The Dark Corner
Posted by martinteller on March 2, 2010
Smoky jazz lounges, dingy apartments, venetian blinds, hired goons, lingo-heavy dialogue (“I’m clean as a peeled egg”), a frame-up, and a private dick with a shadowy past. That is to say: noir as fuck. No femme fatale, but there is a loyal gal Friday. Speaking of that, it was a real kick to see Lucille Ball in a context outside of her television show. It’s not an especially comedic role, but she plays it sassy in an agreeable way (although she reminds me oddly of my mother-in-law). Mark Stevens is decent as the hero, quick-witted and likeable (though a bit whiny). But once again the real stars are villains: William Bendix as the heavy who’s smarter than he looks and Clifton Webb as the prissy schemer… pretty much the same character he played in Laura. The movie is constructed well and gets all the genre affectations right, but I’d have to say the story is slightly lacking and doesn’t stand out from the pack. Still fun to watch though, and I’ll probably hold on it, at least until it’s time for the next collection purge. Rating: 7
