Dead Reckoning
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Movie Reviews of Dead Reckoning
Movie Review: All females are the same with their faces washed
Summary: 3 Stars
Not quite, because Dead Reckoning is Bogart and Bacall flick without Bacall, and it suffers for it. It must have been painful for Miss Scott to perform in this movie and it's obvious from her presentation (and her hair and make-up!)that she was intended to mimick the much more graceful Miss Bacall.
The movie starts well with Rip Murdock (Bogart) on the train to Washington to be honored for his war service along with another hero Johnnie(William Prince) who leaps off the train when he hears that there will be photographs taken! So far, so good. Murdock gets to thinking on this event and decides to find out what in the blazes is going on. So he tracks his buddy down (via his school ring) to a small town in Louisiana which, paradoxically, houses a large and glamorous casino and the large and glamorous Miss Scott (Character nick name name Dusty, or Lumpy, or something like that. Coral Chandler, actually). Lizabeth Scott excelled at portraying women who were not what you thought they were (in her real life, too?) but in her case, I interpret her acting style as not knowing herself what she's supposed to be projecting. The "sliding across the ice" style of acting. It worked well in "Too Late For Tears" but not so well here. Anyway, it turns out that she was his Army buddy's sweety, there were complications with the casino owner and her rich former husband, the buddy is croaked in the swamp, men take the fall for the Beautiful Dame, and the usual plot ensues.
Some comments: Lizabeth Scott looks like a fish (an attractive one) and this unfortunate resemblence is enhanced when she sings. I kept thinking of goldfish with their googly eyes and their circular mouths.
Second: that "make a woman small and put her in your pocket" thing is unbelievable sexist and while I usually try to forgive old movies this one really irritates me. Just what does he want that 4 inch tall woman to be doing in his pocket all day? Play "pool"? And the dialog answer "What you're saying is: Women are made to be loved" is one of the most sublimely ridiclous segues ever recorded on film. It's annoying blemish on an otherwise decent noir. I gave it three stars because even an underpar Noir is better than the average current dreck.
Movie Review: deja vu, all over again
Summary: 3 Stars
Elsewhere in this space I have noted my love for film noir. The black and white photography, the story lines, the sparse and functional language. However, not all film noir is created equal and that is the case here. Humphrey Bogart was a classic match for the genre-tough, rugged, resolute, loyal and always loyal to a pal come what may. Such roles as Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep or Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon come to mind. Here he tries to milk that work without being a detective but with the same qualities as he tries to defend the honor of a fallen and maligned fellow soldier. Add Lizabeth Scott as the femme fatale who jams up the works and you would seemingly have the makings of a fine film. When the plot holds interest to a point there is a very strong sense of déjà vu from previous work. If you want to see the film noir master at work then see Bogie in The Big Sleep or The Maltese Falcon. Save this one for back up.
Movie Review: Good Start & Finish But Uninvolving Overall
Summary: 3 Stars
The bulk of this film, the middle of it, was just too slow for me, hence the so-so and somewhat-generous 3-stars rating. The beginning and endings were very good, especially several scenes in the final half hour. There were several twists concerning Lizabeth Scott's character that kept you guessing.
There were other things going for this film, such as Humphrey Bogart's narration. He had a lot of good lines in here, either narrating or talking to others. He and Scott were the stars but some of the supporting players also were great, such as Morris Carnovsky as the tough-guy aide, "Martinelli. " Also, they may not be big names but Charles Cane, William Prince, Marin Miller, Wallace Ford and James Bell all added nice performance here.
Yet, with all this going for it, I didn't find the film as involving as it should have been. It too flat in the middle of the film. Perhaps another look someone will change my mind.
Movie Review: Echoes of Bogart's earlier films
Summary: 3 Stars
Dead Reckoning will be enjoyed by any Bogart fan, though it's not one of his best films. Very nice to see his friendly enthusiasm with another character toward the beginning of the film, and that moment where he (almost)lets himself fall in love with the femme fatale near the end. I was fascinated by several instances where the writers directly lift dialog or scenes from Bogart's earlier films with Bacall and also from the closing scene of the Maltese Falcon. The film is not a parody, but it's borrowing so directly from others gives it a very interesting sense of deja vu, and makes the viewer wonder exactly what they were up to in doing this. I hadn't heard of the film before, so was very pleased to discover another film by Bogart many years after first watching his films on my little black and white set on Five All Night, Boston's first all-night station way back when!Movie Review: Cheap ...
Summary: 3 Stars
As a Humphrey Bogart fan, it pains me to say this movie was horrible. It is missing something throughtout the film, and it's hard to say what. I wasn't expecting Casablanca or the Big Sleep, but I clearly was disappointed and wanted to turn the movie off several times throughout the film. In general Bogie is the only actor you'll know int his film, or care to know. The plot was almost uninteresting, and never really develops. This movie definately could have used a Lauren Bacall, Edward G Robinson, Peter Lorre, or someone else.. Also, there are some lines at the end that are word-for-word out of Maltese Falcon, which shows this films desperation to be a classic, but it's far from it !