Noir-vember: He Ran All The Way (1951)

Based upon a novel of the same name, written by Sam Ross, He Ran All The Way is a very enjoyable and brisk noir that should appeal to those who have enjoyed the similar, and better-known, (The) Desperate Hours (released later, 1955, and remade in 1990). This is the kind of noir that maintains a decent bit of grit, but also has you hoping for some turn in the third act that might allow some of the characters to change their apparent fate.

John Garfield plays Nick Robey, a young man who takes part in an armed robbery and shoots a policeman. Desperate to evade the authorities, Nick ends up ducking into a busy swimming pool, where he meets Peg Dobbs (Shelley Winters). There's a bit of a connection, but only while Nick needs to stay hidden in the crowd. Once out of the pool, however, Nick gets the idea to escort Peg home, aiming to lay low there a while until the heat dies down. That gets a bit trickier when Peg's parents (played by Wallace Ford and Selena Royle) enter the home. They also have another young boy in tow (Tommy, played by Robert Hyatt). It's not long until everyone figures out just what Nick is up to, but maybe Peg won't mind the opportunity to help a man she sees to have taken a liking to.

Adapted into screenplay form by Hugo Butler and Guy Endore (although the bulk of the work was done initially by an uncredited Dalton Trumbo), He Ran All The Way doesn't waste much of the relatively short 77-minute runtime. We see Nick getting himself into seriously hot water and the rest of the film shows us his attempt to get out of that situation. Sometimes he looks unwilling to harm people he has just met, sometimes he looks ready to dispose of anyone he even suspects of getting between him and his pending freedom.

Garfield is suitably on edge for most of the runtime, initially sympathetic, but soon hardening as he feels the world closing in around him. Winters is wonderful in her role, soft and naive and loving without ever seeming like a world-class dope. Both Ford and Royle do well in their supporting roles, as does Hyatt, and together they represent a very typical family unit that you don't want to see kept in a dangerous situation any longer than necessary.

I've not seen any of the other films directed by John Berry, and no other titles immediately jump out at me, but his handling of this material makes me think I could do a lot worse than check out more of his output from the 1940s and 1950s (aka his most prolific period). If there's anything else like this gem in the mix then I'll be a happy viewer.

7/10

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Whirlpool (1950)

If you ever find yourself in the world of film noir then you should be wary of doctors/therapists who take an interest in you while you are not an official patient on their books. You should also be wary of José Ferrer. I knew that Whirlpool would be a film in which Gene Tierney found herself in trouble when she ended up in conversation with a therapist played by José Ferrer.

Tierney plays Ann Sutton, a woman who is married to one Dr. William Sutton (Richard Conte). Although all appears well on the surface, Ann has at least one big problem. She’s a kleptomaniac, which viewers are shown in the very first scenes of the movie. While in trouble with store detectives and management, Ann ends up spared further embarrassment by David Korvo (Ferrer). Korvo recognises the ailment, and offers to help Ann with his hypnotherapy. Before you know it there’s a dead body, Ann as a main suspect, and Korvo evading suspicion with what seems to be a cast-iron alibi. 

Based on an original work by Guy Endore, Whirlpool is your typical bit of hokum that uses hypnosis as a central plot point for some twists and tension. The script, written by Ben Hecht (prolific and brilliant) and Andrew Solt (less prolific, but with a couple of greats in his catalogue of work), is easier to digest thanks to the perfectly-judged tone and the performances of the leads.

Director Otto Preminger may have a number of superior films to his credit (including at least one featuring one of the cast members featured here), but that doesn’t make this unworthy of your time. It’s wonderfully entertaining throughout, and some of the conversations are both beautifully written and impeccably delivered.

If I ever see Tierney give a performance that I don’t love them I advise people to check that I am still alive. She is one of my favourite stars of yesteryear, and this is another winning turn from her, moving between moments of confidence and moments of paralyzing neuroses and fear. Ferrer is an absolute charmer for most of the runtime, nice enough to make you think he is a villain while also nice enough to make you think he might just be nice. His line delivery, especially during his first extended conversation with Tierney, is like music to my ears, and I periodically chastise myself when I remember that I haven’t seen enough of his movie performances from this period. Conte plays his part as expected, Charles Bickford is perfectly fine as the sympathetic, slightly bemused, individual investigating the murder, and Barbara O’Neil does well enough as a woman who may be pivotal to revealing the murderous face being hidden behind a mask of civility.

It’s a bit silly, and maybe a bit too lightweight for those wanting their noir more gritty and dark, but Whirlpool is also just great entertainment. It’s a star vehicle, and anyone who appreciates the talents of the leads will find plenty to enjoy here. I know I did.

7/10

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The Curse Of The Werewolf (1961)

The Curse Of The Werewolf is, surprisingly, the only werewolf movie that Hammer ever made. You might be about to argue with me on that point, but I assure you it is so. The Beast Must Die was an Amicus release and Legend Of The Werewolf was from Tyburn Film Productions Limited. Nope, I can't remember hearing of them either, but they existed long enough to release a few movies in the 1970s (and some TV stuff in the 1980s). Now that I have digressed, let's get back to discussing the only werewolf movie that Hammer ever made.

Directed by Terence Fisher, and written by Anthony Hinds (based on a novel by Guy Endor), this is a tale that begins with the mistreatment of a beggar (Richard Wordsworth). The mistreatment of the beggar leads to the mistreatment of a young woman (Yvonne Romain) and the mistreatment of the young woman leads to the birth of a child, Leon (played by Justin Walters). Leon is looked after by kindly guardians (Clifford Evans and Hira Talfrey), even when it becomes apparent that he has some dangerous nocturnal habits.
Fast forward a decade or so and Leon (now played by Oliver Reed) is setting out to make his way in the world. His inner beast seems to be soothed and all is well. Sadly, it may not be a permanent respite for the young man, especially with new experiences to try that will appeal to his baser urges.

Set in some Hammer universe idea of Spain, this isn't up there with the best examples of cinematic lycanthropy, but it's a decent, handsomely assembled piece of work. The opening section is a lot of fun in the typical Hammer mold - the inn full of unhappy locals, the nasty marques (Anthony Dawson), the lust and bloodshed - but then the movie dips slightly while showing moments in the life of young Leon. Thankfully, the appearance of Oliver Reed signals a return to better form as his charm and brooding good looks are put to great use. Reed is joined onscreen by a cast that includes Warren Mitchell as a watchman who once, unwittingly, shot Leon, Michael Ripper as a drunkard, Ewen Solon as Leon's employer, Martin Matthews as a buddy and Catherine Feller as a woman that Leon falls for. Mitchell and Ripper are both great, the rest do what's asked of them, but not much more.

The script by Hinds is a bit flat, as is the direction from Fisher, but all is saved by the wonderful third act, featuring a number of scenes allowing Reed to really gain sympathy even after viewers have seen the hairy incarnation of him covered in make up based on the classic look created for The Wolf Man by Jack P. Pierce.

It's certainly worth seeing if you're a fan of werewolf movies and, of course, if you're a fan of Hammer horrors, but it's more interesting than actually impressive. I have a soft spot for it (I saw it on TV when I was very young thanks to a babysitter who let me stay up late), and I'm sure that many others feel the same way, but I don't know how anyone would react if coming to view it for the first time in adulthood. Give it a watch sometime and find out. Then you can let me know.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Curse-Werewolf---DVD--Exclusive-Limited-Steelbook/dp/B0067LXQA2/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1365138134&sr=1-2&keywords=the+curse+of+the+werewolf