Strong and Moving!

It is a performances centric movie

Absolutely Brilliant!

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

NOTES: Although it didn't make Bosley Crowther's Ten Best list, The Dark Corner does figure on the critic's supplementary list of the best movies of the year.Alfred Newman's composition "Street Scene" is appropriately heard under the credit titles. His brother Emil also composed a few bits here and there to augment Mockridge's score.COMMENT: This classic film noir with its moody lighting and driving pace cannot be praised too highly. It's an unusual credit for Hathaway as most of the film was shot on the studio back-lot with a bit of 2nd unit work in New York astutely matched. Mark Stevens, alas, proves himself a lightweight player. He can get by okay in a Technicolor musical, but his performance here does not come across too effectively. Dana Andrews would have been just right for the part but he was on loan-out to Walter Wanger for Canyon Passage. Fortunately, the rest of the cast more than make amends: Clifton Webb reprising his smooth villain of Laura, William Bendix in his element as a heavy, and Lucy Ball swapping smart dialogue.A movie you are absolutely forced to watch, The Dark Corner has all the atmospheric ear-marks of Hathaway's style: precision, pace, and terrifyingly pell-mell action. Sometimes abrupt, sometimes cultivated, a forever twisting yet enveloping violence is an integral part of the plot (censors worldwide, of course, saw fit to mutilate it). The moodily attractive camerawork and the richly embossed sets provide an enthrallingly superlative counterpoint to the nightmarish narrative. As a result. the screenplay, though complicated, never loses its iron grip on the audience. OTHER VIEWS: This film noir masterpiece, adroitly brings out the full essence of the noir world. Framed for murder, the hero at one point exclaims: "I feel all dead inside. I'm backed up in a dark corner, and I don't know who's hitting me!"

The lovely comedienne Lucille Ball is endearing in this neatly plotted noir tale and does a fine job of playing it very straight. She's cast as Kathleen Stewart, secretary to a private eye named Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens). It seems that Galts' tragic past is catching up with him, when he thinks that a former associate, lawyer Anthony Jardine (Kurt Krueger) is out to get him. For one thing, Galt is being tailed by a heavy in a white suit (William Bendix). Eventually Galt realizes that there's more to the situation than meets the eye. When Galt is framed for murder, the extremely loyal Kathleen vows to stay right by her boss's side and help him clear his name.The high contrast lighting and interesting angles are present and accounted for in this solid example of the film noir genre. Pacing is fairly deliberate and never rushed. The characters are comfortingly familiar for this sort of thing, and the actors get to utter some absolutely priceless lines. The banter between Ball and Stevens is especially fun. There's an enjoyable chase sequence, a feeling of despair for Galt as he wonders if he'll ever figure out the whole truth, and some entertaining detective work on the part of Kathleen and Galt. He's definitely a tough cookie, but isn't as tough as he makes himself out to be. He does have a soft spot for Kathleen, and she's open in her love for him.It's a treat to watch Lucy in this kind of performance, and the rest of the cast is equally fine. Stevens is very much playing a typical noir character, Clifton Webb is smooth and dapper as an upper crust art collector, and Bendix is fantastic as the brute. Cathy Downs, Reed Hadley, and Constance Collier co-star; Ellen Corby, John Russell, and Douglas Spencer have uncredited bits.Overall, a very respectable effort for director Henry Hathaway, cast, and crew.Eight out of 10.

Lucille Ball's name raises obvious preconceptions, but - apart from displaying her unquestioned skill with a one-line put-down - she plays it admirably straight in this nice film noir. In spite of Lucy's top billing, she's by no means the lead. That honour goes to Mark Stevens, who is little-heard of today but who is good value as the private dick with a past.Clifton Webb and William Bendix are on hand to contribute their expertise. The art direction and lighting are a treat. Director Henry Hathaway was in his heyday, keeping a tight grip on pace, and displaying a surprising interest in sound editing - listen to the way the instruments of a jazz band advance and retreat on the soundtrack as the camera passes them in and out of shot.The last reel hurries the plot a little, as if a producer was keeping a beady eye on the running time. But that apart, there's not much to fault. Strange it's not better known.

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.