First of all, before I forget to mention this, The Locket is a film that I would love to see paired up with Marnie. Both films take a similar central idea, but they diverge to go on wildly different journeys. Or maybe they aren’t so wildly different. It has been far too long since I last watched Marnie. Either way, I would love to hear from anyone who either tries this double-bill or at least views the two films within fairly close proximity to one another. In fact, add Laura into the mix and you would be in for a very satisfying evening of entertainment with numerous connecting thematic strands.
Structured in a slightly convoluted way, showing flashbacks within flashbacks as we learn more and more about the main character, The Locket is all about a man (John Willis, played by Gene Raymond) who is all set to marry a lovely woman named Nancy (Laraine Day). Nothing can spoil the big day, but one Dr. Harry Blair (Brian Aherne) aims to do just that, forcing himself into the household to warn Willis against a huge mistake he is about to make. Harry knew Nancy for quite some time, and he knows that she has some big secrets hidden away in her past, including the way in which a past relationship (with an artist named Norman Clyde) played out.
Director John Brahm and writer Sheridan Gibney are both unfamiliar to me, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth knowing. Every day is a school day, right? That certainly applies here, especially after seeing what else these two people had a hand in crafting. Brahm has numerous films and a lot of TV work to his credit, but I am automatically inclined to like him most because of the dozen episodes he directed for The Twilight Zone. Gibney, rewriting something that was first developed into a screenplay by Norma Barzman, also seems to have some titles tucked away in their filmography that I will get to at some point, especially after enjoying this. There may not be a load of zippy dialogue, but the characters are sketched out nicely enough, and the flashbacks and shortcuts to various moments in time are effective at making viewers feel as bombarded and slightly disorientated as the character being told an entire life story in one go. It doesn’t all make sense, considering how various characters receive information, but things are so well put together that you don’t overthink anything until after the end credits roll.
Aherne and Raymond are both fine, the latter having barely any decent amount of screentime though, considering the way in which things are presented, and there’s a typically great turn from Robert Mitchum, as the artist who starts to see behind the perfect mask that Nancy wears, but it’s Day who shines the brightest, as you would expect. She is a near-constant bundle of carefree happiness, and often honest when confronted by people who decide to call out the worst aspect of her personality, and it’s a performance that keeps viewers onside, even as other characters suffer in her wake. It is also worth mentioning Sharyn Moffett, the young actress who does a very good job of portraying Nancy as a child.
Watching this after it was recommended to me, and recommended by someone who viewed it as a favourite underseen noir, I am happy that I found this so enjoyable. I didn’t love it, there’s nothing here that elevates it to a level of greatness, but I could see why someone would feel strongly enough about it to encourage others to seek it out. I will now do the same. Seek it out. You may well enjoy it even more than I did.
7/10
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