Appointment with a Shadow

1957
Approved
1h 12m

ÉVALUATION IMDb

MA NOTE

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

Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueGeorge 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.

Voir l’information sur la production à IMDbPro

ÉVALUATION IMDb

6,5/10

517

MA NOTE

Voir l’information sur la production à IMDbPro

Photos82

+ 78

Rôles principaux16

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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
(uncredited)

Raoul Freeman

Burlesque Club Patron
(uncredited)

Bill Hickman

Farrell - Police Detective
(uncredited)

Rusty Lane

Pat O'Connell - Bartender
(uncredited)

John Phillips

Reporter
(uncredited)
…

Fred Sadoff

Jeffrey Sayre

Burlesque Club Patron
(uncredited)

Charles Sherlock

Reporter
(uncredited)

Bert Stevens

Burlesque Club Patron
(uncredited)

Hal Taggart

Burlesque Club Patron
(uncredited)

Commentaires des utilisateurs15

6,5517

Avis en vedette

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).

6boblipton

Just Shy Of The Delirium Tremens

George Nader is a reporter. Perhaps more accurately, he was a reporter until his extreme alcoholism got him canned from every newspaper. Only fellow reporter Joanna Moore cares, and she persuades her brother, police lieutenant Brian Keith, to let Nader know about the forthcoming arrest of evil criminal Frank DeKova. But DeKova is dead, and Nader has the shakes so bad he can't hold a shot glass with two hands. Or is he? And can he?

Nader was never a big star, even by the standards of Universal, taking the roles that Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis turned down. Here, under the direction of Richard Carlson, he turns in a fine performance of a drunk on his last legs. Director Richard Carlson -- he was much better known as an actor -- also gets a fine performance out of Miss Moore, who is far sexier here than stripper Virginia Field. It's a movie worth watching for the performances.

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.

10tiffanie_says_stay_in_your_lane

Character study meets noir

Well, I don't know about anybody else, but it gave off character study vibes to me. I'm fascinated by movies that examine someone's personal struggles, even more so if they grow and develop throughout the course of the story. Otherwise, if they're one-dimensional, and don't learn anything as they go along, that's just boring. Appointment with a Shadow is an exceptionally crafted film about former newspaper reporter Paul (George Nader) who lost his job as a result of his alcoholism. His girlfriend Penny (Joanna Moore), also a reporter, believes he has the potential to bounce back, so she gives him a tip that could help him re-launch his career. There is one condition: he has to go without a drink for 24 hours. Despite experiencing major withdrawal, he accepts the challenge. Penny's brother, Lt. Spencer (Brian Keith), thinks she's wasting her time trying to help him become sober. So essentially, Paul has to prove himself. This is one of many B films that contains brilliant performances. George Nader was so convincing as an alcoholic who was trying his hardest to stay sober for a full day. You could see the desperation, physically and emotionally. He was shaking, sweating, unable to stay focused on a task, jumpy - he got startled by every little noise. You don't see acting like that anymore. Also, a couple of amusing things were added in to lighten the mood: two beatniks playing music in a hotel room that he fell into through a window. The nerdy guy who works backstage in a gentleman's club and spends all of his time reading, completely unphased by the women around him. I just thought that was clever. The pacing was consistent and the characters were engaging. I was glad Paul wasn't made out to be a stereotypical alcoholic. He wasn't violent or nasty. He was an affable person, thus making his character likeable. Otherwise, if he was the raging type, I probably wouldn't have been interested. And to think, this was inspired by a story that was published in a magazine. It's a fantastic noir that will hold your attention. Don't pay attention to the negative reviews.

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.

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Histoire

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Le saviez-vous

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Anecdotes
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.

Citations
[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]