I post reviews (here) of Film Noir movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age of Noir, the 1940s and 1950s. I write as an amateur film noir enthusiast, but not an authority as such.

Maybe, like me, you are looking to enjoy films that are different, or of a different era. Films you may not have seen, ones encompassing cynical detectives, seductive femme fatales, flawed sidekicks all tossed together into intricate plots. Not forgetting the snappy dialogue too.

Backstory: Film Noir has its roots in German expressionist cinematography and American crime fiction. During the 1930s Hollywood became a perfect storm of film artists fleeing the threat of Nazi Germany, emigrating to America, and specifically to the Film studios of Hollywood. This included great directors such as Fritz Lang, Jaques Tourneur, Michael Curtiz and Robert Siodmak.

This new dramatic visual style combined with American hardboiled crime stories (noir fiction), emerged during the Great Depression and produced many classic noirs. Some of these writers include: Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Dashiell Hammett, Patricia Highsmith, Jim Thompson and Mickey Spillane.

I hope to showcase some of these memorable noir movies here for you. And advance apologies for a mixture of British and US English occasionally. I have applied the link below, to the Amazon.com DVD of today’s featured film. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases).

Inspired by hardboiled detective stories and film noir, I have written the Sterling Private Investigator Series, set in present-day London. I have also posted a link to my books at the bottom of the page.

Today’s film is: 

Tension

USA link DVD: https://amzn.to/4hznFCs 

UK link DVD:  https://amzn.to/4hGMug7  

“Is she worth it, Mr Quimby?”

Film Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1949/B&W

Director: John Berry

Original Music: Andre Previn

Cinematography: Harry Stradling

Film Editor: Albert Akst

Story: John D. Klorer

Screenplay: Allen Rivkin

Produced by: Robert Sisk

Main Actors: Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse, Barry Sullivan

Run time: 91 minutes

Preview

Courtesy of Wikipedia:

Tension is a 1949 American crime film noir directed by John Berry, and written by Allen Rivkin, based on a story written by John D. Klorer. It stars Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse and Barry Sullivan. The film features an early score from composer Andre Previn. The careers of the director and supporting actor Lloyd Gough later suffered from blacklisting.

According to MGM records, the film earned $506,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $270,000 in other markets, resulting in a loss of $229,000.

Walter Addiego, film critic at the San Francisco Examiner, wrote: “They aren’t making ’em anymore like this 1949 melodrama by John Berry, and that’s too bad…What sticks with you about the film is what a classic, prize-winning sap the Basehart character is, how pathetic and ill-considered are his dreams of domestic bliss, and how easily he’s able to shift into a new and quite different identity. All in all, a good example of noirish post-war disillusionment — and it has Cyd Charisse and William Conrad to boot.”

Synopsis

Tension begins with Police Lieutenant Collier Bonnabel (played by Barry Sullivan) talking directly to the camera. The officer works in homicide and tells us he knows one way to break these murder cases wide open: tension. He goes on to say he plays up to a suspect’s weakness and strengths. “Romance them,” he says, “or ignore them. Kiss ’em, press ’em but whatever way, keep stretching, everything, everybody’s got a breaking point…” He stretches a rubber band as if to emphasize the point.

He begins to narrate a case in flashback, involving a man called, Warren Quimby (played by Richard Basehart) who is a night manager of an all-night drugstore on “St Anne’s and 13th” in Culver City, California. He lives in an apartment right over the store. Married to Claire Quimby (played by noir bad girl, Audrey Totter). I already have a bad feeling about this…

Quimby has been working hard to save money for a house in the suburbs, but his wife, Claire, is less than unimpressed: “I think it’s a miserable spot. It’s thirty minutes from nowhere.” Quimby is meek and mild-mannered and his wife is trying to wriggle free from him like a fish from a fisherman’s net. She’s looking for another suitor, in fact.

Claire Quimby does meet a new – and rich – man, called Barney Deager (Lloyd Gough). As she admires an outfit in a fashion magazine, he looks over her shoulder, “It would look better on you,” he says. “Where you parked,” she asks, (Oh and, he happens to own a beachfront property). This seems to clinch it, and in turn, she leaves Warren for Barney Deager and the beach.

When her devastated husband goes there to get his wife back. …Be careful of what you wish for... She refuses to return and an argument ensues. Warren is then beaten up by Deager after lingering and loitering around like a… well, an unwanted ex-partner.

Quimby later shares the story with his work colleague Freddie (Tom D’Andrea), who is surprised he puts up with his wife, and wonders why he didn’t just kill her new lover. “No guy could do that to me. I’d kill him!” he says.

Quimby’s internal monlogue queries the possibility of murder: Kill him? Yeah, but how do you do that and not get caught. You become a different person, that’s it. You wipe out Warren Quimby and, in his place, you put someone else….

Still reeling, Quimby creates a new identity with the idea of killing Barney Deager. Quimby swaps his spectacles for contact lenses, and buys some sharper-looking clothes, changing his appearance slightly. He constructs a new identity: Paul Sothern, “a cosmetics salesman” and takes a (weekend) apartment in Westwood. Here, he meets the attractive neighbour, Mary Chanler (played by Cyd Charisse) who at least, has eyes only for him… and they start to date.

Returning to his plan of murder, Quimby first makes a threatening phone call to Deager’s servant, giving his new and false name. Later, he hitchhikes to the beach house, picks up a barbeque spit and fork with the intent of killing Deager. Standing by the sleeping man, Quimby is unable to go through with the deed. Dropping the weapon, Deager awakes. Quimby retrieves the fork, holding it to Deager’s throat but is fast realizing that his wife isn’t worth it. And her absence suggests she’s now cheating on her new lover too.

In a blink of an eye, Claire has returned to the marital home. Warren is disbelieving that she would return for him. Claire reveals that Deager has been murdered. Before you know it, Lt. Bonnabel and his partner, Lt. Gonsales, are on the doorstep with a few questions about the murder and a missing gun… The cops know that Claire left that very morning. She says he was an old friend of theirs, and that she was a day guest and used the swimming pool on occasion.  Warren is forced to back her story. Besides, the cops are now looking for a man called Paul Sothern, who seems completely untraceable…

Meanwhile, Mary Chanler is concerned about Paul Sothern who seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. She takes a photo of him to the Bureau of Missing Persons. Bonnabel quickly realises that Sothern and Quimby are one and the same person. Warren Quimby is arrested thereafter but soon released due to insufficient evidence against him and the cops are left scratching their heads… If they could only find the murder weapon, that missing gun…

Things to like

*Quimby has fallen for the wholesome, girl next door, Mary Chanler. She has motivated him to start a new life, in turn, telling his property manager (of his “weekend” accommodation), that he is moving in, for good. Returning home, and shaving at the sink, he whistles happily. When he bends down to clean his razor, the camera tracks his movements and pans down too. When Quimby stands upright, he looks back in the mirror to see Claire in the reflection; she gives him an angelic, forgive-me (for my sins), sort of smile.

*The detectives go to the fairground. After the lieutenant questions a man about seeing Sothern, his partner, Lt. Gonsales (wonderfully played by William Conrad) desires some popcorn, the assistant gives it to him, free and gratis. As he’s walking away with popcorn in hand, Bonnabel grabs it from him, and randomly passes it off to a small kid who is walking by… Funny.

*Who is playing whom? Bonnabel and Claire Quimby are after different things and, each trying to play the other. A few great scenes whereby both are using the art of seduction to attain their wants, needs and desires. And as you can imagine, they are greatly contrasting.

*Audrey Totter’s femme fatale character of Claire Quimby. She pouts, seduces, scolds and emotes in a powerhouse performance. A segment that encapsulates her meanness (aside from her gold-digging traits), is when she is sitting at the end of the bar eating a hamburger, and an earnest young fellow sees her alone and comes over… “Can I buy you…” he starts and is immediately interrupted. “D-r-i-f-t,” she says, cruelly.

Quotes

Lt. Collier Bonnabel: “Where’s the gun, Quimby?

It’s hard not to choose any scene involving the bewitching and talented Audrey Totter. But I have to go with a scene (without her) which, I believe, transcends others.

Mary Chanler has recently submitted a missing person (“Paul Sothern”) report with the authorities. Later, Lt. Collier Bonnabel offers to buy Mary Chanler, “the best cup of coffee in town”. It’s a ruse because he has no interest in coffee, (and probably couldn’t care what their coffee tastes like either), but upon arrival, he smiles as if this place has a virtuoso barista and magical coffee beans… Our suspicions are confirmed (he’d asked earlier to be dropped off at St Anne’s & 13th which was our first clue) because he leads Mary Chanler into Quimby’s drugstore.

They take a seat. Bonnabel calls over to Quimby who is busy serving a customer. When Quimby responds, Mary’s eyes widen in surprise, startled, she spins around on her stool, having recognized the voice. The lieutenant immediately invites Quimby over and introduces him. “Mr Quimby, Ms Chanler.” They feign not to know each other but Bonnabel knows full well of their intimate relationship. They keep up the masquerade, with their exchanges. “How do you do, Ms Chanler.” “Good evening,” she replies, privately in surprise at seeing Quimby, or Paul Sothern as she knows him.

“How’s your wife?” the lieutenant asks Quimby. (Notice how the detective carefully examines Mary’s reaction). “Fine,” Quimby replies. “…She’s cute as a button…” the lieutenant says, continuing the awkward disclosure. We know this must be painful for Mary to hear but, impressively, she doesn’t raise an eyebrow.

Summary

Tension is one of those movies that you may not have heard of, or seen before, but once it starts, is a pleasant surprise and a potent experience.

The subtitle could be called, “What a woman wants”. In Claire Quimby’s case, rather a lot: expensive clothes, jewellery and money for eating out and fancy cars. She covets them all – and anyone who can provide them for her. Her husband Warren spends his working nights earning money to spend on her, and his days spent trying to keep her. Totter is brassy and brazen and magnetic in her role and Basehart is moral and virtuous (to a point); they are both excellent.

Pleasingly, all of the key film noir elements are included in Tension: femme fatale; check. Adultery; murder; innocent man presumed guilty; sweet gal, love interest; duplicitous detective; noirish night scenery; check; check; check. Watch on, until the lieutenant has broken the tension of that rubber band, and in turn, his suspects.

A surprisingly good film that might be lesser known but greatly enjoyable. A B + for this B picture. An engaging and effective thriller that shines brightly in the dark world of noir.

USA Link: Film Noirs & Spanish Guitars (paperback): https://amzn.to/3WLVWqj   (eBook): https://amzn.to/3CAA7TR

UK Link: Film Noirs & Spanish Guitars (paperback): https://amzn.to/42CmttN   (eBook): https://amzn.to/40Ttq8K