Directed by Frank Tuttle
1942/USA
Paramount Pictures
First viewing
Philip Raven: You are trying to make me go soft. Well, you can save it. I don’t go soft for anybody.
Alan Ladd’s screen magnetism made him a star his first time out in this sometimes hokey but enjoyable early noir. The film also was the first in a series pairing Ladd with co-star Veronica Lake.
I honestly thought I had seen this one before but obviously had only heard the title as I thought Ladd played a private detective! In fact, his character, Philip Raven, is a hired assassin who does in a blackmailer who holds proof that a chemical company has sold defense secrets to the Japanese. Despite his cool killing, we know that deep inside he is good because he is kind to small kittens. The bad guys at the chemical company double cross him by paying him off in bills they promptly report as stolen to the police. Raven is now hell-bent on revenge.
Seperately, a U.S. Senator approaches nightclub singer Ellen Graham (Veronica Lake) to investigate the chemical company and its agent Willard Gates (Laird Cregar), who also happens to be a nightclub owner. Of course, Ellen is in love with the police detective (Robert Preston) who is assigned to the investigation of supposed robber Raven. All these coincidences reach a perfect storm of implausibility when Ellen and Raven chance to sit next together on a train. Ellen attempts to make a better man of Raven as he holds her hostage while attempting to evade the police and exact his revenge.
Despite several eye-rolling moments, there is much to like about this film. I especially enjoyed Laird Cregar as the cowardly, peppermint-munching Gates. Ladd had undeniable charisma, so much so that the filmmakers couldn’t quite make him a villain. This muddles the conclusion of the film quite a bit as the filmmakers couldn’t let him off the hook for his bad deeds either.
Clip – Alan Ladd meets Veronica Lake – and a historic pairing is born
What great casting of Ladd as Raven…….but .you and I may differ a bit on his acting talents. He is perfect here because he is so low-key and expressionless, that the part is perfect for him. And of course his pairing with the equally expressionless Veronica Lake was the beginning of a great team. Plus Lake was so tiny that she made Ladd look taller than his purported 5’5″. I also like this film altho’ it does have its silly moments and Laird Cregar was such a great supporting actor. It is a shame he died so young as he would have gone on for a long time in the film business.
I don’t necessarily think Alan Ladd is a good actor. He does somehow have star quality, though, and this one highlights it. I liked his expression when he offed the blackmailer. Poor Laird Cregar. I’m looking forward to seeing more of his work.