The Family Secret (1951) Has Plenty To Hide
A Santana Picture for Columbia release, one of a handful Humphrey
Bogart's company produced, but he did not star in. Columbia had gone deep into business with
independents, Variety pointing out extent in 7/25/51 report: "Of about 55
pix slated for release during 1951-52, over 20 will be made by other than the
lot's salaried producers." Columbia's
deal with most indies was straightforward. The company would supply half of
financing and guarantee the other half loaned by banks, for which they'd get
half of profits after recovery of investment, plus a distribution fee. Stanley
Kramer and Sam Katzman supplied most of A's and B's, respectively, while
balance of outside product came from Edward Small, Louis de Rochemont, Harold
Hecht-Burt Lancaster, and Santana. Peers that impressed Bogart were used for
The Family Secret, thus John Derek from Knock On Any Door, and Lee J. Cobb,
late of Sirocco, these also of Santana label. The Family Secret might have fit
Bogart as lawyer dad with a son who's committed murder, but the piece was
fairly enclosed, its outcome foregone thanks to Code requirement.
Still, Family's situation is one that compels,
and that doubtless drew Bogart and producing Robert Lord to what was
essentially a Playhouse 90 before that anthology took up mantle of such
dramatics on TV. John Derek was a pompadour heartthrob Columbia groomed in the
wake of breakout in Knock On Any Door, Bogart having given him that break, but
Variety pointed out his character in The Family Secret as
"unsympathetic." Cobb is understated and most effective in concerned
father mode. There are swipes at television and too-loud swing music, plus
Derek's best girl, Jody Lawrance, driving a hot rod. Young folk were still of
Andy Hardy's generation circa 1951, change being just around a rock and rolling
corner. We don't linger on collateral damage Derek's belated confession brings
on, but it's considerable, and audiences were probably as annoyed by PCA
cow-towing then as latter-day watchers will be. The Family Secret
collected a modest $283K in domestic rentals, and Bogart would sell his share
in the negative to Columbia
a few years after, along with kit-caboodle of Santana interests. The Family
Secret is available in a very nice On-Demand DVD.
Lowest berth on a triple bill! That theater had its doubts.
ReplyDeleteIs the lobby card trying to make the photo look like a TV screen? A bit odd, since they really have to work to differentiate a modest non-exploitation drama from tube fare. "The Window" did it by pushing a scary angle TV would likely shy away from: A kid who could be yours threatened by ordinary-looking killers.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, neither film is my meat. But pieces like these about where they came from and how they fared are genuine entertainment.