pmcenea

This is a well-plotted movie with many twists and turns. Dan Duryea's role was a notch below the demonic type he usually played in noirs, but he carried it brilliantly, especially the drunk scene. His delivery of the "don't ever change, Tiger..." line alone was worth the price of admission.

Arthur Kennedy and Don DeFore were more than competent, although I felt DeFore didn't fully extend himself, but I wouldn't go to the wall with that opinion.

Kristine Miller didn't have that much screen time but made the most of it, although had a few flat scenes.

Lizabeth Scott, in my opinion was pretty bad. The more tense the scene was the more low-keyed and withdrawn she seemed to become. It seemed that she didn't have any feeling for this character at all...one can only imagine what Joan Crawford would have done with the role. Having said all this, I am going to lay most of the defects at the feet of the director, Byron Haskin. While the characters of Duryea and Kennedy were well defined, the rest seemed to be struggling to find their respective levels. At the end of the movie, I felt like I had been cheated. In a lot of senses the movie is almost unique and should enjoy a larger noir status, but it is a classic case of having all the elements and not having them put in their proper places.

My conclusion? Watch it, you'll enjoy it, but it could have been so much better.

A lot of people associated with this movie have a lot to answer for. The music was very good although it was changed from the Broadway play. If you ever saw the play you will see that the original was not only different but so much better. I am not an expert on dancing, so I will not comment on that part. The direction was awful. I you see Howard Keel in "7 Brides for 7 Brothers" you will see him under control. For some reason, the director thought everyone should play their part way over the top. The product cheaped out with Ansco color which was really glaring, especially the stage costumes. The sets were also cheap. Check out the rooftop scene in the opening. The cinematography made me crazy. Why show Ann Miller from the waste up when she is dancing? For that matter, with her legs, why show any other part? (Just kidding). I could go on with the second unit and whatnot, but I will summarize by saying the production values were shockingly poor. 3 of 10.

This movie presents serious problems for me. First, I couldn't stand the fact that an admitted felon, a swindler (Barton Hepburn), was wandering through the movie without anyone thinking to call the police. Not only did he swindle Billy Burke of everything, but then proceeds to disrupt everyone's life and PEOPLE LISTEN TO HIM!!! I also have no patience for Ms. Burke's as a ditz. She is capable of so much more.