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Harry Stradling
Filmography Cinematographer
(1970) G
(1970) PG
(1969) Unrated
(1969) G
(1968) G
(1966) Unrated
(1964)
(1964) G
(1963) Unrated
(1963) Unrated
(1962) Unrated
(1962)
(1961)
(1960) Unrated
(1959)
(1959)
(1958)
(1958)
(1957)
(1957)
(1956) Unrated
(1956)
(1955)
(1953) Unrated
(1953)
(1952)
(1952)
(1952) Unrated
"I got a file on you that goes back further than you'd like to remember and up to where you wish you could forget."
"Tension" (1950)
This film noir has everything. The sultry B movie queen Audrey Totter poised to snakebite our protagonist Richard Baseheart, the ever-lovely Syd Charise (although she is underutilized as window dressing this outing), perennial B movie cop Barry Sullivan & the always reliable William Conrad of TV's "Cannon" fame as law enforcement back up. Add to that a good script by Allen Rivkin, a honeydripping tenor sax-laden Andre Previn score (Bernard Herrman must have listened to this while composing "Taxi Driver") & direction by John Berry & you've got a pretty poisonous noir potion. Berry was a cohort of Orson Welles at the Mercury Theater in New York & took the reins when Welles departed for RKO to make "Citizen Kane". Unfortunately, he was blacklisted not long after making this little gem. Baseheart was a tremendously underrated actor mostly relegated to chatacter roles, but when he was afforded the opportunity, as in this film & "He Walked By Night" (1948), he showed some serious chops. His transition from Casper Milquetoastish Warren Quimby to
suave, devil-may-care John Southern is nothing less than spectacular. Audrey Totter does her Totter thing in the best Gloria Graham tradition & we get some roller coaster twists & turns along the way. MGM's B's were like A's at other studios, so production quality/cinematography are pretty top notch for the time period. All in all, it feels a little better than the sum of it's ingredients, a tight little programmer for all us noir fans & one worth seeking out if you've missed it up till now.
Why is this such an overlooked Hitchcock?! Such a great story, with the typical Hitchcock touch of a blonde being terrorized, and by Cary Grant, playing a shady (suspicious?) guy for one of the few times in his career! If only he could've been the murderer like Hitchcock wanted...
Brando was great in this movie I just whish there had been more of him in it1
The story was kind of odd but to my surprise I couldnt stop watching it.
Very good drama and intense charactors.
I dont like Vivien and I wish that part was played by someone else.
The couple in the movie are very real and I liked that.
Barbra was really funny and her voice is just so cool to listen to. It has so much power.
I liked the first half of the movie when it was climbing but once things settled for fanny i got board.
I would still say it was great though.
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