen Cardigan) as Cardigan's estranged wife and Tim Holt have far too little screen time, in our estimation, but both (especially Ms. Reynolds) make the best with what they have.

I've saved the best for last - Vincent Price is amazingly funny as the actor who takes on the villains. Mr. Price looks like he is enjoying himself in the part, and it brings some much needed relief at the end of the film when the sadism level reaches it's peak.  Howard Hughes was particularly enamored with the character of Mark Cardigan, and insisted that it be substantially expanded. Watching Mr. Price spout Shakespeare (and for those who have watched the commentary by film historian and academic Vivian Sobchack, they is NOT all from Hamlet. Mark quotes Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest) and throw his cape around is immensely funny. At the same time, you have to admire his bravery, as well as his intelligence - watch him figure out exactly where an attacker is hiding.

It would take more space than we have here to go into detail on the varied and sundry changes made to this film - Eddie Muller's intro and outro for the film's presentation on Noir Alley will give you a really good overview. The short version is that director John Farrow refused to make the emendations that Howard Hughes wanted - the expansion of Vincent Price's scenes, and a long ending that involved beating and torturing Mitchum's Dan Milner (it's amazing that this film got through the PCA!). So, Hughes brought in Richard Fleischer and told him he would only release The Narrow Margin IF Mr. Fleischer subbed as director for the scenes he wanted. By the time the film ended, Mr. Mitchum had been on the production for one year, having shot some of the extremely intense scenes many times with different actors.  He finally lost it one day, and destroyed much of the set when he was shooting a fairly violent episode yet again.

The New York Times review by H.H.T. (Howard Thompson) was abysmal, calling it "one of the worst Hollywood pictures in years".  It lost money upon release, primarily because Hughes spent so much money in reshooting that the budget was overly inflated.  In recent years, it has been viewed more positively, with Senses of Cinema say it is one of  "classics of narrative perversity" and TimeOut saying that in spite of its oddness it is "an unforgettable delight".

If only to see Vincent Price, we heartily recommend of viewing of this peculiar film.  We'll leave you with the trailer:

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:

Kim Marries a Stranger

A man brags that he has ten thousand dollars in cash with him; the next day he is found murdered. That same day, new bride Millie Baxter (Kim Hunter) is on the train to New York City to meet her groom, Paul Baxter (Dean Jagger). A traveling salesman, Paul left almost immediately after the wedding; the couple married having only known each other for four days. Millie is about to find out what happens When Strangers Marry (1944).

A suspenseful film that keeps you on guessing throughout, this is a fun way to spend an evening. It's not a perfect film by any means, but it has some redeeming values, not the least of which is the performance of Dean Jagger.  It's unusual to see Mr. Jagger as a romantic lead. Often, he is the older, wiser man, but here he is love interest. Casting him threw this audience off balance; we are so used to him in more sinister roles that it was easy to accept that he might be the murderer. Paul Kelly, another actor with a bit of a sinister background (you can learn a bit more about his past in this post), was also considered for the lead (AFI catalog).

Kim Hunter also contributes to the film's success, though one has to shake their head at the character's stupidity.  Millie comes across as a traveling salesman groupie.  She's already had one unsuccessful relationship with Fred Graham (Robert Mitchum) - it ended, he said because of his job.  Yet Millie marries Paul after having been with him for four days in a three month period. This certainly makes Paul all the more suspect, but it also makes Millie appear very, very naive - almost to the point of stupidity. How can she have married someone she barely knows, who then disappears for an extended period of time?

Kim Hunter began her film career in 1943, with a lead role in The Seventh Victim. After several years, she went to New York, where she joined the Actor's Studio, and was cast in the Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire as Stella DuBois Kowalski, a role she reprized in the film version. She continued to appear on Broadway on television in the 1950s, despite being blacklisted (Unfriendly Witnesses: Gender, Theater, and Film in the McCarthy Era by Milly S. Barranger). Television would continue to be her main medium until 1968, when she was cast as Zira in Planet of the Apes. She would appear in two more of the franchise's films. She died of a heart attack in 2002 - two years after the death of her husband of 49 years, Robert Emmett - at the age of 79.

This is one of Robert Mitchum's first credited roles. We are, of course, used to Mitchum as the cool leading man. At this point in his career, he is still learning, and it is obvious. Towards the end of the film, he overacts quite a bit.  Of course, it may have been that he was truly afraid for his life. The film was produced by Frank, Herman, and Maurice Kozinsky, aka the King Brothers (TCM article).  Mitchum agreed to do the film as a one-time thing, but the Brothers were eager to sign him to a contract. According to Kim Hunter, he would be harassed daily by men who Mr. Mitchum claimed had guns.  Luckily for him, filming was over in seven days, after which he signed a contract with RKO (Robert Mitchum: "Baby I Don't Care" by Lee Server). Once at RKO, he started to get parts in films like The Locket (1946), Crossfire (1947), and Out of the Past (1947).

 

William Castle was offered the opportunity to direct the film. The Kings told him that, if he could finish filming in 7 days, he would be given a $1,000 bonus. He asked his cast if they would consent to a rehearsal period of one week (with no pay!). They did, and filming was completed in the one-week period.

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When the film was reissued in 1949, there was a change in title - it was now Betrayed, which kinda gives a lot of the plot away. It also had a new star.  Mr. Jagger was now third billed, with Mr. Mitchum dominating the poster (above). 

The film got good reviews on release - James Agee in Time, and Variety both were enthusiastic in their praise.  Orson Welles actually talked to William Castle about working together following this film's release.

While we didn't love this film, it was certainly a pleasant way to spend an evening - an interesting film noir, good performances, and a chance to see Robert Mitchum learning his trade. What's not to enjoy? We'll leave you with a scene from the film:

Laraine Wants Jewelry

On his wedding day,  John Willis (Gene Raymond) is approached by Dr. Harry S. Blair (Brian Aherne). Dr. Blair claims to be the ex-husband of John’s fiancée, Nancy Patton (Laraine Day). Her name was then Nancy Monks, and she was responsible for the deaths of three men, all because of The Locket (1946). 

This is by no means a simple movie. It employs the film staple of the flashback, and turns it on its head by taking a single flashback and embedding within it a flashback to a flashback, and another flashback from the second one. Yet, the film is so well written that the audience is always clear as to what is happening - unless, as Eddie Muller noted in his introduction, you arrived after the start of the film (as was so often the case in 1946!). It's a clever device, and keeps the viewer on pins and needles from the beginning to the end of this intriguing film noir.

Laraine Day is excellent in the part of Nancy. You are never really sure how much she knows of her own behavior - does she know about the thefts she committed, or does she forget the kleptomania-induced robberies once they are accomplished. Ms. Day uses her experience as the sweet ingénue to create an intelligent yet enigmatic woman, who is highly attractive to men without be openly seductive. She's a chameleon who adapts herself to the preferences of the men in her life. At one point, Hume Cronyn owned the script, which he intended to feature his wife, Jessica Tandy. When he sold it to RKO, the credited screenwriter (more on that later) wanted Joan Fontaine, but she was not available. Olivia de Havilland campaigned for the part, but producer Bert Granet wanted Ms. Day, and he won the day (TCM article). Interesting, the mother of Joan and Olivia, Lilian Fontaine, appeared as Lady Wyndham.

Robert Mitchum (Norman Clyde) had recently been nominated for an Oscar for his work in The Story of G.I. Joe, and was one year away from what is often cited as his best role - Out of the Past.  His appearance as Norman, a moody artist whose life is upended by his relationship with Nancy, is a strong addition to his film credits. He'd known Ms. Day when they worked with the Long Beach Players; she was looking forward to working with him. He however, had formed an idea that she ignored him at one point in their lives, and refused to speak to her during the production (he naturally never told her WHY he was cutting her).

Ricardo Cortez has a small, but pivotal part as Nancy's employer, Andrew Bonner. He manages to put just the right amount of the rake into his performance, making you did wonder exactly what was going on between him and Nancy.  Ms. Day was a long-time fan of Mr. Cortez, and asked that he be cast in the film (The Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez by Dan Van Neste). It is always a pleasure to see him, and he provides a memorable performance.

Ms. Day was also a fan of her other leading men - Brian Aherne and Gene Raymond.  Mr. Raymond has the smaller part; as the intended groom of the lethal Nancy, he serves as the audience's conduit to her story. Mr. Aherne is our narrator; it is he who tells Nancy's long, involved history. It is also worth noting that all three stories are told to us by him. The question becomes - should we believe him? Is he the victim of Nancy, or is she innocent of the his charges?

Laraine Day also had some talent as a dress designer.  She helped to create Nancy's wedding dress, and used a spun glass fabric which she discovered. (AFI Catalog) Her discovery is referenced in this lovely Press Kit from the William K Everson Collection at New York University. Before you read it, just know that there are a lot of spoilers included. 

Originally titled What Nancy Wanted, the screenplay was written by Norma Barzman. She heard the story of a woman who was accused of stealing a necklace as a small girl, which resulted in a life-long history of depression and kleptomania. It was that script which was purchased by Hume Cronyn.  When he sold it to RKO, they gave it to Sheridan Gibney, whose major  contribution was to set the middle section in England.  It took until 2014 for Ms. Barzman to finally was credited with writing the script (Los Angles Times, Eddie Muller extro). It probably didn't help that she was blacklisted for being a member of the Communist Party. 

In an interview, the credited screenwriter Sheridan Gibney, called Ms. Day’s performance “weird”. (Film Crazy: Interviews with Hollywood Legends by Patrick McGilligan). Regardless, Ms. Day got good reviews “Laraine Day gives what must be her most fascinating performance” ("Laraine Day Psychopath”. Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1947), and considered this her best role. The ending, which was to have been more oblique, was forced on them by the censors. And the film ended up being under-marketed because of the execution of an innocent man in the story. Some states (Massachusetts in particular) were leery of death-penalty error stories.

This is a remarkable film, that is only recently getting the attention that it deserves.  We'll leave you with an early scene, and the suggestion that you seek this one out: 

Olivia Marries a Doctor

This week, our movie is 1955's Not as a Stranger, wherein Olivia plays a superior OR nurse named Kristina Hedvigson, who falls in love with medical student Lucas Marsh (Robert Mitchum).  Marsh wants to be a doctor, and will do anything to get there, including marry Kristina (whom he does not love), in order to pay his way through medical school.  The big problem with Marsh, though, is not that he doesn't love Kristina - he doesn't love ANYONE.  He does love medicine, wants desperately to be an excellent doctor, but will not brook any kind of medical mistakes.  As a result, he is cold and unforgiving, with no patience for his colleagues.

Olivia's Kristina is a good woman. Somewhat unsophisticated, but an excellent nurse and a caring human being.  But she is plain.  It is interesting the way this is accomplished.  The blonde wig and very white makeup that Olivia wears makes her looked washed out. Her usual vibrancy is replaced by a ghostly, almost surreal invisibility; a symbol, perhaps, of the fact that Lucas never really sees her.  In this scene, the young doctors learn about the human spirit:
This movie is also chock-full of supporting performances by actors one doesn't always see in supporting roles.  Frank Sinatra, for example as Alfred Boone, another medical student who is just not up to Lucas' standards, but is a good, caring man, is just wonderful here.  His sympathetic nature radiates.  He is the perfect foil to Mitchum's uptight perfectionist.  Broderick Crawford, as one the medical school's key instructors and Charles Bickford, as the doctor who gives Lucas his first job, are also excellent, again providing a glimpse of the humanity that is necessary to a successful medical career.  Bickford especially shows us medicine as a caring profession; he knows every one of his patients, and treats them with understanding and love.

Finally, there is our only other major female role, the always fascinating Gloria Grahame as Harriet Lang, a wealthy widow who is looking for excitement. And of course, the rather studdily Mitchum is quickly within her sights.

A big thumbs up for this so often overlooked movie. If you've never seen it, by all means, give it a try.

Next week, we again venture west.