SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT
US, 1946, 110 minutes, Black and white.
John Hodiak, Nancy Guild, Lloyd Nolan, Richard Conte, Josephine Hutchinson, Fritz Kortner, Margo Woode, Sheldon Leonard.
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Somewhere in the Night is the second film directed by writer Joseph L. Mankiewicz. He made Dragonwyck in the same year. He was to go on to win Academy Awards for direction and screenplay in successive years, 1949 for A Letter to Three Wives and 1950 for All About Eve. Other films in his long career include Julius Caesar, Guys and Dolls and the Burton- Taylor Cleopatra.
This is a film noir, a post-World War Two setting, a portrait of a man with amnesia. As he goes on his quest to find his identity, he is given the name of a criminal. Gradually he realises that he is the same man.
The plotting is quite complex, the man searching comes across a number of underworld characters as well as the manager of a series of nightclubs (played by Richard Conte). He is also helped by a singer, Nancy Guild. Lloyd Nolan plays an agreeable detective with some comments about why detectives wear their hats all the time – with the finale of the film as he realises that he has to have his hat on to use his gun. There is a small interlude with Josephine Hutchinson, very effective in terms of emotion as well as the hero’s identity.
The film is quite effective in the presentation of amnesia and the quest for finding one’s true self.
1. The film noir in 1946, in retrospect?
2. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, his writing career, direction?
3. The title, evocative? Meaning?
4. Amnesia, the explanation, medical, psychological? The quest and discovery?
5. George Taylor, his war heroism, the Purple Heart? His injuries, the interior voice and his subjectivity, looking out, unable to speak, watching the doctors and nurses and their comments? His puzzle about George Taylor?
6. His recovery, the various officers, his discharge, the address and his following it up?
7. The nature of his search, going to the address, the hotel, people not knowing him? Cravat (**?) and the identity, the letter? Going to the bank, the withdrawal? The wariness of the teller? His going to the bar, the encounter with the bartender, the phone call? His being picked up by Anzelmo and his henchman? His going into Chris’s room, asking her to shield him? His being bashed, returning to Chris?
8. Mel, the owner of the nightclubs, pleasant personality, willing to help, calling Kendall, the meal and the discussion, the issue of identity? His contacts, helping out? The gradual revelation of the truth, pulling the gun, his threats?
9. Chris, the singer, her relationship with Mel, her being upset with George, yet helping him out, the attraction? Lending her car, the meal with Kendall, her singing in the nightclub, going with George to find the money, going to the shelter and giving the money over, the revelation of Mel’s guilt?
10. George, with Anzelmo, Kendall and his giving him the address, discovering Phyllis and her husband? The explanation of her contact? With Anzelmo? Phyllis and her giving him hints of where to go next?
11. The situation, the Nazi money, the case, Mel and his getting the money, the shooting, the issue of Cravat? Conroy and his witnessing the case?
12. Conroy, George going to see Elizabeth, her hurt and her explanations? Going to the institution, seeing Conroy, his giving the information? The man following him – and Conroy’s death?
13. The finding of the case, the money, handing it over at the shelter, giving it for Kendall?
14. Kendall, the information, his patient following through, his coming to the shelter, the encounter with George and Chris, the comment about hats, films getting it right, having the hat on so that you could use a gun?
15. The Cravat story, the private eye, his career, the money, his disappearance into the army? Recovering his identity – and his future?
