Conciencia acusadora

Lesser entry in the offbeat Whistler series. The story is worthy enough. Richard Dix plays an "artist' and kept man who takes a fancy to a shapely blonde model while his wealthy wife is stricken with a serious heart problem. The intrigue goes on from there. The problem is that the screenplay is filmed in straightforward fashion, with none of the moody atmospherics that distinguish other entries. The result is an entertaining 60 minutes, but minus the usual visual panache. Apparently, journeyman director George Sherman wasn't advised of the proper lighting or feel of the series. Either that or the producers were seeking a stylistic departure.

Nonetheless, the story keeps us watching. As usual we can't be sure how events will turn out since Dix's character is as morally compromised as in the other entries. Unlike other Hollywood films of that era, there is no one to root for as the plot unfolds. Thus, it's the story itself that holds our interest, and not the more predictable question of how a hero will triumph. Fortunately, the ending comes up with the usual fine touch of irony that fans expect.

There's an expertly shaded performance by Mary Currier as Dix's star-crossed wife. Watch the subtlety of her expressions as she learns about her wayward husband. The series itself did not depend on subtle acting-- and certainly Dix doesn't manage the Lothario role very well. Nonetheless, Currier delivers an A-grade performance. (In passing-- I expected the screenplay to develop the scheming relationship between blonde model Kay and her effete boyfriend Jim more fully than it did. That could have set up an interesting dynamic of those schemers competing against another schemer, Dix.) Anyway, stylish or not, this remains a very watchable hour of frustrated passion and the hand of fate.

I was eager to see the "Whistler" movies because of William Castle's involvement in some. He was a fine director ion the forties. (He was OK later, too. But in the forties his films were very elegant and subtle. His later horror outings were anything but subtle.) This one is not directed by Castle but it works really well. It was near the end of Richard Dix's run in the series. He was not a great actor, at least not at this point. But he had a very solid presence. And he is plausible as good guys and not so hot ones as well.

Here he plays a less than admirable character. He is a painter. Amazingly, the painting of his that we first see is pretty decent. So often, even in the toniest of A-pictures, paintings by supposedly great artists looked like the work of quick-sketch artists or Sunday painters.

The film opens with a stylishly noirish woman buying her own tombstone. Everything bout this film has the marvelous dark look of a film noir. Or of an Edward Hopper paintings. The scenes look especially like book jackets from the time.

And the female lead looks right off the cover of some true-crime book. Wow, she looks both right and beautiful! And she -- Leslie Brooks -- is a fine actress too. (Intriguingly, she looks like the same studio's biggest star ten years hence: Kim Novak.)

The whole series is entertaining, even the final film, which does not have Dix in it.

One problem I encountered and others may as well: Clearly the movies were based on a radio program of their time. I have never heard that program, though. I get the idea that the Whistler is an omniscient criminologist who either has no bodily image or, like Lamont Cranston of "The Shadow," can make himself invisible.

Guess I will try to track some tapes of the series down. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and search out these films. They're all good. A couple, like this one, are very good.

A neat entry from the series has RICHARD DIX playing a man who wants to get rid of his wife for a younger woman (LESLIE BROOKS). What he doesn't know is that his wife learns about his affair with the young blonde model and is recording her thoughts in a diary.

When his wife dies, he does marry again--but has to play a cat-and-mouse game with his new wife when she begins to suspect him of murder.

Dix plays his role quite effectively and Leslie Brooks is stunning as the blonde beauty. She never had a better chance than she does here, but unfortunately Columbia was never able to find anything but supporting roles for her in B-films of the period.

Suspenseful, it takes awhile before the tense proceedings start to tighten up, but it's worth ending for the good finale. MICHAEL DUANE has a small supporting role as an artist but gets star billing.

Well directed by George Sherman, these series are better than average programmers.

This is, in my humble opinion, the best of the whistler series of films, and sadly, the next to the last one starring Richard Dix as the center of whatever dark tale "the whistler" is recounting for the audience. This one plays out like a 40's version of Night Gallery except without any of the supernatural elements usually involved in that 70's series and with an extra helping of irony.

This is a tale about a mediocre middle aged artist, (Richard Dix as Ralph Harrison) married to a middle-aged wealthy wife (Mary Currier as Edith Harrison). The first scene sets us up for the macabre nature of the tale to come. A woman is ordering an expensive headstone - even in 1946 it will cost five thousand dollars . The stonemason is telling her it will take three months to build such an expensive monument. She says that is OK. Then she gives the name to be put on the headstone - her own. You see, Edith is quite ill with a bad heart and has only months to live and she knows it.

Someone else here mentioned this as the tale of "the inconvenient wife", but it is not at all clear what Ralph's true feelings are for his wife, at least in the beginning. For sure he likes not having to sell sketches in the park, to be able to have his own studio and dabble even though he has no talent, and to entertain his "friends" who are actually just a bunch of parasitic hangers on. However, he seems genuinely troubled and saddened by the doctor's news that his wife has only weeks or months to live. His great misfortune is to befriend ace grifter Kay Morrell just to have someone to talk to during his time of trouble with his wife tied to a sick bed, and then he falls in love with her.

Ralph decides he really wants Kay, Kay really only likes Ralph's money, and Ralph really likes his money too, and he loses that if he divorces Edith. Normally he could just wait out Edith's illness to its inevitable conclusion, but then a monkey wrench is thrown into his plans - a young hot-shot doctor devises a state of the art treatment plan and Edith now has a second lease on life. I'll let you watch for yourself and see how all of this plays out.

This particular whistler entry is the essence of noir - an average man who is on an average man's path until something unexpected comes along, and suddenly that forbidden fruit just looks to good to pass up. Surely he can get away with a bite out of that fruit just once...or not.

Like I said earlier, Dix did an outstanding job in this one. You never really know what his true feelings are deep in his heart, since he plays his cards close to his vest in his role as Ralph and he is fascinating to watch. Kudos also go out to Claire Du Brey who has her Mrs. Danvers like role down pat as the loyal servant of Edith, and also to Leslie Brooks as Kay Morrell who is beautiful and cold as ice as the femme fatale. A highly recommended little B noir.

Always enjoy the wonderful performance that Richard Dix would present in this old time Radio favorite and his on the big screen appearance in the 1940's. In this film Dix plays the role of an artist (Ralph Harrison) who is married to a very rich woman Edith Marie Harrison,(Mary Currier) who has been very ill for many years and it puts a strain on their relationship. Ralph meets up with a blonde model, Kay Morrell, (Leslie Brooks) and he paints all kinds of pictures of Leslie. A relationship develops, however, Kay does not love Ralph and knows he is married, but she does wrap him around her little finger and manages to get all kinds of expensive jewelry and clothes. Mrs. Edith Harrison starts feeling well and visits her husband's studio and from that point on the story gets very interesting and creates a great mystery story. Enjoy a good B Classic film from 1946.