By David in TN
friday, december 19, 2025 at 6:19:00 p.m. est
TCM's Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at Mednight and 10 a.m. ET is Robert Montgomery's Lady in the Lake (1947) with Robert Montgomery (who also directed), Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Leon Ames and Jane Meadows.
Film Noir Guide: "Montgomery is Raymond Chandler's famous private eye, Philip Marlowe, in this slow-moving and hard-to-follow mystery. He's hired by a magazine editor (Totter) to find the missing wife of her boss (Ames). A woman's body is soon discovered in a country lake, and Montgomery finds himself mixed up with a shady cop (Nolan) and a mystery lady (Meadows)."
"Along the way, he suffers a few beatings, gets framed for drunk driving (twice) and, of course, falls in love with Totter. The film's biggest attraction is Montgomery's innovative use of the camera, allowing the viewer to see things through his eyes. But even that gets annoying, especialy with the excessive number of mirror shots, the only purpose for which seems to be to provide Montgomery with ample screen time."
"This strange film does have its good points, however--namely, Totter and Nolan as the tough, two-fisted cop. Meadows does a fine job of overacting. Although it's been said that Montgomery was the screen's closest counterpart to Chandler's fictional private investigator, Chandler himself did not appreciate Montgomery's portrayal, preferring instead Dick Powell's in Murder My Sweet."
N.S.: Pay no mind to the Crime Movie Guide. Its synopsis sounds like it was ghost-written by Red Eddie Muller, plus spelling errors and sperlers. I saw Lady in the Lake on The Late Show 50-odd years ago, and enjoyed it immensely. Of course, I always enjoy Bob Montgomery.
Seeing Lloyd Nolan reminded me that I saw him in a 1960 episode of "Bonanza" last week. I wasn't watching the start of it--I was reading something--but I heard his voice and recognized him immediately. Why? To me,quite often,he sounded like Howard Cosell. Not all the time,but enough.
ReplyDelete--GRA
Lloyd Nolan was a fine actor who was the original Captain Queeg in THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL on stage, before it became a movie. There's an episode of I SPY with him cast in a role that has a similar quality to it, and you can get a glimpse of how great he must have been in the original play. Seldom got the kind of parts he deserved.
Delete-RM
Thanks, NS- was going to say the same thing you did about the idiotic "Film Guide." "...slow-moving and hard-to-follow"? Critics always used to pan something when they were too dumb to follow the plot- used to happen a lot with sci-fi stories, which they couldn't "understand." "...annoying, especially with the excessive number of mirror shots..." Hello "Film Guide," the mirror shots (along with the introduction) were added because Louis B. Mayer (sometimes called Louis B. Manure by insiders at MGM) insisted that his well-paid star be visible on camera for a least a few moments of the picture.
ReplyDeleteIt's not perfect, but it's pretty damn audacious- an experimental film from the most stodgy and pretentious of the major studios! (And remember how Huston's RED BADGE OF COURAGE was butchered by the studio because old Louie thought it was too "arty"! "You want to make an art film, but you want people to starve for your art?")
Good thing Mayer wasn't around to see HEAVEN'S GATE!
-RM
What do the regulars think,of the overly promoted movie "Marty Supreme"? Clips of it are everywhere on tv. I've looked at the long trailer and the lead is as obnoxious a character as I can remember for years--maybe since Robin Williams or Sean Penn.
ReplyDeleteI understand the plot is about a Jewish table tennis player with,as Ralph Kramden would say,"a BIIIIIG mouth." He apparently beds Gweneth Paltrow,as part of his quest,to be the best ping pong guy in the world
If I was 25--or any age--no way would I spend money for this loud "comedy/drama".
--GRA
I hope it's not based on Paddy Chayefsky's MARTY! They were actually threatening to turn that into a Broadway musical some years ago, but fortunately it never transpired. You can imagine the Sondheim-esque duet: "What do ya wanna DO tonight, Mar-teeee..." "I dunno, wadda YOU wanna do tonight, ANGIEEEE..."
Delete-RM