Blu-Ray Strangers In The Night (1944) Still A Long 56 Minutes
Anthony Mann directed this for Republic, an
early effort and proof that talent no matter its potential can do little with a
story so lame. Maybe it's my own impatience with set-ups where characters do
dumb things against own interests, as here. There is but one mystery which
explanation is put off to irritating extent, an ordeal keenly felt despite a
mere 56 minute run time. We're mostly stuck ina too well-lit house, Republic
shrinking as ever from old dark ones the situation demands. Even on Blu-Ray,
their light seems too evenly distributed, as if former lab man Herb Yates, who
got his industry start processing footage out of Consolidated, issued blanket policy to leave
no corners dim. The old lady menace and eventual murderess has an upper hand
too long; they should have carried her off to a booby-hatch in the first reel.
I could "spoil" the pay-off to spare anyone watching, but Mann
completists will be interested, and having this long-rare title on Blu-Ray from
Olive is at least unexpected, even if the show is such a dud otherwise.
Weird. I just watched SITN this week. The ending is trite, but I thought it had a few things going for it...a Val Lewton veteran and Mrs. Vincent Price as the nursemaid. And did you notice the portrait isn't Laura or Dorian Gray, but Linda Stirling adorned in an evening gown and not her Tiger Woman outfit.
I've seen this one on a big screen a couple of times in the last few years and have to say I get a kick out of it, despite (because of?) its sillier aspects. It plays well with an audience, even when we're all chuckling in disbelief at some points, and the ending gets a big hand simultaneously with a "What on earth?" reaction. It probably helps that I like Virginia Grey and she's absolutely lovely in this!
4 Comments:
Weird. I just watched SITN this week. The ending is trite, but I thought it had a few things going for it...a Val Lewton veteran and Mrs. Vincent Price as the nursemaid. And did you notice the portrait isn't Laura or Dorian Gray, but Linda Stirling adorned in an evening gown and not her Tiger Woman outfit.
That has to be the worst 1940s movie poster I've ever seen.
A lot of Republic films and serials have had bad poster art.
I've seen this one on a big screen a couple of times in the last few years and have to say I get a kick out of it, despite (because of?) its sillier aspects. It plays well with an audience, even when we're all chuckling in disbelief at some points, and the ending gets a big hand simultaneously with a "What on earth?" reaction. It probably helps that I like Virginia Grey and she's absolutely lovely in this!
Best wishes,
Laura
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