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Friday, October 18, 2013

Raft On A Rampage!


GR Combs LA For Filmland Slayer in Nocturne (1946)

Lone cop George Raft is dealt off the force for questioning a settled suicide. Raft may not have lit personality fires, but was ideal for dogged investigating and occasional temper loss, his a lulling invite to half-sleep as we await expected outcome. A novelty here is George still living with Mom and briefing her as to progress over bacon/eggs. There's also suspicion's path leading to RKO stages where Sinbad The Sailor is being made, a highlight by itself worth the sit. Good talent was involved: producing Joan Harrison of Hitchcock association, scenarist Jonathan Latimer who'd later pen The Big Clock, and story basis the work of Rowland Brown, who had crime-written and directed himself. As in happiest aspect of noir, Nocturne gets onto streets of LA with Raft amongst civilians who don't recognize him for brief shots they share. Moody and dark-lit sets were an RKO signature, effective even if they were meant to conceal limit of spending (Nocturne's negative cost: $694K). Worldwide rentals of two million handed RKO one of its bigger profits of the year, basis for the firm to go on Raft-ing. His earlier turndowns of High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon was artistic blundering for sure, but George knew where money was (then how come him to die virtually broke?).

3 Comments:

Blogger Reg Hartt said...

Everyone should die broke. Then the people around our death bed are there for love of us not for love of the money they will get when we breathe our last.

In Guy Endore's KING OF PARIS on the last day of his life as the maid pulled off the trousers of Alexandre Dumas Pere a gold Napoleon and a few coins fells from the pockets to the floor causing the old man to laugh.

"What's so funny,Poppa?" said Dumas Fils.

"I came to Paris with one gold Napoleon and a few coins. I am leaving Paris with one gold Napoleon and a few coins. All of my life people have been telling me I can't handle my money. Well,I had a grand time and it did not cost me a cent," laughed the author of THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO.

Yes, and he made the world richer for his passing. Ditto George Raft.

When our life is spent our money should be as well.

8:31 AM  
Blogger rnigma said...

Jonathan Latimer had written the "Bill Crane" mystery books, about a perpetually inebriated detective (filmed at Universal with, if I recall, Preston Foster). He would go on to write for TV, including a couple of the better "Perry Mason" episodes (including "Case of the Deadly Verdict," wherein Mason lost a case), and some "Columbo"s.

11:13 PM  
Blogger Dave G said...

I like Nocturne, but always come away thinking that it would be a better film with someone else (Dick Powell?) in the lead. Raft's so emotionally flat that I just don't buy his character.

4:57 AM  

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