Ann Todd, & Ray Milland as Olivia & Mark

I managed to see a sleeper a few days ago, “So Evil My Love,” (1948); it was one of those rare times I was actually able to sit down and watch a movie without interruptions. So glad I got to see this one, it’s available on DVD, but Amazon just has two available as of this writing. It’s a story of a missionary widow (Ann Todd) who falls for a con-man (Ray Milland) who turns the pious woman into a cold blooded murderer.  The story opens with the missionary, Olivia Harwood on a ship one stormy night headed to England. Olivia had been serving in the West Indies along with her husband who passed away while serving.  Aboard the ship are a few suffering from Malaria and Olivia is recruited to help with the infirmed in the lower deck. It is there she meets the suave and handsome Mark Ellis (Milland). Mark isn’t very open about his past, vague in fact, but that does not stop Olivia from becoming friendly with him. He manages to persuade her to let him live in a lodging home she inherited from her husband.  Mark is a worldly man, he’s been around, and done some things. His criminal past has taught him many things. He sees Olivia as easy prey.  She’s simple, plain, shy, & in much need of a man’s love and he knows just what to do to seduce her. He uses his charm, tells her all the pretty things she needs to hear and finally has her under his spell.  But the cad does not stop at that, he also uses his charm on the worldlier, and well, trashy Kitty (Moira Lister). But Olivia thinks Mark just loves her and no one else. Why are some women so damn gullible?

Mark gets in touch with a partner in crime and they plan a daring art heist. The heist fails, and Mark narrowly escapes death. You kinda wish he hadn’t  :/ .  Desperate, he plans to leave London in search of money.  But Olivia will not have it and is willing to keep her man no matter what. At this moment you see Olivia compromising all for the sake of a man. She decides to eat humble pie and borrow money from a wealthy friend she had not seen for a long time. She gets in touch with her wealthy friend, Susan (Geraldine Fitzgerald) who is now having problems in her marriage, & is on a verge of mental breakdown. Susan had at one time, in confidence, written some letters to Olivia containing descriptions of her romantic dalliances and questionable moral conduct. Unfortunately for Susan, Olivia kept those letters, and Mark will use them to blackmail her.  At first Olivia is sickened about the plan of blackmailing her one friend. But when threatened with abandonment, she acquiesces. It is here we see the “Jekyll & Hyde,” effect. The wholesome, pious woman becomes dark, calculating, and cold…and all for a man.

Olivia in the "Jekyll & Hyde" effect

Olivia sets the blackmail wheels in motion in Susan’s home. With each passing victory, she becomes “confident,” and feels powerful for the first time in her life. She tells Mark how exciting it all felt to have power over others. She enjoyed every moment of it. No remorse, regret, or turning back. But what she does not know is that Susan’s husband, Henry, (Raymond Huntley) is many steps ahead of her game.  Mark is glad that Olivia has become like she has, the plan is better than he thought. Olivia eventually realizes that Mark is not who he says he is, and she means nothing to him; she is however, Mark’s useful idiot. Mark will pay the ultimate price and will learn that he taught his student well…too well.

I loved this movie! The film set in the Victorian era and shot in film noir style is a thriller, and has a jaw dropping ending that will stay with you for a good while. The story loosely based on a true story, is dark and captivating. Ann Todd as the missionary turned blackmailer, and murderer is convincing, and spine tingling! Watching Milland play a cad, stop-at-nothing, greedy, wannabe artist, & thief was a little hard for me. I’ve seen Milland play more romantic type roles, but he was able to turn that switch off for a while in this role and very effectively.  Fitzgerald as the frail, deer-in-headlights, stifled wife was a typical role for Fitzgerald. She captured the tortured life of a woman who turned to alcohol to drown out her “poor, little rich girl” existence. A must see!

Don Ameche & Claudette Corbert

Recently, I was able to catch a movie I had never seen. Imagine that, and I thought, I had about seen every classic movie under the sun! Not I know I have thousands more to see before I walk through the pearly gates. Sleep, my Love, (1948) with Claudette Corbert, Don Ameche, Robert Cummings, and Hazel Brooks, is one psychological thriller you will not want to miss.

Just think “Gaslight,” with Ingrid Bergman, & Charles Boyer, and you’ll get the gist of the plot. The movie opens with a speeding train and wealthy, Sutton Place resident, Alison Courtland (Claudette Colbert) wakes up in the middle of the night on the speeding train, but has no idea how she got there. Alison lives in Sutton Place, an exclusive area of NYC, how did she end up in Boston, on a train? She panics and begins to scream. A doctor attends to her and convinces her she has just had a nightmare and all will be alright. Alison finds a gun in her purse but has no idea how that got there. After she is treated, she meets a fast talking elderly woman who accompanies her to the airport where she will board a plane back home. We later find out that this woman is all part of a big plot conceived by her cad husband, to make poor Alison think she has lost her mind.

Alison’s husband, Richard, played by Don Ameche, has a honey, Daphne, played by Hazel Brooks, who is increasingly growing impatient with the clandestine meetings. I mean, Emerald bracelets, and diamonds can buy a man but so much time. She wants it all: “the house, life, clothes, cocktail parties, & the man.” Richard assembles a couple of low lives to help him get rid of his wife, Charles Verney and his wife. Verney is a struggling photographer who is looking to make a fast buck. He trains Richard in the use of drugs and hypnosis. Richard begins to drug his wife almost every night, and using hypnosis to make her kill herself, so he can live happily ever after with his floozy girl, Daphne in Sutton place. As Daphne pushes Richard to get it done, he gets sloppy and his plot is foiled by a wannabe sleuth, Robert Cummings, who is now falling for the victim, Alison.

Hazel Brooks "the" Femme Fatal

For those of you who love a mystery, you may get annoyed because we are made aware of the plot early on. But the movie’s mood will keep you glued because we want to know what happens to the scoundrels whom have contrived the creative plot. And boy, do you really want the cad husband to get his. Along the way we are treated to some intense scenes, the speeding train, and a hold your breath balcony moment. The house on Sutton Place is wonderfully moody with it’s ominous spiral staircase that appear to go on forever. The use of shadows in the house gives you a feel of the evil lurking in the grand house.

My only issues with the movie are, Ameche as the cad husband was very weak. Raymond Burr appears about two times in the film as a glum, imposing, but clueless, detective. I couldn’t help thinking, that Burr should have played the husband, and Ameche the detective. Claudette Corbert as the clueless, and doting wife, was good, but somehow not convincing. Hazel Brooks as the floozy, icy, but sizzling femme fatal was excellent! However, when Daphne opened her mouth with that thick Bronx accent, I couldn’t help thinking what a fiasco it would’ve been had she gotten her way. Maybe this would’ve been the ultimate revenge for Alison.

Ethel becomes acquainted with the dress company’s accountant, Martin Blackford played by, Kent Smith. Martin is an unassuming, quiet man who no doubt was shocked that a beautiful woman such as Ethel would give him a second glance. I get the impression that Ethel thought the accountant made lots of money, and invites him for dinner at the gambling joint she frequents with her, ahem, clients. Much to her surprise, the accountant is broke, and openly tells her so when Ethel orders her very expensive dinner. But not to worry, Martin is introduced to Grady, the gambling joint’s owner, who needs some financial advice. Martin offers his expertise and is immediately offered a well paying job at Grady’s. Martin wins the affection and respect of Grady who now refers him to the big hancho of the operation, George Castleman, played superbly by David Brian. Martin and Ethel set out to meet Castleman, and it is this night that will seal their fate. In this meeting, Castleman reveals the real nature of the business. The business is involved in criminal activity, and they need someone who can handle the financial end of it. You know hide the money from Uncle Sam, etc. Martin isn’t happy with this, but money hungry Ethel, convinces him to forget that and and grab the opportunity by the throat. At this point, Martin would do anything for the fem fatale, and he did.

Ethel throws Martin under the bus, and begins a love affair with Castleman. She becomes a “kept” woman. But even this doesn’t bother her. She learns manners, diction, and all the genteel ways while in Paris for a year. But inside Ethel was still the uneducated, poor girl who just wanted a piece of the pie no matter the cost. She lived a fantasy for a while until Castleman asks her to spy on one of his representatives in the West coast, Nick Prenta, played by hottie, Steve Cochran. Ethel realizes that married Castleman doesn’t really love her. Why do women fall for this? She feels dirty and used but does whatever Castleman asks. After all, Castleman is her meal ticket. She’ll never go back to being poor. Ethel spies on Nick, but ends up falling in love with him, and  doesn’t provide information for Castleman. But Castleman is on to Ethel, and beats her, and makes her lure her lover to her home so that he can wipe him out. Ethel does, and Nick is killed.

Ethel decides to run back home to her poor parents. She needs to feel grounded again, and so returns to her roots. She knows she is next on Castleman’s list and so she waits. It is Martin, who warns her of Castleman’s intention and even after being dissed by Ethel, wants to save her life. They plan an escape, but Castleman arrives before they do. What ensues is the only way Ethel will realize the error of her ways.

The movie warns us of the “grass is greener,” syndrome. Yes, Ethel was unhappy, and maybe she should have left her husband, but not all that glitters is gold. Many seek happiness in all the wrong places, and Ethel surely did. Sometimes happiness has nothing to do with money.

I’ve met many a fem fatales in film noir, but I think I met the absolute worst one on record. The film noir is titled,  “Too Late for Tears,” (1949). Lizabeth Scott and Arthur Kennedy play Jane and Alan Palmer a middle class couple who don’t make much money, just enough money to “get by.” As Jane put it, they are not exactly “poor,” but they are, “white collar poor.” The movie starts with the couple driving to a cocktail party, a party that Jane did not want to really attend. It appeared to me that she was envisioning the “haves” that would attend the party, and the vision was driving the little “have not,” out of her mind. The green monster was gnawing at her, like a hungry wolf who hadn’t eaten for days. But not all is bad, Jane was going to hit it, and hit it big. As they are driving, a bag is thrown into the back of their convertible car. They stop to check it out, and when they open the bag, it is full of money, dough, lots of it. Jane’s eyes look like a child who had just been given the best Christmas present ever. A chase ensues with the person who should have gotten the money. Eventually they escape and arrive at their apartment.

Alan wants to return the money, but Jane won’t have it. She convinces him that it’s not stealing if they don’t come for it. It is the only chance they’ve got to really have money. She expresses her disgust with budgeting, and buying things on time. He relents and puts the stash in a locker at Union Station. The plan is, if no one reports the money missing, it is theirs and they live high on the hog. Although the money is away, Jane goes on a shopping spree. She buys expensive clothes, shoes, and fur coat. However, Jane’s luck is quickly running out.

The guy involved in the erred transaction, Danny Fuller (Don DeFore) shows up at the couple’s apartment. He first plays it off like he’s a detective, but soon reveals who he really is. But Danny doesn’t know Jane’s manipulative ways. And manipulates she does. Alan finds out about her shopping sprees and discovers that his wife has become another person, a person he doesn’t recognize. He demands the money be returned. Jane goes into a panic and along with Danny plots to kill her husband. And here is why I think she is the worst fem fatale, she goes on a date with Alan, but it will be Alan’s last date because she will kill him. She doesn’t get a hit man, or anything like that, she herself will kill him. What mattered most to Jane was the money and no one or anything was going to get in her way.

For a while she gets away with murder and continues to manipulate Danny Fuller until he gets hip to her ways, and even becomes afraid of her. Not even Danny can escape this woman’s grip. Unbeknownst to Jane, someone from her past is on to her, and he’s come to collect on a debt. This stranger will ultimately end her murderous ways.

Jane was the best and worst fem-fatale I’ve come across. I say best because at a time when women were to be seen, but never heard, and they did anything and everything for their man, Jane used the typical stereotypes of being weak and half-witted to her advantage. Worst because she became so consumed with money that she’d do anything to keep it. After killing two people, she struts down to Mexico and makes a new life for herself as if nothing ever happened. Jane in my book is the coldest, and most manipulative, fem-fatale ever—a sociopath and she got what she deserved.

]]> http://www.classicmoviegab.com/2009/11/the-worst-fem-fatale-on-record/feed/ 3 http://www.classicmoviegab.com/2009/08/classic-movie-the-long-night-1947/ http://www.classicmoviegab.com/2009/08/classic-movie-the-long-night-1947/#comments Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:06:43 +0000 Bacall http://www.classicmoviegab.com/?p=910 Turner Classic Movies kicks off its “Summer under the Stars” tonight starting at 8:00 PM. And what a way to start, tonight’s movie star is none other than Henry Fonda. TCM’s Summer… is when movie stars have their very own day to show their stuff. A whole 24 hours of one particular star each day in August.

Tonight we will see gems like, “Grapes of Wrath,”  “The Farmer takes a Wife,” “Jezebel,” “The Male Animals,” and more. One that sticks out to me is one I’ve never seen, “The Long Night,” (1947). “The Long Night,” is a post-war film noir. It’s a rarely seen gem. It combines all the ingredients for an ominous story, those being murder, jealously, and seduction.  At its release this film was known for its visual style. Director Antole Litvak used atmosphere and mood to set the stage. Although shot entirely indoors, the exterior scenes of streets, factories, and gas stations appear as if they were real, and at the time, that was a feat.  No rear projections or painted backdrops in this film. Instead, the production designer, Eugne Louri used a method called “forced prospective.” This is when parts of scenery are built on a smaller scale thus tricking the eye into seeing the illusion of space and depth.  So to the audience, the streets, buildings, and gas stations look real.

Look out for Vincent Price as the scoundrel of the story, and pretty Ann Dvorak as the villain’s assistant, turned defector. I look forward to seeing this gem if only to see Eugne Louri’s “poetic reality.”

Farmer’s film debut was in 1936 in “Too Many Parents,” during the next six years she appeared in 18 films, three Broadway plays, thirty major radio shows and seven stock company productions – all by the age of 27. I can’t say I’ve ever seen her in any movies, but she rose to stardom back in the 30’s, in fact, she was coined “The new Greta Garbo,” but quickly spiraled down into a life of alcoholism, arrests, and confinement in a mental institution.

The story goes that it was her mother that was actually crazy and caused a lot of Farmer’s troubles. While Farmer’s professional career was in the upswing, her personal life was going down the tubes and fast. She had a number of failed relationships, one being with Lief Erickson, she became addicted to alcohol and amphetamines. This combination made her volatile and difficult. In 1943 she got into a fight and was arrested. The next day she was placed into the custody of psychiatrist Thomas H. Leonard. Farmer refused to cooperate with the shrink, and he soon diagnosed her as “suffering from manic-depressive psychosis-probably the forerunner of a definite dementia praecox.” She was transferred to the screen actor’s sanitarium in La Cresenta.

For the next seven years, Farmer would experience the darkest and primitive, by today’s standards, psychiatric treatment and abuse. She underwent a series of violent shock treatments, insulin shock treatments, and hydrotherapy, all intended to strip her of her dignity and talent. It has been said that she even underwent a lobotomy, but that is still questionable, or debated. She was repeatedly raped; she was also used as an experimental subject for drugs.

The dark era of bedlam was far from over in the 30’s and 40’s as we can see from this classic movie star’s experience. I have to think that if in fact she suffered a mental breakdown of some kind, and meds like we have today were available, she would’ve been ok. She was no different than the Brittney Spears, and Lindsey Lohan of today. In high school, Frances wrote a controversial poem titled, “God Dies,” and in fact, she won $100 in a contest for it. I’ve read it, many atheists think she was denouncing God, I saw it more like a kid mad a God, and not really understanding the ebb and flow of life. Sadly, this experience may have completely crushed any faith left inside her.

Frances Farmer died of cancer at the age of 57, destitute, and broken hearted.

Film History Snippet: Film noir developed during and after World War II. After the war, an ambiance of anxiety, paranoia, suspicion, lingered in society. Soldiers, businessmen, factory workers, housewives were disillusioned. Film Noir reflected these tensions and insecurities of post-war America.

Fear, mistrust, bleakness, despair, and loss of innocence are quite evident in noir–reflecting the Cold War period when people were so afraid of being nuked. This is when people built bomb shelters on their property. So when you see a bad guy in a dark and smoky alley plotting the murder of a femme fatal, it is all metaphors of the day’s fears and insecurities.

I hope you enjoy the spoof.

Film History Snippet: Film noir developed during and after World War II. After the war an ambience of anxiety, paranoia, suspicion, lingered in society. Soldiers, businessmen, factory workers, housewives were disillusioned. Film Noir reflected these tensions and insecurities of post-war America.

Fear, mistrust, bleakness, despair, and loss of innocence are quite evident in noir–reflecting the Cold War period when people were so afraid of being nuked. This is when people built bomb shelters on their property. So when you see a bad guy in a dark and smoky room plotting the murder of a femme fatal it is all metaphors of the day’s fears and insecurities.

Click here to see a film noir spoof. I tried to upload it to my blog, but as you know blogger is so random when it comes to uploading photos and video.

Film Noir Must See: STARLET STREET (1945), DETOUR (1945), THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS (1946), WHISTLE STOP (1946), HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1948), TRAPPED (1949), IMPACT (1949), D.O.A. (1950), QUICKSAND (1950), and THE HITCH-HIKER (1953).

All of the above are some of the best film noir. You can get all of these in a 5 piece DVD Set for only $17.99! The Ultimate Film Noir Collection is now available for you film noir fans.

Here is a youtube parody of the classic film noir Double Indemnity. I wanted to make you hopeless “glued to the tube” movie buffs laugh this Friday!  “I think you’re swell… so long as I’m not your husband.” Remember this line? How can you not? Out of all the classic film noirs I love, I have to say that Double Indemnity is my absolute favorite.

Anytime someone mentions Film Noir, I immediately think of this movie. The story line is basically like this: nice insurance guy Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray ) trying to make a sale on a nice afternoon, knocks on the door of a sultry Phyllis Dietrichson—superbly played by Barbara Stynwyck. Walter’s fate was sealed.

The performances of the three main characters, Neff the sales guy, Phyllis the “desperate housewife,” and Barton Keyes as the fastidious investigator played by Edward G. Robinson are mesmerizing. Although Edward G’s role was supposedly a minor role, he stood out. How could Edward G. be in the background? He couldn’t even if he tried.

Fred MacMurray plays this role to his level best. Although you may be used to seeing him in nicer roles, he managed to play a shady dude to the max. When Walter Neff meets Phyllis he loses himself. She flirts, he flirts even more. Phyllis was a woman ahead of her day. She is openly flirtatious and lets Walter in to her world. But there is more to Phyllis than meets the eye. She may look sweet on the outside, but she is rotten to the core.

Phyllis tells Walter how miserable her life is with her old, grouchy, husband. And beats around the bush about having her husband die preferably by murder! Walter wants to run, but sultry Phyllis is on his mind, and he can’t let go of her spell. He meets her husband and realizes what a cheap, grumpy man he is. He justifies the man’s death in his mind. He wants Phyllis, and her husband is mean, what to do? The lovers plot to kill him and collect on a double indemnity life insurance. If you love film noir you got to see this one! Enjoy the video.