L'Aveu

Very satisfying American Noir shot in Denmark in the late 1950s. Many of the exteriors were clearly shot on location and make very good, atmospheric use of the city. The interior set pieces, however, are where the film really separates itself from the standard "Noir look". Noir had always been influenced, one might even say descended from, German Expressionism, but the set pieces and lighting here are almost Caligari like, the characters moving through dark rooms like wraiths.

The film culminates with a spectacular chase scene that makes extensive and impressive use of helicopter shots, perhaps the most ambitious use of such angles since Nick Ray's innovative "They Live by Night", released only a few short years before this film.

This movie strikes me as almost unwittingly feminist. The much slapped around and manipulated female characters might be "bad women", but unlike true femme fatales they're not pulling any strings. These are active, if not entirely willing, participants in an amoral, patriarchal game.

Before deciding that television was a good career move and leaving feature films, John Payne did this last one Hidden Fear for which he got a trip to Copenhagen. I've heard of worse reasons for a movie and worse films that came from them. Hidden Fear will never be ranked in his top 10 nor of the top ten of Andre DeToth the director.

Payne plays a homicide cop who's in Copenhagen because his sister Natalie Norwick's got herself in a nice jackpot with the Danish police. She's accused of murdering her boyfriend who was a dancer/musician and something of a lowlife. Payne starts running his own investigation and it turns out that the boyfriend was trying to horn in on a counterfeiting scheme that Alexander Knox and Conrad Nagel are running.

Truth be told Payne's truculent attitude probably cut a few corners, but the Danish cops probably were well on the way toward learning the truth. For that reason I can't really rate this noir film very high. In fact it could have gotten another notch in the ratings had we some color cinematography of Copenhagen and the Danish countryside.

These kind of films were disappearing and Payne probably made a right choice when he left feature films.

Natalie Norwick is arrested for murder in Denmark. This makes her brother, cop John Payne fly over. It turns out to be not a simple murder, but a matter linked to a counterfeiting ring that is being controlled by Alexander Payne and Conrad Nagel -- the latter without a toupee.

It's one of those tough guy 'tec movies in which the hero -- and Miss Norwick -- is knocked out at least occasionally, and yet survives to win the day, amidst betrayal, car bombs, and such issues. Director Andre de Toth was clearly given a B movie script, and somehow stretched the budget to shoot in Denmark and somehow include a few interesting shots along the way. Payne does a decent job, yet as with so many of his leading roles, I am struck with the conviction that any of a dozen other actors could have done as much. He would not appear on the big screen again for more than a decade.

Filmed in Copenhagen, "Hidden Fear" is a 1957 film starring John Payne, Conrad Nagel, and Alexander Knox. It was directed by Andre de Toth, who had seen better days.

Payne loved playing tough guys and did a few of this type of film. This was his last before going into television work.

He plays Mike Brent, who comes to Copenhagen because his sister is in prison for murdering her boyfriend Tony Martinelli. She swears she didn't do it.

In trying to find the killer, Mike stumbles across a counterfeit currency ring. I was a little confused as to where this money ended up. I also don't actually know who killed Martinelli. We do know they were looking for something as Mike's hotel room and Martinelli's apartment were both trashed.

There was a lot of punching and knocking people over the head - I'm surprised no one wound up with brain damage.

It's sad in a way to see people in this who were former stars in other eras - Nagel way back in the '20s and early '30s, Payne, of course, and Knox who wasn't a huge star but played leads in films.

I suppose back then it was a natural progression, particularly in the case of Knox and Nagel, to turn to character roles. Nowadays it seems as though male stars stay on top longer.

Really didn't care for it and there's some poetry or some sort of recitation at the end that seemed out of place.

I haver never seen an American film noir shot in Danemark before. That's really the first time.

The story itself offers no great surprises. Payne plays an American cop who tries to clear his sister of a murder charge. He has to fight against counterfeiters. I must admit that we have already seen this before, a thousand times. Especially Payne who is as hard boiled as ever.

But it's a tough thriller, no boring at all with, at the end, a good chase through the country side around Copenhagen.

A rare Andre de Toth movie that deserves to be discovered.