reviewvancouver: Pacific Cinémathèque: Double Indemnity

Act of Violence
Directed by Fred Zimmerman

Reviewer Anita York

Two very close friends are both captured by the Nazis and living in a POW camp during WWII. One returns a hero -- Capt. Frank Enley (Van Heflin). The other, bombardier Joe Parkson (Robert Ryan), is betrayed by his commanding officer, the same Capt. Enly and has been left to die.

Years later during a peaceful weekend fishing trip, Enley learns that a mysterious, crippled-leg stranger, Joe Parkson, is looking for him. Enly is petrified. Has his sordid past returned to seek retribution?

Van Heflin does a tremendous job of portraying the successful businessman, living in a nice small town with his loving wife and son, but who is secretly a guilt- ridden man living with a lie.

Robert Ryan is outstandingly sinister with his crippled gait, and cold, calculating and revengeful demeanour as the mysterious stranger from Frank’s past.

Janet Leigh gracefully portrays Edith Enley, the young, pretty, devoted and forgiving wife trying to hold Frank and their lives together.

Under the brilliant direction of Fred Zimmerman plus the enhancing music scores, poignant use of black and white, and unexpected tragic ending, this Film Noir is a definite must see.

The Killing
Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Reviewer Anita York

Ex-convict Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) has crafted a fool-proof plan: to hold-up a racetrack cash office of two million dollars during the feature race. This intricate scheme involves hiring a crew. The insecure, anxious and unstable George Peatty (Elisha Cook Jr.), the betting window teller, unlocks the back door for Johnny.

The sharp-shooting sniper Nikki Arcane (Timothy Carey) shoots the favourite horse during the feature race, thus, creating the first diversion. The Bartender Joe Sawyer (Mike O’Reilly) and wrestler Maurice Oboukoff (Kola Kwariani) start a brawl in the racetrack’s bar - another distraction. During the ensuing bedlam, Johnny removes two million dollars from the cash office.

Meanwhile George’s wife; the money hungry, double crossing, two-timing hussy, Sharon Peatty (Marie Windsor) squeezes George for the plans of the upcoming heist; then blabs the plan to her younger boyfriend Val Cannon (Vince Edwards). Together they derive a scheme of their own.

This motley crew of unusual characters is brilliantly directed by Stanley Kubrick. His manipulation of black and white film to render the ever changing moods of his characters is quite extraordinary. This Film Noir presentation, and the surprising plot twist ending, will definitely keep you intrigued until the credits roll.

This Gun for Hire
Directed by Frank Tuttle

Reviewer Anita York

Philip Raven (Alan Ladd) a cold blooded hit-man has been hired by Willard Gates (Laird Cregar) to kill a blackmailing chemist and acquire a deadly formula. But Gates has paid him with "hot" ten dollar bills.

Gates has also involved the police, headed by Lt. Michael Crane (Robert Preston), with a bogus claim. His boss’s pharmaceutical company paymaster has been robbed of marked ten dollar bills.

Inadvertently, Raven meets the alluringly beautiful Ellen Graham (Veronika Lake) on the train. Unknown to Raven, Ellen is working undercover (for the Senate Committee) and is also on the same trail to unveil the culprits who have the stolen formula.

Laird Cregar’s portrayal of the tactless, over-sized, snivelling coward, Willard Gates is stupendous. This is a character you can really love to hate.

Alvin Brewster (Tully Marshall) does a hilarious portrayal as the crotchety, cantankerous, mastermind, behind the plot to obtain the deadly formula and implicate Raven.

The young Alan Ladd and the demure Veronika Lake are brilliantly matched in this fast moving, stirring, crime thriller. This film’s twisting plot and intriguing characters will most definitely keep you captivated until the very end.

Lady in the Lake
Directed by Robert Montgomery

Reviewer Anita York

Kingsby Publishing’s editor, Adrienne Tromslett (Audrey Trotter) has called in Philip Marlowe (Robert Montgomery) to discuss his Private Investigator stories for Kingsby’s Murder Magazine. But in reality, Miss Tromslett has an ulterior motive in mind for the renowned P.I. She wants to hire him to find the publishing company’s owner Derace Kingsby’s missing wife, for her own personal reasons.

Lady in the Lake was Robert Montgomery’s directing debut, in which he employs a new, unusual yet interesting technique; the use of the camera lens and mirror images to depict his Philip Marlowe character.

Audrey Trotter was certainly presented with a performing challenge in this film; conversing with, kissing, making love and acting genuinely sexy with her leading man (a camera lens). Nevertheless she achieved the feat beautifully, as her portrayal of the hard core business woman who falls soft under the spell of the tough shelled character Philip Marlowe.

Although Robert Montgomery’s directing technique was quite intriguing. The plot was too slow unwinding and the climax presents itself in a flurried array of character introductions and twists. This film regrettably fell short of carrying the panache of a good spellbinding murder mystery.

Double Indemnity
Directed by Billy Wilder

Reviewer Anita York

Walter Nuff (Fred Mac Murray) stumbles to the elevator and drags himself into his boss’s office then turns on the tape recorder; a murder mystery has started to unravel.

Walter Nuff, an insurance salesman, is called into the home of Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) to renew her husband’s car insurance, but Mr. Dietrichson is not home. The suave smooth talking Nuff instantly becomes intrigued by the cool and composed Phyllis.

Nuff is soon drawn into a scheme with Phyllis to murder her husband and collect on the insurance.money. A simple car insurance renewal has developed into a murderous Double Indemnity Life Insurance scam.

First they trick Phyllis’s husband into unwittingly signing a Double Indemnity Life Insurance policy instead of the original Car Insurance papers. Next, the death of her husband had to look like an accident to collect on the double indemnity clause. A plan is set in motion and seems to have gone off without a hitch, but the getaway car won’t start….

Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) Nuff’s boss and Chief Insurance Investigator thinks there is something fishy about the Deitrichson Double Indemnity Claim and starts to dig. At first he thinks the husband’s death is a suicide; but then deducts that it had to be murder. Keyes first suspects are the not so grieving widow Phyllis, and a possible accomplice.

Meanwhile, the grieving yet spiteful step-daughter Lola discloses to Nuff the real Phyllis Dietrichson. The plot has begun to thicken.

Billy Wilder’s choice of Fred Mac Murray to play the leading man in a dramatic role seemed improbable, but it nevertheless worked brilliantly.

Stanwyck´s incredibly unattractive and inappropriate blonde wig was distracting from the deceitful Phyllis Dietrichson character. However, she still managed the role as the devious Phyllis Deitrichson superbly.

Edward G. Robinson’s acting was as steadfast as an anchor, in his role as cigar smoking, straight from the hip Barton Keyes.