Crossroads

This is a good, keep-you-guessing mystery. William Powell plays a man who doesn't remember anything of his life beyond 13 years ago. Circumstances begin to make him doubt himself and wonder what he had done before an accident caused him to have amnesia. He is very much in love with his wife (the beautiful Hedy Lamarr), and it is riveting to watch his self-assurance crumble as clues begin to reveal a possible shady past. Also starring Claire Trevor and Basil Rathbone. Good movie, especially if you are a William Powell ("The Thin Man") and/or Hedy Lamarr fan.

Slickly done MGM programmer. It may not be a top-of-the-line production, but it still has the studio's signature polish and glamor. The premise is an intriguing one-- is successful diplomat Powell also a murderer with a bad case of memory. With luscious wife La Marr and an ascending career, he's got a long way to fall if he is. Powell is his usual urbane self, while La Marr and Trevor get to play dress-up, big time, while Rathbone gets a break from Sherlock by playing a rather nasty villain. There's nothing special here, just an entertaining diversion with a rather unsurprising ending. For those interested in European types, this is a good opportunity to catch them under a single roof, as it were-- especially Felix Bressart, whose pixilated professor lifts the sometimes stolid proceedings. Aesthetically, there's one really striking composition of black and white photography. Powell's on his way to the river to end it all. But next to the coursing dark waters separated by a zigzagging wall is a shimmering cobblestone boulevard lit by three foggy street lamps. It's an uncommon depth of field with subtly contrasting shades of black and gray. All in all, it's a real grabber, and demonstrates vividly those values that have been lost in the wholesale move to Technicolor.

William Powell plays David Talbot, a French diplomat. When he receives a cryptic letter seeming to ask him for repayment of an old debt, he involves the police, who capture the apparent blackmailer. When the mysterious apprehended man goes on trial for extortion, the story of David Talbot develops. He was in an accident 13 years prior, leaving him with no memory of the previous years. Because he cannot absolutely deny things attributed to him before the accident, we are not sure of the truth. It would have been interesting to see how Hitchcock might handle this story.

We wonder if Talbot, the man with he dubious past, really suffers from amnesia. The evidence, as it is revealed, pulls us back and forth. Is Talbot's behavior due to his confusion? Is he angry at the charges leveled against him? Or is he feigning forgetfulness? Perhaps every new development is bringing his memory back to him?

It is William Powell's acting that creates the ambiguity that keeps this story interesting. Hedy Lamarr, Basil Rathbone and Claire Trevor perform admirably in their supporting roles.

It's a simple premise. But the action develops the story in such a way that the viewer's interest is always engaged. Clues--at least what we think are clues--are parceled out cleverly. Powell's reactions are well-studied, always maintaining the veil that clouds his intentions. It is totally believable because we know that Talbot is probably confused too. This is a mystery worth watching.

David Talbot (William Powell) is in the diplomatic corps of France about to be named ambassador to Brazil. He has recently married a beautiful woman (Hedy Lamarr as Lucienne), and did I mention he has no memory of his life prior to 13 years ago (present day is 1935) when he was badly injured in a train wreck? He has attempted to find out his history, but he hit nothing but dead ends and eventually gave up trying.

Then one day he gets a note demanding one million francs to be left at a specified drop point or else he will reveal Talbot's identity to the police as a "welcher"? Was this ever actually a crime in France? Our prisons would be full in America if that were a crime here. Talbot alerts the police, cooperates, and the blackmailer is caught. At the trial the accused says that Talbot is in fact career thief Jean Pelletier. Also at the trial a woman (Claire Trevor as Michelle) swoons when she sees him, recognizing him from years ago. But another witness steps forward (Basil Rathbone as Sarrou) who says that said Jean Peltier died years ago, that he was present at his death, and that he confessed his many crimes before he died. The blackmailer is convicted and gets a year.

But it turns out that Sarrou was lying and he tells Talbot that he actually is Pelletier and that he is also a murderer in a robbery that netted two million francs. Sarrou now wants half the loot from that robbery as he was also one of the robbers. Talbot at first dismisses this claim, but as both Michelle and Sarrou slowly bring forth evidence indicating that he could be this horrible person, he begins to wonder, and worse he is hiding this entire situation from his wife.

The problem watching this today is that there are far too many scammers in this internet age to not figure out what is going on almost immediately. And there are a few plot holes which I will leave to you to see for yourself. This is a well done film though, with good acting by all involved. It's too bad Hedy Lamarr isn't given more to do than just look beautful and be supportive.

An interesting aside - Of course most classic film fans know that Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes in a series of films in the 1930s and 1940s. You may not know that William Powell's first film role was in the 1922 silent version of Sherlock Holmes with John Barrymore in the title role. An interesting "crossroads" indeed.

I was drawn to this by the presence in the cast of William Powell, an actor whose graceful charm always lent class to any movie he appeared in. His work in this surprisingly good story of mystery and blackmail, lives up to expectations. The plot manages to surprise one throughout and keeps one's interest going right to the end. Good script, good direction, and a nice setting in 1920's France. Basil Rathbone turns in a nice bit as a villainous character from the past. Worth seeing.