MANHANDLED
US, 1949, 97 minutes, Black and white.
Dorothy Lamour, Dan Duryea, Sterling Hayden, Irene Hervey, Harold Vermilyea, Philip Reed, Alan Napier, Art Smith, Irving Bacon.
Directed by Lewis R. Foster.
Manhandled is a competent crime thriller directed by Lewis R. Foster. It is a dramatic star vehicle for Dorothy Lamour - a change of pace for her musical comedies, sarong pictures and teaming with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. It is interesting, though the material of any TV episode of a police thriller. Sterling Hayden is the insurance investigator and Dan Duryea gives yet another performance as a snarling villain.
1. The popularity of the crime thriller? The style of the '40s? Comparisons with later decades and television episodes and series?
2. The black and white photography, the atmosphere of the city,, the psychiatrist's office, the apartments, the police, pawnbroker's etc.? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
3. The conventions of the film: the heroine who is mysterious, unwittingly involved in crime, put upon and eventually vindicated? The laconic hero investigator? The snarling villain who double crosses the heroine and threatens her? The police? The murder victim and the spoilt victim with the vindictive husband? The introduction of the psychiatric background as difference?
4. The plausibility of the plot: the criminal setting himself up as a psychiatrist, his employing the heroine without investigation., the breaches of confidentiality, the availability of files to the villain and to the police? The press conferences by the police giving detailed and confidential information? The more sophisticated approach in later decades?
5. The heroine and her background, her moving to New York, her work as secretary, taking notes, completing the files, her being framed? Carl and his insinuations? Getting her the job? Her being investigated - finding the jewellery and pawning it? The buying of the coat? Police interrogation and their roughness? Cooper and his investigations? Carl and her discovery of the truth, the conflict, the dangers and the rescue? The film as a Dorothy Lamour vehicle?
6. Sterling Hayden's Cooper - the laconic investigator, his being ahead of the police? His tactics, investigating Carl, saving the heroine?
7. The comic portrait of the policeman - his wife, the shopping, his taking the sleeping tablets etc.? The comic touch strengthening the film?
8. Dan Duryea as Carl - the police background, getting the heroine the job, getting information from her, the stealing of the files, his presence at the hotel, the robbery and the murder, the audience suspecting him? His hiding the jewels in the heroine's apartment, his lies and his cooperation with the police, double dealing, threatening the professor and his death, threatening the heroine, his being caught? A strong characterisation of a villain?
9. The psychiatrist? seeming authentic, listening to his patient and his dream, the files, the late night work? The interrogation by the police and the testing of the voices? The irony of his being the criminal? the flashbacks and the explanation? Carl pursuing him to his death?
10. The various witnesses and their testimony e.g. the young couple kissing in the hotel?
11. The background of the murder: the opening dream and Alton Bennett's involvement, murdering his wife? The discovery by the audience that it was a dream? The detailed information being given to the psychiatrist ?and the dream being fulfilled? Alton's arrogance, need of money? His wife's arrogance and her boyfriend's? Mutual taunts? Suspicions on Alton Bennett? The use made of the dream?
12. The competent Hollywood thriller? Stereotypes enhanced for the sake of the drama? Basic themes of intrigue, right and wrong, heroism and integrity?
