By David in TN
Friday, March 22, 2019 at 12:06:00 AM EDT
TCM’s Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at Midnight ET (and 10 a.m. ET Sunday Morning) is Lady in the Lake (1947) starring Robert Montgomery as Raymond Chandler's creation, Philip Marlowe. Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Leon Ames and Jayne Meadows co-star.
Montgomery directs in what Film Noir Guide calls “this slow-moving and hard to follow mystery. He’s hired by a magazine editor (Trotter) 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 Trotter.
The film is best known for Montgomery having the viewer see the film through his eyes, which not everybody likes. Trotter is good as the femme fatale, as is Nolan as the tough cop.
Robert Montgomery was one of Hollywood’s leading anti-communists. Let’s see if Eddie Muller mentions this.
TCM's Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at Midnight ET (and 10 am ET Sunday Morning) is Border Incident (1949). Anthony Mann directs with Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Charles McGraw, and Howard da Silva.
ReplyDeleteMurphy is an American immigration official and Montalban is a Mexican law enforcement agent who go undercover to break up an illegal alien smuggling ring headed by a crooked farmer (da Silva). McGraw is the main henchman and gives one of his Bad Guy characterizations.
Film Noir Guide: "This is an extremely violent and fast-paced film noir. The thrilling climax takes place appropriately enough, in the 'Canyon of Death.'
I wonder how Eddie Muller will play this one. Last week he praised Robert Montgomery ( a leading anti-communist) for breaking up the Chicago mob's attempt to take over Hollywood in the late 30's when Montgomery headed the Screen Actor's Guild.