Noir Alley

[Dargo]

Yep, a totally unbelievable plot--especially so that whole "Shoot me, I want you to shoot me" ending--that is actually quite well directed.

(...btw, I've always thought if Sam and Minnie Marx had had a daughter and instead of all sons, she would've looked just like Claudette Colbert...anyone else see this?...and no, I'm not kiddin' here)

[Andree]

Pretty decent flick that moves along at a nice pace, though things bogged down a bit in the middle. I didn't find the
plot that unbelievable, at least in comparison to some other noirs, though it is somewhat far-fetched that all the
machinations of the baddie lawyer worked out perfectly. And Claudette seemed over the top at the end of her
testimony, nervous breakdown or not. The lady psychiatrist? Well back then all the movie head shrinkers were rather
arrogant about their ability to cure their patients. It sort of went with the territory. At least she didn't get out her handy
drill and try a lobotomy. The scene with jazz hepcats was a hoot and well directed. These folks were smoking something
and it wasn't Lucky Strikes. The murder scene was puzzling. Claudette in the room with her "hubby" with no one else
there. So who shot him and left the room very quickly? Almost miraculously so. I don't think that was ever fully explained.
Poor Ethel Mertz, killed while working as a maid (work she took so she could buy herself a new dress since Fred hadn't
bought her a new one in ten years), though I was wondering if she could have been killed that fast with a piece of wire,
a method that didn't seem to work very well in a moving vehicle. Too clever by half. And I give credit for having a number
of possible suspects without tipping one's hand until late in the picture. One of the betters ones Eddie has shown recently
and one I hadn't seen before, which never hurts.

[Bronxgirl48]

Eddie did an excellent job placing the film within the tradition of post-war noirs about psychiatry and amnesia. [/quote]



Good ones were mentioned, including SPELLBOUND, HIGH WALL, THE DARK PAST and WHIRLPOOL, but THE SECRET FURY doesn't come close in quality or execution.

Ryan to Colbert's doctor: "Why are these things happening to a girl like this?" I will tell you, Bob. It's the STUPID SCRIPT.

Poor Claudette. Her worst movie in my opinion. And as far as I'm concerned, Mel Ferrer is as undistinguished a director as he is an actor.

[Dargo]

...And as far as I'm concerned, Mel Ferrer is as undistinguished a director as he is an actor.

Yep, I thought of you after Eddie mentioned who directed this movie, Bronxie.

(...I wonder why, huh)

[jamesjazzguitar]

[Bronxgirl48]

...And as far as I'm concerned, Mel Ferrer is as undistinguished a director as he is an actor.

Yep, I thought of you after Eddie mentioned who directed this movie, Bronxie.

(...I wonder why, huh)

lol, well...(Mel popped up unexpectedly this morning in SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL -- he was forgettable chasing after Natalie Wood)
I confess to not being impressed with Ferrer's artistic pretensions behind the camera or his performances in front of it.

Robert Ryan was wasted, I feel, in this gobbler. (Also BORN TO BE BAD)

You just know this was a programmer pick rather than any true "Czar" selection. The "tell" is how apologetic he always gets when describing how basically crummy the movie is, lol.

[C*i*g*a*rTheJoe]

That is what happens when you run out of the better Noir you have access to, you either scrape the bottom of the barrel or you acquire the rights to show more.

[Hibi]

Eddie's outro to The Secret Fury gives away major plot points, obviously not a problem if you've been watching the film. The outro also draws attention to the scene of the room with the jazz musicians, which I had also noticed was very well directed and edited. We're being teased about which of these men is the one claiming to be Claudette Colbert's husband. It seems unfortunate that Mel Ferrer didn't have a larger directing career. Green Mansions is less successful, though that is a difficult story to bring off.

Eddie did an excellent job placing the film within the tradition of post-war noirs about psychiatry and amnesia. He also said in the outro that for him the scariest character is the psychiatrist played by Elizabeth Risdon. He has a point.

Now The Secret Fury has a gapingly huge plot hole about a murder that occurs in a room: we don't know if there's an outside door, how the killer got in or left, and why Colbert suddenly had a dose of amnesia. We just have to roll with it. Philip Ober as Colbert's lawyer looks remarkably like E.G. Marshall. Paul Kelly is wonderfully furious as the district attorney, and Jane Cowl masterfully passive-aggressive as Aunt Clara, who alternates sweet conventionality and resentment. Vivian Vance is quite good as a hotel maid; I love the little bit where she begins to flirt with Robert Ryan. I loved that the justice of the peace, uncredited, turns out to be Percy Helton, one of those familiar faces and voices.

Add this to the list of noir nightmare films. If the plot defies common sense and probability, its nightmare logic deals with primary emotions, especially hatred.

Yes, I agree. The plot is totally out there and full of implausibilities that are never explained. But it does hold your attention. When the killer is revealed, their motive for the gaslighting while hard to swallow is just so creepy, you buy it because the character is so deranged. I thought Colbert did a great job and even went without noticeable make up in her later scenes. I also thought Vance was very good in her small part. So unlike Ethel!! LOL.

[Hibi]

Pretty decent flick that moves along at a nice pace, though things bogged down a bit in the middle. I didn't find the
plot that unbelievable, at least in comparison to some other noirs, though it is somewhat far-fetched that all the
machinations of the baddie lawyer worked out perfectly. And Claudette seemed over the top at the end of her
testimony, nervous breakdown or not. The lady psychiatrist? Well back then all the movie head shrinkers were rather
arrogant about their ability to cure their patients. It sort of went with the territory. At least she didn't get out her handy
drill and try a lobotomy. The scene with jazz hepcats was a hoot and well directed. These folks were smoking something
and it wasn't Lucky Strikes. The murder scene was puzzling. Claudette in the room with her "hubby" with no one else
there. So who shot him and left the room very quickly? Almost miraculously so. I don't think that was ever fully explained.
Poor Ethel Mertz, killed while working as a maid (work she took so she could buy herself a new dress since Fred hadn't
bought her a new one in ten years), though I was wondering if she could have been killed that fast with a piece of wire,
a method that didn't seem to work very well in a moving vehicle. Too clever by half. And I give credit for having a number
of possible suspects without tipping one's hand until late in the picture. One of the betters ones Eddie has shown recently
and one I hadn't seen before, which never hurts.

Yeah, I guess the killer was hiding in the room before Claudette went in there, but how did he get out? Maybe he waited till everyone left?? And why didnt Claudette see the killing? It shocked her so much she couldn't remember??? Yeah, poor Ethel, it was all Fred's fault! LMREO.

[Bronxgirl48]

Eddie's outro to The Secret Fury gives away major plot points, obviously not a problem if you've been watching the film. The outro also draws attention to the scene of the room with the jazz musicians, which I had also noticed was very well directed and edited. We're being teased about which of these men is the one claiming to be Claudette Colbert's husband. It seems unfortunate that Mel Ferrer didn't have a larger directing career. Green Mansions is less successful, though that is a difficult story to bring off.

Eddie did an excellent job placing the film within the tradition of post-war noirs about psychiatry and amnesia. He also said in the outro that for him the scariest character is the psychiatrist played by Elizabeth Risdon. He has a point.

Now The Secret Fury has a gapingly huge plot hole about a murder that occurs in a room: we don't know if there's an outside door, how the killer got in or left, and why Colbert suddenly had a dose of amnesia. We just have to roll with it. Philip Ober as Colbert's lawyer looks remarkably like E.G. Marshall. Paul Kelly is wonderfully furious as the district attorney, and Jane Cowl masterfully passive-aggressive as Aunt Clara, who alternates sweet conventionality and resentment. Vivian Vance is quite good as a hotel maid; I love the little bit where she begins to flirt with Robert Ryan. I loved that the justice of the peace, uncredited, turns out to be Percy Helton, one of those familiar faces and voices.

Add this to the list of noir nightmare films. If the plot defies common sense and probability, its nightmare logic deals with primary emotions, especially hatred.

Yes, I agree. The plot is totally out there and full of implausibilities that are never explained. But it does hold your attention. When the killer is revealed, their motive for the gaslighting while hard to swallow is just so creepy, you buy it because the character is so deranged. I thought Colbert did a great job and even went without noticeable make up in her later scenes. I also thought Vance was very good in her small part. So unlike Ethel!! LOL.

I always enjoy Claudette but here I thought the script really did not serve her (or anyone else for that matter) well. I like Colbert better sans cosmetics at the Japanese prison camp in THREE CAME HOME.

Have they shown SLEEP, MY LOVE?

[Hibi]

Eddie's outro to The Secret Fury gives away major plot points, obviously not a problem if you've been watching the film. The outro also draws attention to the scene of the room with the jazz musicians, which I had also noticed was very well directed and edited. We're being teased about which of these men is the one claiming to be Claudette Colbert's husband. It seems unfortunate that Mel Ferrer didn't have a larger directing career. Green Mansions is less successful, though that is a difficult story to bring off.

Eddie did an excellent job placing the film within the tradition of post-war noirs about psychiatry and amnesia. He also said in the outro that for him the scariest character is the psychiatrist played by Elizabeth Risdon. He has a point.

Now The Secret Fury has a gapingly huge plot hole about a murder that occurs in a room: we don't know if there's an outside door, how the killer got in or left, and why Colbert suddenly had a dose of amnesia. We just have to roll with it. Philip Ober as Colbert's lawyer looks remarkably like E.G. Marshall. Paul Kelly is wonderfully furious as the district attorney, and Jane Cowl masterfully passive-aggressive as Aunt Clara, who alternates sweet conventionality and resentment. Vivian Vance is quite good as a hotel maid; I love the little bit where she begins to flirt with Robert Ryan. I loved that the justice of the peace, uncredited, turns out to be Percy Helton, one of those familiar faces and voices.

Add this to the list of noir nightmare films. If the plot defies common sense and probability, its nightmare logic deals with primary emotions, especially hatred.

Yes, I agree. The plot is totally out there and full of implausibilities that are never explained. But it does hold your attention. When the killer is revealed, their motive for the gaslighting while hard to swallow is just so creepy, you buy it because the character is so deranged. I thought Colbert did a great job and even went without noticeable make up in her later scenes. I also thought Vance was very good in her small part. So unlike Ethel!! LOL.

I always enjoy Claudette but here I thought the script really did not serve her (or anyone else for that matter) well. I like Colbert better sans cosmetics at the Japanese prison camp in THREE CAME HOME.

Have they shown SLEEP, MY LOVE?

I've always wanted to see Three Came Home. TCM rarely shows it. I don't think they've ever shown Sleep, My Love. Hoping that turns up on Noir Alley one of these days.

[Andree]

Yeah, I guess the killer was hiding in the room before Claudette went in there, but how did he get out? Maybe he waited till everyone left?? And why didnt Claudette see the killing? It shocked her so much she couldn't remember??? Yeah, poor Ethel, it was all Fred's fault! LMREO.

You certainly have to believe a lot of illogical things in that scene. The others came into the room so soon after
the gunshot you wonder how the killer had time to get into a hiding place. And Claudette was right there to see
whodunit. Oh well. Good ol' money belt Mertz. I forgot to mention another of his trademarks--the baggy pants
that rode almost halfway up his chest. Too funny.

[Hibi]

Yeah, I guess the killer was hiding in the room before Claudette went in there, but how did he get out? Maybe he waited till everyone left?? And why didnt Claudette see the killing? It shocked her so much she couldn't remember??? Yeah, poor Ethel, it was all Fred's fault! LMREO.

You certainly have to believe a lot of illogical things in that scene. The others came into the room so soon after
the gunshot you wonder how the killer had time to get into a hiding place. And Claudette was right there to see
whodunit. Oh well. Good ol' money belt Mertz. I forgot to mention another of his trademarks--the baggy pants
that rode almost halfway up his chest. Too funny.

Yeah, that whole scene was just poorly conceived. No surprise they didn't bother to explain what happened later on. Fred wasn't exactly a fashion plate! LOL.