Appointment with a Shadow

1957
Approved
1h 12min

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Joanna Moore and George Nader in Appointment with a Shadow (1957)

Agrega una trama en tu idiomaGeorge Nader plays a reporter whose career is ruined by liquor. A comeback opportunity presents itself when he is a bystander at the arrest of a well-known criminal.George Nader plays a reporter whose career is ruined by liquor. A comeback opportunity presents itself when he is a bystander at the arrest of a well-known criminal.George Nader plays a reporter whose career is ruined by liquor. A comeback opportunity presents itself when he is a bystander at the arrest of a well-known criminal.

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6.5/10

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George Nader

Paul Baxter

Joanna Moore

Penny Spencer

Brian Keith

Lt. Spencer

Virginia Field

Florence Knapp

Frank DeKova

Dutch Hayden

Stephen Chase

Sam Carewe

Ralph Brooks

Joe - Newspaper Man
(sin créditos)

Raoul Freeman

Burlesque Club Patron
(sin créditos)

Bill Hickman

Farrell - Police Detective
(sin créditos)

Rusty Lane

Pat O'Connell - Bartender
(sin créditos)

John Phillips

Reporter
(sin créditos)
…

Fred Sadoff

Jeffrey Sayre

Burlesque Club Patron
(sin créditos)

Charles Sherlock

Reporter
(sin créditos)

Bert Stevens

Burlesque Club Patron
(sin créditos)

Hal Taggart

Burlesque Club Patron
(sin créditos)

Opiniones de usuarios15

6.5512

Opiniones destacadas

9planktonrules

Proof that a mostly forgotten actor was too good to be forgotten.

"Appointment with a Shadow" is a gritty film starring George Nader, a famous American actor whose career slid into obscurity after it was revealed he was gay. It's a shame, as he was very good in this film and his Jerry Cotton spy films of the 1960s...which were filmed in Germany since American studios would no longer hire him.

When the story starts, you see that Paul Baxter (Nader) is a falling down drunk...and it's pretty much ruined his career as a reporter. His girlfriend, Penny (Joanna Moore), is almost ready to walk, but she gives him an ultimatum and one more chance. Although it's very tough, Paul tries his best to stay away from alcohol and write an article he can be proud of creating. The problem is when he sees a murder, the cops don't believe him...and assume he's drunk. So he has to find someone who believes him, as his reputation is so bad, no one seems to believe him. And, in the meantime, a mobster is out to keep Paul quiet...permanently!

Nader was very good playing a drunk. He didn't overplay it (an easy trap to fall into) and was quite good in this noir movie. It also helped that the writing was exceptional. Overall, a terrific film...one that deserves to be more well known.

searchanddestroy-1

Rare little gem from Universal Studios

It is a rare item that I review now, it was totally unavoidable in France and I finally purchased it thru some collectors nets. It is a good atmospheric thriller from the fifties, shot in black and white and in LBX, which adds to the fifties charm. The story itself is not that exciting though, predictable and George Nader - Unversal Studios home star - is as lame as usual. He should not have had the lead role, he deserved supporting roles instead. That said, it is a more than worth watching thriller, which I highly recommend for fifties movies lovers. It is a good film from Richard Carlson, the famous actor.

lor_

A quality sleeper

Richard Carlson, trying his hand at directing, does a fine job with "Appointment with a Shadow", a neo-noir from Universal in glorious black & white CinemaScope.

George Nader is quite empathetic as a down & out alcoholic news scribe, given one last chance by his selfless girlfriend, Joanna Moore with an alluring pixie hairdo. Aided by her brother, tough-guy cop Brian Keith, she's got all the research ready for George to hand in a scoop, the capture of wanted hoodlum Frank de Kova, delivered on a silver platter, and guaranteed to revive Nader's newspaper career, That's if things go as planned.

A terrific plot twist at the movie's halfway mark sets in motion a quite suspenseful test of our hero's commitment to sobriety and his resourseulness, leading to a solid climax and denouement.

Rooting for an underdog is a classic Hollywood staple, and is engaging escapism heightened by this familiar B-movie cast (of couse Keith becoming quite the TV star later on).

9skirner

Wow blown away by this great film noir!

Didn't expect much from this movie I just got in a Blu-ray 3 pack of vintage noir thrillers. Never been that impressed with George Nader's acting range I rate him similar to Kerwin Matthews great unique, identifiable speaking voices who can play stalwart heroes but not much dramatic range or emotional intensity. Nader has made me reevaluate his acting a little in this arguably in my opinion his best performance and film.

He gives a pretty good performance as an alcoholic newspaper reporter given one last chance at redemption. His haggard appearance that is strikingly different from his normal robust healthy anc handsome film persona certainly helps sell him being an alcoholic but he does some good layering of twitches and mannerisms that impressed me and had me question my previous opinion he was just an average leading man type of the era.

Besides Nader the film had a great supporting cast including the always capable Brien Keith plus the beautiful lady who starred in "Invaders From Mars" whose name escapes me.

Kudos go to fine direction by Richard Carlson but the best thing about the film is a really suspenseful script that I'm surprised wasn't used in an A list production with a big name star in the leading role. The story is that good with a load of twists and turns once the action starts going in the second act.

I highly recommend this very entertaining suspense film and quite frankly am surprised it had not been remade with a big budget and top line actors and directors.

6blanche-2

George Nader as a washed up reporter with one helluva story

An alcoholic, out of work newspaper reporter is given another chance in "Appointment with a Shadow," from 1957, starring George Nader, Joanna Moore, Brian Keith, and Virginia Field.

Nader plays Paul Baxter, whose girlfriend Penny (Moore) is a reporter as well. After he is dropped off at her place by her brother, Lt. Spencer (Keith) and sobered up, she tells him she has the inside scoop on a story. It's his if he can stay sober for the entire day.

Penny's brother is a police detective and has agreed to allow Paul in on the arrest of a wanted criminal (Frank DeKova). He will then scoop all the crime reporters and get a newspaper job. Her brother thinks she's crazy and doesn't think she should bother with Paul, but she insists that she loves him and can't give up on him.

Paul manages to stay sober for the day. Penny calls him with the information about the stakeout and arrest. Unfortunately, once Paul gets to the scene, something goes terribly wrong. He's the only one who knows how wrong it went, and no one will believe him.

While the film deals realistically with an alcoholic's struggle to refrain from taking a drink, it doesn't really deal realistically with the illness. Still, it's an involving story, if a little too pat, directed by actor Richard Carlson.

George Nader was an attractive man who had a decent career in television and later did films in Europe. He never reached stardom in the U..S. because Universal outed him to Confidential magazine so the publication wouldn't out Rock Hudson. He was a good type for noir and detective stories - he played Ellery Queen on television as well as two other TV series.

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Trivia
Filming began with Jeffrey Hunter in the lead, but a serious case of hepatitis caused him to be replaced by George Nader after one day of shooting.

Citas
[In an apartment, a woman can be seen approaching a door when she hears the bell ringing. This is Penny Spencer. When she opens the door, she sees Police Lieutenant Spencer carrying a man, the latter is Paul Baxter]
Lt. Spencer: Do you mind if I say I'm glad this is the last time I'm gonna have to do this?
Penny Spencer: [starts walking towards another room] Bring him in here, Spence.
Lt. Spencer: [looks at the intoxicated Baxter] Come on...
[Penny and the Lieutenant enter a room where they lay Baxter on a bed. After positioning him, they take a closer look at him]
Lt. Spencer: Look at him. Paul Baxter and clean sheets they just don't add up. Do they, sis?
Penny Spencer: A shower and shave will help.
Lt. Spencer: It'll take a lot more than a shower and a shave to make anything add up for him again.
Penny Spencer: You just don't have any faith in him at all. Do you, Spence?
Lt. Spencer: Penny, I got more faith in these guys than most people have. In fact, I got so much faith in them I can predict exactly what'll happen when you clean them up and turn them loose. He'll go get drunk again.
Penny Spencer: Anybody deserves another chance.
Lt. Spencer: We got him another chance on every newspaper in town.
Penny Spencer: [turns towards the door] Well, he still needs help.
Lt. Spencer: Oh, come on, sis, why don't you just settle for being a good newspaper woman till the right guy comes along, huh?
Penny Spencer: He is the right guy.
Lt. Spencer: And the top reporter in town at twenty-five and he's an alcoholic bum before he's thirty. You call it right?
Penny Spencer: You made me a promise, Spence.
Lt. Spencer: I know, I know, I just don't want to see you through your life away, I want to see you happy, that's all.
Penny Spencer: Then keep your promise... I love him.
Lt. Spencer: Alright, you'll love him. You're my sister, I happen to love you. Believe me, that's the only reason I'm going through with this deal. I took me a long time to make Lieutenant you know, I could be back pounding a beat in thirty seconds if the department found out what I'm up to. So I think that gives me a right to make you promise.
[Penny remains silent]
Lt. Spencer: Look, if he goofs this one up, you see him for the last time. I mean it, Penny. I want you to promise me this is the end of the line.
Penny Spencer: [softly] It's the end of the line.
Lt. Spencer: [puts his hand on his sister's shoulder] Good night, sis.
[the Lieutenant leaves the apartment]