The Fake

This British clunker may have had some noble ambitions by its makers, but it emerges as just another mediocre, misguided attempt at providing a modicum of entertainment. Buried in the UA catalogue it's a nothing burger.

As emblazoned in an opening thank you credit, it was shot at London's Tate Gallery -sounds like a big deal. But the low-budget quickie is in black and white, making all the paintings on view nothing to look at. And it's a crime drama, so the dim and moody lighting further detracts. What's the point? Would "Lust for Life" be watchable if given the b&w quota quickie treatment?

Dennis O'Keefe is insufferable playing an uppity investigator from the States in London to solve the mystery of who is stealing priceless Da Vinci paintings. The culprit is obvious from the outset and it's a boring slog until O'Keefe catches him. Femme lead Coleen Gray has little to do.

Simply a bore.

A security expert, Paul Mitchell (Dennis O'Keefe), working for the Tate Gallery in London, is concerned about the possible theft of a priceless Da Vinci painting. Two other Da Vinci's were recently stolen from galleries in Florence and New York. In both cases, the original was replaced by a near-perfect forgery. When the Tate Da Vinci is ultimately stolen, Mitchell sets out to catch a thief.

Overall, I enjoyed The Fake. Sure, it's never going to be on anyone's Top 10 list, but it had enough going on that I had fun with it. I'm a sucker for a stolen art plot line, so this one naturally appealed to me. From the opening scenes on the crowded dock to the finale as the art thief is revealed, The Fake moves at a nice, but leisurely pace. Having the actual Tate Gallery as a shooting location really helped the "feel" of the film. I've got no complaints with respect to the film's two main leads, O'Keefe and Colleen Gray. There's some definite chemistry between the two - the dinner scene, complete with playful banter, being a good example. The supporting cast is made up of a bunch of British actors that, while not familiar to me, really give the film some color. Finally, the solution to the mystery was satisfactory. We, as viewers, get the chance to figure things out right along (or even quicker) than our hero, Mitchell.

One thing that really bothered me was the security set-up at the Tate. I realize (or hope) that the actual security is different, but as pictured here, anyone could have stolen the painting. From unlocked doors in the basement to open windows to the lack of any alarm system, the painting was practically begging to be stolen.

Finally, IMDb lists The Fake as a crime / drama / film noir. I agree with the first two, crime and drama. And you can even add Mystery. But what about film noir? No way. If you're watching The Fake for the darker elements associated with a noir, you'll be disappointed.

6/10.

Forget the criticism about this motion picture "The Fake." This is a gem of a movie...with good characters,acceptable plot line and lots of British and American flavor. The male lead is a somewhat obnoxious--but charming--American private investigator who is attempting to solve the case of the disappearance of several Da Vinci paintings. Low budget, but still worthwhile (Hell, some low budget films have earned Oscars!)...and there are a few real chuckles...and some very neat scenes, such as the chemist's lab (took me back to my high school and college chemistry classes...and the Hollywood horror films of the fifties and sixties, with people like Vincent Price and Peter Cushing.. and the museum boiler room.

The romantic development is worthwhile too. Oh...black and white, so it has a film noir air about it. I liked the picture enough to burn to disc...and grinned through much of the action.

"The Fake" is a British film made in 1953 and features two American leads, film noir stalwarts Dennis O'Keefe (T-Men, Raw Deal) and Coleen Gray (The Killing).

O'Keefe plays an American detective who is in charge of guarding a masterpiece painting by Leonardo da Vinci during an exhibition at London's famous Tate Gallery. Gray plays the American daughter of a somewhat destitute British painter who never received the artistic recognition he deserved and who arouses O'Keefe's suspicion.

O'Keefe is investigating the theft of two other da Vinci masterpieces that had occurred earlier in Florence and New York. In both cases, the paintings were stolen and replaced with near-perfect forgeries as cover-ups. O'Keefe suspects something similar is bound to happen at the Tate Gallery, which would give him a chance to catch the thief and cash in on a $ 50,000 reward. Problem is, while he suspects Gray's father to be involved in the art forgery scheme, he also falls in love with her.

While certainly no film noir, the movie does use some typical and nice to look at noirish lighting techniques. The film's pace and storytelling is more American than British and O'Keefe and Gray do a credible job, although neither gets much of a chance in terms of character development, not to mention the other actors.

The Tate Gallery footage seems to have been shot on location, which lends the picture an air of authenticity. A splendid touch is the use of variations on Mussorgsky's famous composition "Pictures At An Exhibition" for the musical score.

While "The Fake" is certainly no masterpiece, it does keep the viewer interested while it lasts. Being both an O'Keefe and a Gray fan, I give the movie 7 out of 10 points.

New Yorker Paul Mitchell (Dennis O'Keefe) is visiting London's Tate Gallery during a rash of art heists. A gang of thieves has been stealing the works of Leonardo da Vinci, and replacing them with fakes.

When the Tate's own da Vinci is found to be bogus, the hunt is on. Not only for the crooks, but also for the modern master behind the replacements.

The secrets of THE FAKE are revealed slowly, as in any good mystery. The motive for the thefts is baffling, due to da Vinci's legendary status in the art world.

This is a very good drama with a classic ending...