Although I will watch the occasional film in this genre, noir is not my favourite type of film. However, Robert Mitchum is an actor who I always enjoy watching, so I thought that I would give this film a go – and it was definitely worth watching.
Mitchum plays Jeff Bailey, a mysterious man, who ekes out a living operating a petrol station in a small town. When someone from his past comes looking for him, Bailey explains to his girlfriend Anne (Virginia Huston), how he used to work as a private detective, but when a gangster employed him to find his missing girlfriend, Bailey ended up falling in love with the woman (Jane Greer) himself. He had hoped to escape this past, but now ends up agreeing – under sufferance – to do one last job for the gangster, Whit (Kirk Douglas)…
I liked this film a lot – as with all good films in this genre, it is not quite clear at first who can be trusted and who is double crossing who. Mitchum is PERFECT as Bailey – a man who has seen too much and is tired of his old life. He just wants to settle down and live a quiet life with Anne, but fate is against him. Kirk Douglas is also excellent as the slimy but charismatic Whit; he infuses the character with an undertone of danger – you are never quite sure what he might do next. Jane Greer, as Kathie, Whit’s ex-girlfriend, and the woman who Bailey falls for against all better judgement, rounds out the main cast very well. It is the only role I have ever seen her in, but she is super, and looks stunning.
Humphrey Bogart wanted to do this role originally but the studio he was contracted to did not buy it, and he lost out. Mitchum was actually the fourth choice for the part – which is interesting, as I cannot imagine anybody doing a better job. This film received lots of acclaim, but sadly today does not seem to well known. That’s a shame – this is a film that I would certainly recommend to anybody, if they get a chance to watch it.
(N.B. This film was originally released in the UK under the title ‘Build My Gallows High’)
Year of release: 1947
Director: Jacques Tourneur
Producers: Robert Sparks, Warren Duff
Writers: Daniel Mainwaring (as Geoffrey Homes) (book), James M. Cain, Frank Fenton
Main cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Paul Valentine
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