Synopsis: A murder suspect falls for the neighbour who gives him an alibi
Director: Nicholas Ray
Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy
Date: 1950
How viewed: films.org
Rating: 2/5
David Meyer says:
Bogart underplays to perfection, and his rages spring to the surface with a terrifying and entirely believable energy. Grahame seems completely insane.
I say:
This is another film that doesn't quite hit the mark. It's not suspenseful enough to be a murder mystery, it scratches the surface of the pressures of the film-business, and the love story is actually about a controlling violent relationship. So, Humphrey Bogart is a well-respected screen-writer (probably with writer's block) who becomes a suspect in a murder, but (possibly) is alibied by his blonde neighbour (Grahame). He becomes obsessed with her, she is interested, they fall in love, and everything is hunky-dory for a while (he writes, she makes breakfast) but then his violent side emerges as soon as anything negative happens. The police and her masseuse still have suspicions about his guilt and sow seeds of doubt in Laura's mind. She begins to see the light and tries to get away. Bogart is Bogart, Grahame is cool, his agent and best friend actor are the comic turns, and while things are going well, there's lots of banter - but overall it's a rather unpleasant film (particularly viewed from this day and age of equality). PS the book (by Dorothy Hughes) on which the film is based, is supposed to be rather good, and very different from the film!! PPS don't really understand that statement by David Meyer that Grahame seems completely insane - I didn't think she was at all!
Bogart underplays to perfection, and his rages spring to the surface with a terrifying and entirely believable energy. Grahame seems completely insane.
I say:
This is another film that doesn't quite hit the mark. It's not suspenseful enough to be a murder mystery, it scratches the surface of the pressures of the film-business, and the love story is actually about a controlling violent relationship. So, Humphrey Bogart is a well-respected screen-writer (probably with writer's block) who becomes a suspect in a murder, but (possibly) is alibied by his blonde neighbour (Grahame). He becomes obsessed with her, she is interested, they fall in love, and everything is hunky-dory for a while (he writes, she makes breakfast) but then his violent side emerges as soon as anything negative happens. The police and her masseuse still have suspicions about his guilt and sow seeds of doubt in Laura's mind. She begins to see the light and tries to get away. Bogart is Bogart, Grahame is cool, his agent and best friend actor are the comic turns, and while things are going well, there's lots of banter - but overall it's a rather unpleasant film (particularly viewed from this day and age of equality). PS the book (by Dorothy Hughes) on which the film is based, is supposed to be rather good, and very different from the film!! PPS don't really understand that statement by David Meyer that Grahame seems completely insane - I didn't think she was at all!
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