THE SCARLET HOUR
US, 1955, 93 minutes, Black and white.
Carol Ohmart, Tom Tryon, James Gregory, Jody Lawrence, E. G. Marshall, Elaine Stritch.
Directed by Michael Curtiz.
The Scarlet Hour is a mid-50s thriller directed by veteran Michael Curtiz. Curtiz had worked on many action adventures at Warner Bros. in the '30s and '40s, moved to comedies, musicals and nostalgic pieces in the early 80s. After moving to Paramount in the mid-50s, he made a number of musicals including White Christmas and The Vagabond King.
This was one of Tom Tryon's earliest films. The rest of the cast is comparatively unknown except for James Gregory as the victim husband, Elaine Stritch as the former chorus girl and E. G. Marshall.
The film is in the vein of the film noir thrillers of the '40s, murder conspiracies like Double Indemnity. it is interesting to note that one of the co-writers is comic writer-director Frank Tashlin.
1. An interesting melodramatic thriller?
2. Black and white photography, the atmosphere of the city? Mansions, offices? The use of light and darkness for the relationship, the crimes? Musical score?
3. The title and its reference to Paulie? To Marsh? Their relationship? Murder?
4. The focus on Paulie: her youthfulness, her marriage to Ralph Webb, her relationship with Marsh, her life of luxury? Their meetings? The hearing of the robbery being planned? Paulie's idea for Marsh to rob the robbers? The set-up, the waiting, the plan and its execution? Her being followed by Ralph? The confrontation? The gun? His death? Her not telling Marsh the truth? The police investigation? Marsh not seeing her? Her growing jealousy? Suspicions of Kathy? Her jealous attempts to give him to the police? Her being arrested?
5. Marsh as an ordinary young man? His work? Kathy's devotion? His entanglement with Paulie? His love for her? His attitudes towards Ralph Webb? The plan for the robbery? His robbing the robbers? Things going wrong? His escape? His not suspecting Paulle? His avoiding her? Kathy's devotion to him? The police investigations? His dilemmas? Anguish? His decision to confess?
6. Kathy and her work for Marsh, covering for him, concern, in love, helping him, promising to wait for him?
7. Ralph Webb and his relationship with Paulle, age difference, wealth, business associations, his suspicions of Paulie, the robbery, the struggle and his death?
8. Phyllis and the wisecracking ex-chorus girl? Contribution to the plot? To the mood of the film?
9. Dr. Lynbury and his contribution? Jennings? The police investigation? Following Paulie? Following Marsh?
10. The American film noir? Romance melodramas? Conspiracies to murder? How effective of its kind was this version?
