Lighthouse

Frank Wisbar's stark, elemental direction has an almost Pabst like quality and, when you consider that it was done on a budget somewhat less than dinner for two at the French Laundry, is most impressive. Unfortunately, the analogy to classic silent film extends to the writing and acting. The dialogue is little better than white cue cards on a black background and the acting ranges from decent (John Litel) to acceptable (Don Castle) to godawful (June Lang). Ben Mankiewicz opined that, if given a chance, Ms. Lang could have been a star. I would append "and about two hundred sessions with Lee Strasberg" to that opinion. B minus.

This review does not refer to other lighthouse titles such as Robert Eggars THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019) or Britain's 2016 THE LIGHTHOUSE both of which are inspired by a real life tragedy from 1801. Those two movies have a contemporary edge (especially the former) but this LIGHTHOUSE (no THE) is a 1947 B movie from Poverty Row studio PRC. It was directed by German emigre' Frank Wisbar who the year before made the creepy, atmospheric, and highly recommended STRANGLER OF THE SWAMP for the same outfit.

The story in this movie revolves around 3 people. There's Hank the older lighthouse keeper (John Litel), Sam, his younger assistant (Don Castle) and Connie, the woman both men are in love with (June Lang). Connie starts off being in love with Sam until she learns he's already married so she marries Hank out of spite. As she discovers Hank truly loves her despite her checkered past she comes to realize love is more important than lust and begins to love Hank back. Sam has other ideas which lead to attempted murder, confrontation and a final showdown.

As is typical of PRC, this movie runs a bit over an hour and it was shot on location at a lighthouse in San Francisco Bay although there are also the usual cramped PRC interiors. While not listed in the credits, I discovered that the lighthouse used was the Oakland Harbor Light which is today a tourist attraction and restaurant. The lighthouse pictured on the poster is the Minot's Ledge Light in Massachusetts. As is usually the case with most PRC movies, the print is from a public domain 16mm TV copy which is battered in places and has some contrast issues.

Still it's better than most public domain copies out there and the movie is worth seeing for the quality of the performances (Marion Martin as Connie's friend Jo Jo is especially wonderful) and the simple but rewarding story it tells. This Alpha Video DVD of LIGHTHOUSE is currently the only one available although it is hard to come by. However you can also catch it on You Tube in a much better transfer. Be advised that the Amazon Prime copy available for streaming under this title is not the 1947 film reviewed here but the 2016 British version...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

The real star of this film, other than the B actors and C actresses that play their roles in the movie is the lighthouse itself. The location creates an atmosphere of loneliness and desperation that few other locations have. The acting by the male stars is barely acceptable, while the acting from the female side is dreadful. The direction is pretty good, but it cannot save the horrendous dialogue, which felt like it was given out on the day the scene was shot. The fact that the film was made at all on such a low budget is a tribute to the producer and director. However, the end result is not really worth your time.

June Lang and Don Castle are talking about getting married. When she makes a surprise visit to the lighthouse where she thinks he's in charge, she discovers he works for John Litel and is away visiting his wife. To get revenge, she marries Litel and comes to live at the lighthouse, where Castle tells her he has been trying to get a divorce. Then Litel has an accident.

This bleak triangle is from PRC films, so I didn't expect much from it. Certainly the story has been done many times. The good acting, however, is a compensation. June Lang, in her last role on the big screen, is sullen and sultry. Walter Strenge's dark photography is effective. The two-shots look like old-line Lasky Lighting.

Strenge was another of those well-respected cinematographers who never got out of the Bs and spent a decade or two shooting television shows. Despite those unprepossessing credits, he was nominated for a Best B&W Cinematography Oscar for a B western, served as president of the ASC from 1958 through 1960, and developed the standard field-of-depth charts.

Sam (Don Castle) is the assistant lighthouse keeper and he works for Hank (John Litel) and things seem fine...at least at first. However, Sam is a shirker who always comes up with excuses to leave each weekend...leaving Hank all alone. And, on these weekends Sam is out chasing women...especially with Connie (June Lang). However, eventually Connie realizes that Sam is a jerk and he isn't just seeing her but other women...and he's married! Clearly Sam is a jerk. At this point, Connie does something impulsive and stupid. After meeting Hank, she decides to marry him...in part, to hurt Sam. Naturally, there will be unintended consequences.

While the film sounds like a murder mystery waiting to happen, the film is actually a decent little romance. Now I am not saying it's brilliant and it's an amazing film, but for a cheap B-movie, it comes off amazingly well....and clearly exceeded my expectations. Worth seeing.