Dead Reckoning (1947)
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Mr. Arkadin
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Dead Reckoning (1947)
Comes on Saturday. TCM hasn't shown this film in I don't know how long. Catch it if you can. We are also getting The Stange Love of Martha Ivers right before this one, so it's a double dose of Liz for your day. Discussion?
Good morning Joel,
No work for this boy on Saturday so I'll make it a point to watch. I know you mean Lizabeth Scott, but it raised a question in my mind. Why did Elizabeth Taylor stop making movies? She seems to have retired (if that's the right word) at a relatively early age. Seems to me a talent like hers would be more than sought after. Responses?
As always,
Hollis
No work for this boy on Saturday so I'll make it a point to watch. I know you mean Lizabeth Scott, but it raised a question in my mind. Why did Elizabeth Taylor stop making movies? She seems to have retired (if that's the right word) at a relatively early age. Seems to me a talent like hers would be more than sought after. Responses?
As always,
Hollis
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moira finnie
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Hi Hollis,Why did Elizabeth Taylor stop making movies? ~ Hollis
I believe Ms. Taylor's career ended largely because of her numerous health problems. Also, I don't think that a woman with her treasure trove of diamonds, jewels, and big paydays needs to worry about keeping the wolf from the door anymore. Besides, when you start working for a living when you're about 3, don't you think ya oughta kick back and smell the roses?
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Dead Reckoning (1947) has never really caught my imagination, perhaps because I'm distracted by several factors:
1.)I miss Lauren Bacall's calm, insolent presence.
2.)I worry whenever I see Humphrey Bogart in this one, because he looks unhealthy. Of course, he looks even worse in Chain Lightning (1950).
3.)Oh, and there's one sequence between Bogart & his co-star Lizabeth Scott that sets my liberated teeth on edge. It comes when Bogie wishes that all women could "come capsule-sized, about four inches high. When a man goes out of an evening, he just puts her in his pocket and takes her along with him, and that way he knows exactly where she is. He gets to his favorite restaurant, he puts her on the table and lets her run around among the coffee cups while he swaps a few lies with his pals..."
Bogart with Scott as he muses..."Oh, if only..."
I realize that Bogie is just mouthing the words of the script, but darned if I haven't seen fellows who've watched this flick with me with a sneaky grin on their faces while listening to this spiel. Well, maybe it's just me.
Moira said: "Dead Reckoning (1947) has never really caught my imagination, perhaps because I'm distracted by several factors..."
Hi Moira - I have to say that I agree with your comments about the film, but in spite of that, I find it very much to my liking. It has a downbeat moodiness (thanks in no small measure to John Cromwell's intelligent direction and Leo Tover's silky cinematography) that seems to be in accordance with the rather melancholy presence of its great star who, miraculously lived another ten years. (If you think Bogart looked unhealthy in this film, take another gander at THE HARDER THEY FALL, his last film, released a year before his death). And while I know that Lizabeth Scott has her fans, I've never warmed to her at all. Yes; Bacall would have helped make it a better film.
Hi Moira - I have to say that I agree with your comments about the film, but in spite of that, I find it very much to my liking. It has a downbeat moodiness (thanks in no small measure to John Cromwell's intelligent direction and Leo Tover's silky cinematography) that seems to be in accordance with the rather melancholy presence of its great star who, miraculously lived another ten years. (If you think Bogart looked unhealthy in this film, take another gander at THE HARDER THEY FALL, his last film, released a year before his death). And while I know that Lizabeth Scott has her fans, I've never warmed to her at all. Yes; Bacall would have helped make it a better film.
I had never seen this film before I watched it on DVD this morning.
I ended up liking it a lot, although it seemed pretty familiar. Bogie's dialogue at the end before the car crash seemed word-for-word from "Maltese Falcon." The villain's chief thug seemed like a William Bendix wanna-be. And yes, the "Put the woman in your pocket" stuff sounds pretty stupid.
But, but, but...
The movie holds together very well. Perhaps it is the fact that Bogie is rubbing up against the same Warner Bros. character actors. Perhaps it is the direction by John Cromwell or the sharp dialogue (I liked the banter between Bogie and the detective at the morgue.) Perhaps it is the unreadable woman at the center of the case (and I didn't especially like Lizbeth Scott, but if she had been Bacall or someone I liked better the movie's ending would probably have to have been changed.)
I am very glad I've seen this one. I think it is an underrated noir gem.
I ended up liking it a lot, although it seemed pretty familiar. Bogie's dialogue at the end before the car crash seemed word-for-word from "Maltese Falcon." The villain's chief thug seemed like a William Bendix wanna-be. And yes, the "Put the woman in your pocket" stuff sounds pretty stupid.
But, but, but...
The movie holds together very well. Perhaps it is the fact that Bogie is rubbing up against the same Warner Bros. character actors. Perhaps it is the direction by John Cromwell or the sharp dialogue (I liked the banter between Bogie and the detective at the morgue.) Perhaps it is the unreadable woman at the center of the case (and I didn't especially like Lizbeth Scott, but if she had been Bacall or someone I liked better the movie's ending would probably have to have been changed.)
I am very glad I've seen this one. I think it is an underrated noir gem.
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feaito
I remember watching this film (taped off a Public TV Channel) with my dad some years ago and we both liked it, in spite of the very, very lousy, dubbed in Spanish print we saw. The print was so bad that when I bought the DVD edition of the film it was like watching a new film (Same thing happened to me with"Scarlet Street" after I watched the restored edition KINO released of it). Lizabeth Scott has some quality that attracts my attention.
I also have the Alpha DVD edition (which is surprisingly good indeed) of "Strange Love of Martha Ivers". Another worthwhile film with a powerful cast headed by Barbara Stanwyck and with Kirk Douglas in a an unusual role for him.
I also have the Alpha DVD edition (which is surprisingly good indeed) of "Strange Love of Martha Ivers". Another worthwhile film with a powerful cast headed by Barbara Stanwyck and with Kirk Douglas in a an unusual role for him.
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moira finnie
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I agree with the comment that Morris Carnovsky's villain and director John Cromwell's participation in this movie makes it worth a second look. I do like Lizabeth Scott much more after seeing Pitfall and another B movie that Cromwell directed, The Company She Keeps, but still miss Bacall here.
You're right, Dewey. That ashen look of Bogart's was quite worrying when viewing The Harder They Fall (1956). In an interview, I once heard his co-star in that movie, Rod Steiger, mention that the man never uttered a word or missed a day of shooting because of his health on that film, as far as he knew. As a matter of fact, Steiger said that he used to encounter Bogie wandering around the sets on his days off, so as not to miss anything, I suppose.
I should probably give this movie another chance and will try to catch it again soon.
You're right, Dewey. That ashen look of Bogart's was quite worrying when viewing The Harder They Fall (1956). In an interview, I once heard his co-star in that movie, Rod Steiger, mention that the man never uttered a word or missed a day of shooting because of his health on that film, as far as he knew. As a matter of fact, Steiger said that he used to encounter Bogie wandering around the sets on his days off, so as not to miss anything, I suppose.
I should probably give this movie another chance and will try to catch it again soon.
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Moraldo Rubini
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I just caught Martha Ivers at the Castro Theatre the other night. The print was a little fuzzy and seemed in bad repair, but it was swell to see it on the BIG screen. Lizabeth Scott never looked better. She looked much harder as her features sharpened (I always assumed from booze and cigarettes) in later films. 'Twas great to see Kirk Douglas as a nebbish husband, and with Stanwyck enjoying the illusion of control (while desperately trying to keep a reign on madness). Are there any small towns left that are run by small-time megalomaniacs like this? Ivarstown, Bedford Falls, etc.feaito wrote:I also have the Alpha DVD edition (which is surprisingly good indeed) of "Strange Love of Martha Ivers". Another worthwhile film with a powerful cast headed by Barbara Stanwyck and with Kirk Douglas in a an unusual role for him.
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feaito
