INSIDE STRAIGHT
US, 1951, 89 minutes, Black and white.
David Brian, Arlene Dahl, Barry Sullivan, Mercedes Mc Cambridge.
Directed by Gerald Mayer.
Inside Straight is a better than average MGM supporting feature of the late '40s. It doesn't have a top-ranking cast. However, the cast is very strong on character portraits.
The film is set in San Francisco in the 1870s, shows the opportunities for wealth, the mines, the stock exchange, banking - and the ability of fortune-hunters to manipulate one another and markets. The screenplay is in the vein of The Bad and the Beautiful: the crisis point and various characters remembering the central character and trying to estimate what he will do. David Bryan has the good role as Rip Mc Cool, the self-made man on whose decision the fortunes of San Francisco rest. Mercedes Mc Cambridge, at the time of her Oscar for All the King's Men, is very good as Ada Stritch. Barry Sullivan is the loyal support. Arlene Dahl is suave as a successful fortune-hunter. Paula Raymond is the French governess. Lon Chaney has a good role as Mc Cool's friend, Shocker. Claude Jarman Jnr appears briefly as the young Mc Cool.
The atmosphere is well created, the characters well delineated, their moral complexities highlighted. (This would be the material for an '80s mini-series.)
1. Interesting piece of Americana? California in the 19th century? Fortune-hunting? Characters and situations? Interplay? A piece of Americana?
2. Black and white photography, the re-creation of California in the 1870s and earlier? The editing and pace? The musical score, the songs?
3. The title, poker, gambling? Poker players revealing their characters? The enigma of the end?
4. The structure of the film: the crisis, the card game, the various angles on the portrait of McCool? The cumulative characterisation, the history of these characters? The finale?
5. David Bryan as Rip Mc Cool: wealthy, holding the power of financing San Francisco? Ada's memories of him: coming with Shocker, in town, risks, moneymaking, the deal with the hotel and his overreaching her? Her desire for revenge? His place in the town? Buying hotels? Alexander Hamilton and Lily, his saving Lily's reputation? Getting help from Hamilton on the exchange? Building up his finances? The enmity of people?
6. Johnny's memories: boxing, his support of him, their becoming friends, the ups and downs of his fortune? The relationship with Lily? Her leading him on? Fluty Johnson and his memories of the relationship with Lily, the financial arrangement, Lily's coldness, cold and calculating and getting a fortune? The birth of her son and her ignoring him? Catching Mc Cool with the chorus girl? The million-dollar deal and her leaving? The memory of Johnny to give justice to Mc Cool and his feelings: his lack of concern about his son, the arrival of Zoe, her looking after the boy? His concern about Zoe? Her tricking Hamilton into revealing the truth about the mines, his going to the mines and finding out about the new vein, winning over Ada? Zoe doing this for him? Her being pregnant, the birth of the child, stillborn, her death? Mc Cool walking the town, talking with Johnny, going to the church? His change of heart? Discovery of his loneliness? Shocker's story of the early days, the cholera plague, the death of his parents, the Mona Lisa bonds, the hardhearted undertaker, his working in the mine, getting the money to bury his parents? His tough attitudes for the future? The complicated portrait of Mc Cool?
5. Ada, the widow, the hotel, trying to put it over Mc Cool, the deal, her wanting revenge? Her success with the mine, emerging in the town, social attacks? Putting it over her with the new vein? Her desperation with the bank? His final decision, not telling her what the card was? Her getting the money? A reconciliation?
6. Johnny, his background, writing and poetry, boxing? The printing press, the friendship and hostility relationship with Mc Cool? Working for him in the hotel? The attraction to Lily? His concern about Zoe, proposing to her? His being a father to Mc Cool's son, taking him fishing, etc? Being banished from the house?
7. Shocker, his friendship with the young Mc Cool, staying with him, through thick and thin, the humiliations by Lily, looking after the house, the butler? His memories?
8. Lily, glamorous, with Hamilton, business, her songs and career, the deal with Mc Cool, calculated, resisting him, the birth of her son, catching him as he had caught her? The million-dollar deal?
9. Zoe, her arrival, the deal with Mc Cool, looking after the boy, raising him, collaborating with Johnny? Johnny's proposal? Her love for Mc Cool, the marriage and the arrangement, the pregnancy, her hopes for her child, her death?
10. Alexander Thompson and his position in society, the stock exchange, financial deals, with Lily, caught? Fluty Johnson and the other businessmen around the town and their collaboration with Mc Cool? With Ada?
11. The transition of California? The pioneers, the jungle with snow, the hardships, the money deals, the mines, gambling, the saloons and business, the press? The banks? The future of California?
12. A small supporting feature - but with good characterisations and interest?
