Another Forgetten Film Noir: Arts + Words: Joel Wicklund: CenterstageChicago.com

Articles Sections >> >

Another Forgetten Film Noir

Love and jealousy battle over a "Long Night."

Monday Jun 20, 2005. By Joel Wicklund

Arts + Words Feed

I'm wary of the kind of nostalgia that says "they don't make 'em like that any more," as no matter what era or art form you are talking about, you are sure to find as much mediocrity and crap as worthy efforts.

Still, a film like "The Long Night" (1947) does make you wonder if there wasn't a higher standard for craftsmanship and storytelling in Hollywood's so-called golden age than exists today. How else to explain how this striking, emotionally resonant movie has been largely forgotten, other than to suggest it was lost in a time of too many good films? 1947 alone gave us "Body and Soul," "Brute Force," "Dead Reckoning," "A Double Life," "Gentleman's Agreement," "Kiss of Death," "Miracle on 34th Street," "Monsieur Verdoux," "Nightmare Alley," "Out of the Past," "Pursued," "The Red House," "T-Men" and several other noteworthy features. It was a darn good year for American movies and film noir in particular.

With its general darkness, urban and industrial imagery, and hero caught in a downward spiral, "The Long Night" certainly qualifies as a film noir. However, don't look for the hard-edged sensibility and escalating suspense often associated with the genre. Where most of film noir trades in cynicism, "The Long Night" is more concerned with battling cynicism: trying to believe in the redemptive power of love while doubt and despair begin to close in.

The film opens with a shooting and the police attempting to coax the man who fired the gun out of his one-room apartment. Inside the room, we meet Joe Adams (Henry Fonda) at his lowest point. He has killed a man and seems ready for death himself. Through a series of flashbacks, we see how he arrived at these dire circumstances.

Honest factory worker Joe thinks he has found the perfect girl when pretty florist Jo Ann (Barbara Bel Geddes) wanders into his workplace. A romance blooms, but Jo Ann is also drawn to Maximilian (Vincent Price), a magician as deceptive in real life as he is on the stage. A womanizer with a cruel streak, Maximilian both draws and repels Jo Ann, leaving Joe bewildered, jealous and just plain angry.

He briefly takes up with Maximilian's former showgirl assistant Charlene (Ann Dvorak), but continues to carry a torch for Jo Ann. Moreover, Jo Ann still seems to genuinely love Joe, in spite of her dalliance with the manipulative illusionist. Meanwhile, Maximilian's pursuit of Jo Ann remains undaunted, and he seems ready to go to any length to get what he wants.

More than a simple love triangle, the story digs deep into the insecurities of any romantic relationship. Though Maximilian is clearly the villain, he's really just a symbol of the allure of something better (be it a glamorous life or, as the film subtly hints, greater sexual satisfaction) that makes one consider leaving the assurance of a steady, dependable partner. Jo Ann is neither the typical movie good girl nor some simplified figure of innocence corrupted. She is merely a young woman uncertain of where her wants and needs meet. That uncertainty plagues Joe, for whom Jo Ann fulfills both his wants and needs, and is preyed upon by Maximilian.

Through some superb dialogue by John Wexley, the movie rises above mere melodrama and becomes a serious look at how love is never quite the pure and simple thing we like to believe it is. Gender, class and educational differences also get thrown into the messy mix, distilled when Maximilian taunts Joe about "the naive conceptions you simple men have about women."

Another reason "The Long Night" may not be prominent in film history is that it is a remake of a famous French film, "Le Jour se leve" (1939) directed by Marcel Carne ("Children of Paradise") and starring the legendary Jean Gabin in the Fonda role. Not surprisingly, many critics prefer "Le Jour se leve" and the ending of the American version is reportedly far more upbeat than the French original.

Still, taken on its own, "The Long Night" is a memorable dramatic look at romantic idealism colliding with the realities of individuality. Fonda doesn't have a false moment as the tormented Joe, slipping from joy to total depression as his idea of the perfect woman comes crumbling apart. Bel Geddes (who would go on to star in Hitchcock's "Vertigo" but is probably most widely recognized as Miss Ellie from TV's "Dallas") is equally strong as the confused, sexually awakening Jo Ann. Dvorak adds some nice touches as the good-hearted "woman of the world" Charlene and Price is both wonderfully hammy and menacing (the combination that made his career) as Maximilian.

Director Anatole Litvak ("Sorry, Wrong Number," "The Snake Pit") brought a meticulous eye to creating a claustrophobic visual environment and he made superb use of some impressive sets and backdrops designed for the film.

Kino Video's DVD of "The Long Night" features a fine print of the film, showing just a few specks and splices. The audio is slightly problematic; dropping off noticeably in certain scenes, so keep your remote handy for volume control. Bonus features include a couple of brief excerpts from "Le Jour se leve," a nice gallery of photos and promotional artwork, and an informative essay (featuring clips and stills) about the film's production design.

Is "The Long Night" one of the great lost films of the 1940s? Probably not. It may not even be one of the ten best films of 1947. It is, however, a provocative film with enduring qualities and, classic or not, it deserves a lot more attention.

Films featured in DVDetours™ may be difficult to find at many video stores but are widely available from some of the online rental services, such as Netflix, Green Cine, QwikFliks and Blockbuster Online. Inventories vary from company to company and DVDetours has no connection to any of these services.

Centerstage - Chicago's Original City Guide