TENSION
US, 1949, 89 minutes, Black and white.
Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse, Barry Sullivan, William Conrad.
Directed by John Berry.
Tension is a small MGM melodrama, touches of film noir. A seemingly meek and mild drugstore manager, played by Richard Basehart, is married to a gold-digging wife who has a reputation, played by Audrey Totter. When she leaves him for a rich man, he is so angry that he begins to develop a murder plan. He takes a new identity, moves to a new apartment block, encounters a very friendly neighbour, played by Cyd Charisse. Barry Sullivan, as the investigating detective, does the narration.
The manager cannot commit the murder at the last moment, but his intended victim is killed. Needless to say, the police suspect the manager but we know that it is his wife who is the killer. She has had a relationship with the detective and he uses her while he diverts attention from her. But, the detective sees through her and brings the investigation to a satisfactory close.
Not bad of its type.
1. An interesting cult crime thriller? Murder mystery? The suspects? The investigation?
2. MGM production, black-and-white photography, the influence of film noir, the influence of such films in the 1940s. Musical score?
3. The title, the detective’s explanation with the tension in the rubber band, applying pressure, stretching until it breaks? His methods with Warren, with Claire?
4. The detective and the voice-over, his introduction to the situation, his character descriptions? Warren, bespectacled, working in the 24-hour pharmacy, his assistant concerned about his welfare? Diligent in his work? Concerned about his wife? Wanting her to be at home, dreading the day she would not be there? Eventually finding it? Knowing who she went off with? The effect on him? Anger? Listening to the stories about murder, murderers not found by the police? His developing the plan?
5. Claire, her past in San Diego, marrying Warren, dissatisfied, taking up with various men, looking at fashion magazines, wanting possessions? Warren and his care about the expensive perfume? The final decision to go, packing? Going off with her friend, at his beach house, Warren visiting, the friend and his beating him up? Her later return, the issue of the dead body, the gun, her answering the questions for the detective, going to the house, identifying Warren as Paul Southern, her plan, despising him, retrieving the gun, bringing it to the apartment, her being tricked by the detective?
6. Warren, his new identity, Mary taking the photo and its later being used to identify him? The friendliness, his awkwardness, his explanations, the landlady, travelling during the week selling perfumes? Actually going back to the pharmacy? Attracted to Mary, her character, pleasant, attracted to him, going out, the discussions?
7. The murder, the search for Paul Southern, no records of him, Mary and her enquiries for a lost person, the detectives working on the information, arresting Warren, grilling him, the detective’s assistant and his nonchalant attitude?
8. Letting Warren go, going to the apartment and drinking with Claire, her getting the gun, planting it, the detective saying the furniture had been changed?
9. Satisfactory resolution, and a romantic happy ending.?
