DECOY coming this month!!

[Dewey1960]

An updated reminder regarding a personal obsession: One of the absolute best "B" noir films is going to be a part of the upcoming 10-title Film Noir box set coming from Warner Home Video in late July. I'm refering to DECOY, the insanely great 1946 Monogram film starring Jean Gillie, Robert Armstrong, Edward Norris, Herbert Rudley and Sheldon Leonard.

DECOY (1946) ranks at least alongside Edgar G. Ulmer's DETOUR (1945) as possibly the most astonishing example of poverty row noir--a film of such resolute darkness and perversity that is best seen in the early morning hours, just before dawn. Released by Monogram Pictures and directed by Jack Bernhard, DECOY also features a stunning central performance by Australian-born JEAN GILLIE who, sadly, died in 1949. Miss Gillie was married to Bernhard at the time. Gillie had appeared in a number of smaller scale British films before coming to the US. DECOY was her first American picture and it's a wildly impressive American debut. Her only other one was Zoltan Korda's THE MACOMBER AFFAIR (1947) where she was fifth billed. We will never know.

In DECOY Gillie plays Margot Shelby, the girlfriend of a convicted murderer (Robert Armstrong) who's about to take the secret of a buried fortune in stolen cash with him into the gas chamber.

(SPOILER ALERT from here on): With the help of the prison doctor (Herbert Rudley) who she blatantly seduces, Gillie has concocted a scheme to revive Armstrong through the use of a strange chemical gas after the execution. After doing so, in an inexplicably startling sequence of pure pulp science fiction, Gillie then manipulates Armstrong's henchman (Edward Norris) into bumping off Armstrong (now more zombie-like) once he's forked over a map to the stolen loot--before being knocked off himself by Gillie in a particularly grisly and disturbing scene. Gillie's own retribution comes at the hands of the prison doctor who returns to exact revenge before succumbing to his own violent fate. She eventually dies in the arms of the cop (Sheldon Leonard) who has dogged her from the beginning. (End of SPOILER ALERT)

For me DECOY is the film that best exemplifies the true Monogram ethos; the one that gets everything right by accident and winds up as part of an art form. It and a handful of other Monogram films (STRANGE MR. GREGORY, DILLINGER, THE GUILTY, SUSPENSE, ALLOTMENT WIVES etc) form an unholy (and gleefully unwholesome) panorama of life on Poverty Row.

[mongoII]

Thanks for the heads-up, Dewey. I am looking forward to "Decoy" as I just love the femme fatale in noir films.

[Dewey1960]

An updated reminder regarding a personal obsession: One of the absolute best "B" noir films, and part of the upcoming 10-title Film Noir box set coming from Warner Home Video TODAY, July 31. I'm refering to DECOY, the insanely great 1946 Monogram film starring Jean Gillie, Robert Armstrong, Edward Norris, Herbert Rudley and Sheldon Leonard.

HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended!

[ken123]

I watched Decoy today along with Crime Wave. Both are OK, but IMHO nothing to write home about. Decoy was one of Monograms better films, but Jean Gillie was the only good thing in it. Crime Wave had an excellent performce by Sterling Hayden, and Phyliss Kirk was good too.

[MissGoddess]

I just watched this yesterday---Gillie was good, and I was very pleased to see Sheldon Leonard
on the right side of the law for once.

Gillie reminded me of a young Talullah Bankhead somehow. Not her looks as much as her demeanor, voice and style.

[moira finnie]

I thought this might be a good spot to post the youtube video of Decoy (1946) which may only be online for a brief time. Of course, the film is still available on DVD too.

[youtube][/youtube]

[CineMaven]

Ahhhhhhhhh "DECOY" Jean is diabolically delicious. I'll have to re-visit this. Soon.

Miss G., I LOVE your avatar!!! Look at Kate and her niece. Brilliant!!

[MissGoddess]

Thanks, T! I love Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Who is the pretty blonde in your avatar?

[JackFavell]

I'm thinking it's Janis.

Decoy! Thanks, Moira! I've been looking for this one!

[moira finnie]

I'm thinking it's Janis.

Decoy! Thanks, Moira! I've been looking for this one!

Give that girl a motorcycle!! Good guess, JF.

Can you believe it? I still have not seen Ms. Carter in Night Editor (1946), so I guess I better catch up with this one.

[CineMaven]

Thanks, T! I love Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Who is the pretty blonde in your avatar?

JackaaaaAaaay is right. Moira had a moment of delirium and thought of me when she saw this picture of Janis Carter on a motorcycle. Who am I to argue with the great Finnie. So, here she is.
"Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" was a film I really enjoyed. Ha...saw it when it came out, too. That's a lovely shot of Kate and her niece.

[MissGoddess]

Now who's the brunette on your cycle, Wendy?

[JackFavell]

That's Gina Lollobrigida .