Phantom Lady 1944
The film opens on a
steamy 1944 July New York City night (its seems all film noirs are set on
steamy summer New York City nights) the film covers all the usual Noir
territory, innocent man accused of a crime he didn’t commit, loyal attractive
young woman out to prove his innocence, tough but likeable detectives,
psychotic behavior unexplained and deep sexual undertones. Based on a William
Irish (Cornell Woolrich) novel and directed with strong German expressionist
style by Robert Siodmak with a big helping hand from the great cinematographer
Woody Bredell, master of B movies, and made by Universal on the cheap but
looking hard, sharp and beautiful with great economic touches including murders
and deaths unseen. The film has some flaws mainly plot holes and sad unresolved
performances but even with the flaws this is still one of the masterworks of
the genre. Especially good (when was he ever not good?) is Elisha Cook Jr. as
the horny “pussy hound” drummer who plays in the orchestra of a tacky musical
revue that plays a pivotal part in the film along with a silly hat, and a
temperamental South American Bargain basement Carmen Miranda type bombshell of
a performer. Some of the great set pieces of the film includes a scene set on a
deserted 3rd ave el platform, where we only know that a train is
arriving by the wind blowing a woman’s dress and a late night jam session with
Cook on drums working himself into an orgasmic frenzy
as his pickup for the night does a great sexual come on that leaves little to
the imagination, (how this bit got by the censors is beyond me). Also memorable
is a man being hit by a car again unseen by us, as his hat flies in the air and
winds in a puddle by the curb, and a trial that is seen through the eyes of the
spectators with all of the testimony heard off screen. This is good stuff.
There are wet patent leather streets, the ubiquitous Yiddishe Mama candy store owner, shadows
that have shadows and wonderful sleazy bars and high toned apartments full of
late deco furnishings and sculptures along with small details such as Van
Gogh’s self portrait after he cut off his ear that is clearly hanging in the
murderer’s abode. With the gorgeous but limited Ella Raines, the gorgeous but
very limited Alan Curtis, Franchot Tone & Thomas Gomez. The film is available in a pristine print for viewing on YouTube. One of the ten best films of 1944.
The film opens on a
steamy 1944 July New York City night (its seems all film noirs are set on
steamy summer New York City nights) the film covers all the usual Noir
territory, innocent man accused of a crime he didn’t commit, loyal attractive
young woman out to prove his innocence, tough but likeable detectives,
psychotic behavior unexplained and deep sexual undertones. Based on a William
Irish (Cornell Woolrich) novel and directed with strong German expressionist
style by Robert Siodmak with a big helping hand from the great cinematographer
Woody Bredell, master of B movies, and made by Universal on the cheap but
looking hard, sharp and beautiful with great economic touches including murders
and deaths unseen. The film has some flaws mainly plot holes and sad unresolved
performances but even with the flaws this is still one of the masterworks of
the genre. Especially good (when was he ever not good?) is Elisha Cook Jr. as
the horny “pussy hound” drummer who plays in the orchestra of a tacky musical
revue that plays a pivotal part in the film along with a silly hat, and a
temperamental South American Bargain basement Carmen Miranda type bombshell of
a performer. Some of the great set pieces of the film includes a scene set on a
deserted 3rd ave el platform, where we only know that a train is
arriving by the wind blowing a woman’s dress and a late night jam session with
Cook on drums working himself into an orgasmic frenzy
as his pickup for the night does a great sexual come on that leaves little to
the imagination, (how this bit got by the censors is beyond me). Also memorable
is a man being hit by a car again unseen by us, as his hat flies in the air and
winds in a puddle by the curb, and a trial that is seen through the eyes of the
spectators with all of the testimony heard off screen. This is good stuff.
There are wet patent leather streets, the ubiquitous Yiddishe Mama candy store owner, shadows
that have shadows and wonderful sleazy bars and high toned apartments full of
late deco furnishings and sculptures along with small details such as Van
Gogh’s self portrait after he cut off his ear that is clearly hanging in the
murderer’s abode. With the gorgeous but limited Ella Raines, the gorgeous but
very limited Alan Curtis, Franchot Tone & Thomas Gomez. The film is available in a pristine print for viewing on YouTube. One of the ten best films of 1944. 
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