classicsoncall Sometimes a good noir film will sneak up on you when you're not expecting it. The presence of Lucille Ball is a tempting inducement to catch this flick with it's questionable characters and compelling story line that forces one to pay attention or you'll miss out on why Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens) wound up on the wrong side of so many precarious situations. I thought secretary Kathleen Stewart had her boss pegged pretty well when she told him, "You should have William Powell for a secretary".As a product of it's times, I couldn't help wonder what most passersby on the street would do today if they saw someone run down by a vehicle in broad daylight. Probably pull out the camera phone and post the video on youtube. Either that or just walk right over the body if it's in the way. Lucky for Galt it was 1946. Speaking of which, recall right after Galt had the scuffle with Jardine (Kurt Kreuger) (featuring a great backward tumble over a desk and right into a chair!), Kathleen notes that his jacket was torn, but it was ALREADY torn from hitting the pavement to get away from Foss's/Stauffer's (William Bendix) car. How did she miss it the first time? Something else curious caught my eye as well. How about that newspaper ad touting the Cathcart Galleries exhibition - it was by Invitation Only. Why then would it be mentioned in the paper? OK, here's one more. After the William Bendix character worked over both Jardine and Galt in Jardine's apartment, Kathleen Stewart arrives and in helping Galt straighten up a bit, she places a lighted lamp back on a table, but when Foss/Stauffer ransacked the place and left, the room was dark with no lights on anywhere.None of these little inconsistencies really bother me, it's just that it's fun to pick up on them when they show up in a picture. They all take a back seat in this instance though to the story's mystery, masterfully filmed with what most would consider a great example of glorious black and white cinematography. I had to groan however when Stauffer placed himself right in front of that wide open window when he met Hardy Cathcart (Clifton Webb) for his payoff. If you didn't see that one coming, a few more films might be in order.I caught this picture on one of the cable stations and perhaps the real puzzler was why the Donatello statue had the breasts obscured. You know, the one Galt told the museum staffer to wrap up. I mean really, it's now more than a half century later and you're bound to see more suggestive material on most any other channel. On that score I have to agree with William Bendix, that was a real busto-crusto.

richwgriffin-227-176635 Why didn't Mark Stevens become a bigger star? He is charismatic, a good actor, sturdy, and interesting. He had a few good roles and then faded away. Even the billing went against him: why is he fourth billed, when he is the lead in the movie? Lucy is terrific in her best dramatic role of her career. Romantic, solid, moral, believable - she's wonderful.Love the contrast between the two New Yorks: the seamy side of lower-class lives and the beautiful wealthy New York that Webb and Kreuger inhabit.Joe MacDonald is the real star of the movie: his camera-work, combined with superb editing, makes this movie visually appealing and exciting throughout.Sorry to read that Lucy had a bad experience with Henry Hathaway, the director of the movie ): His bullying didn't hamper her excellent performance.I particularly love the 1945-1953 black and white movies at Twentieth Century-Fox - they moved out of the studio but unlike later the films were still in gorgeous black and white. It was a big mistake starting in 1967 to make almost all movies in realistic color ): This movie is definitely worth seeking out.

TheLastDriveIn The Dark Corner (1946) Director Henry Hathaway's (Niagra, Kiss of Death) rhythmical detective Noir, with more than just one great line here or there to fill out the plot. Based on a story by Leo Rosten and adapted to the screen by Bernard C Schoenfeld and Jay Dratler. In most Noir films there are the elements of existential anguish– the angst that runs through the central characters' narrative. Bradford Galt is a prime example of the detective with this sense of being at the mercy of his past burden, the one that haunts his present life. He got a fast shuffle out west. Now he just wants the chance to start up a legitimate business. Mark Stevens (The Snake Pit, The Street With No Name) is Bradford Galt, the hemmed in protagonist of the film. A private dick who just can't escape his past, and is targeted as the fall guy in a plot of revenge. Lucille Ball is Kathleen Stewart his always faithful and trustworthy secretary who is with Galt for keeps. And then there's the inimitable Clifton Webb as Hardy Cathcart the overrefined art dealer who's sanctimonious utterances drives much of the film's best lines. In the realm of the Noir as detective yarn, Dark Corner goes smoothly through each scene, while less darker than some contributions to Noir, it is sustained by some memorable dialog. Dark Corner utilizes some of the characteristic visual motifs of the Noir film The frame within a frame, which creates the environment of imprisonment. Bradford Galt is an iconic figure who's existential anxieties create the environment of no way out. There is a very memorable scene in The Dark Corner which has a very vivid moment of someone being flung out a window. I guess defenestration is a popular method of character disposal in Noir/Thrillers. Being hurled out a window is quite a drastic way to die, lets say rather than being shot in the heart once with a small pistol. The Dark Corner has other inherently typical themes of Noir in addition to the detective yarn, it also shares the Wrong man. Galt has been framed for a crime he did not commit. For the first part of Dark Corner it is also not made very clear the who and/or why someone, possibly this Jardine character is persecuting Galt. Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens)is superb as the private investigator who after serving 2 years for vehicular manslaughter, in which he was set up by his ex-partner a shyster lawyer the suave Tony Jardine (Kurt Kreuger), Galt comes to New York from San Fransisco to start over. He's got a kind of Alan Ladd, nice guy look about him. One of the driving narratives of Dark Corner is Galt's self persecution and Ball's need to prop him up and keep him from feeling sorry for himself. The more he tells her to forget him, the tighter she holds on and sticks by him. The banter between Stevens and Ball is believable and it's quite sweet the way they develop their relationship. Even when she mentions him being a detective and uncovering a pair of nylons size nine for her and he keeps saying he'll make a note of that. It's their partnership that's yet the other real focus of the story. William Bendix, (Frank Foss) hired muscle and tail dressed in an 'out of season' linen white suit is tailing Galt and his secretary very conspicuously, while the boss and his lady friend are on their first unofficial date, wandering through the Tudor Penny Arcade, they confer that white suit's been tagging along. Both Bradford and Kathleen notice him and conspire to get him up to Galt's office. Kathleen is supposed to wait in a taxi and then follow Foss to where ever. After Galt finds out what his game is. Once Bradford Galt gets hold of Foss (Bendix) he hits back hard and finds out that Jardine the ex partner who had framed Galt back in San Fransisco is now after him once again. This sets off a chain reaction for Brad to uncover why Jardine is so interested in him again. Brad Galt roughs up Bendix, humiliates him, takes his wallet so he can remember his name and where he lives and when Foss spills ink on his desk, he wipes his inky fingers all over the nice white linen suit.Brad also breaks Bendix's thumb. Which becomes significant later on in the film. During the film Galt is as sullen as a wounded animal having been set up a few years earlier by his ex partner and now is being targeted once again, but this is secondary to the plot. It's the vehicle for which Galt can finally put the demons from the past to bed and start over as a stronger more complete man who's found his strength and love in his "faithful noir lady" Kathleen (Lucille Ball), who dotes on him and is the strong shoulder to lean on, whenever things get frenzied or dangerous. Kathleen's in it for keeps. Kathleen just won't quit her boss. She knows he's in trouble and wants to help him in any way she can. The one liners are great in this film. And there are very many of them. Webb is perfect as the art gallery snob/fop who is more concerned about his collectibles namely his wife than matters of pride, dignity or moral principal. His wife being his possession and keeping her as such is the only thing that matters to Cathcart. The Dark Corner is a really fun detective noir film that flows smoothly and pays off at the end as lyrically gritty as it starts out with the sensually playful musical score by composer Cyril J Mockridge.

Alex da Silva Brad (Mark Stevens) tries to work out why Fred Foss (William Bendix) is following him. He does this with the help of his secretary Kathleen (Lucille Ball). The story involves a former acquaintance of Brad's, Anthony Jardine (Kurt Kreuger), an art-collector, Hardy (Clifton Webb) and his girlfriend, Mari (Cathy Downs). Brad is framed for murder....This film is confusing. We are never given the explanation as to why anyone would want to go after Brad in the first place. The betrayal that motivates the murder doesn't take place till half-way through the film, so what on earth is the first half of the film about! Lucille Ball has no role of any substance and Mark Stevens is just not hard-looking enough to carry off a hard-man role. It's laughable when he threatens Bendix and Kreuger at different stages in the film - no way, mate, they'd both kill you! Webb is always dependable to deliver cutting lines but Downs is pathetic in a femme-fatale role - she doesn't cut it. As for the dialogue - ??! Every cliché that you could ever imagine. Expect lines from the cheesy like "I can be framed easier than Whistler's mother" and "One thing led to another, and he led with his right" to the stupid "I'm clean as a peeled egg...." It's endless. You go 2 ways with this. 1 - you take it as a joke and laugh all the way through the film; 2 - you listen to the dialogue and try and watch the film as if it is a serious noir/crime thriller film. I did the latter and it doesn't work. Finally, the plot - it's complicated because we never have a coherent story, yet every scene is predictable, eg, Hardy's meeting with Foss, and the denouement (soooo obvious!). The film also tags on a predictable clichéd happy ending. This is NOT a good film.