L'isola degli uomini perduti

While Warner Brothers had nothing for George Raft to do they lent him in 1940 to Walter Wanger for an independent production that Wanger released through United Artists, The House Across The Bay. The bay is San Francisco Bay and the house is an apartment that Joan Bennett takes on Telegraph Hill that faces Alcatraz where Raft is incarcerated for what Al Capone was also there for, income tax evasion. Bennett still wants to feel somewhat connected to her man out on the island in the bay.

Right around this time Raft made the first of several career blunders in turning down some pretty good films, in this case it was High Sierra which certainly gave Humphrey Bogart a boost. So instead of doing High Sierra, Raft wound up in this rather unbelievable film.

For a guy who was supposed to be a smart gangster George Raft is one incredible fool in this one. He meets and marries Joan Bennett who was an entertainer at one of his clubs. When Raft gets shot at by some business competitors, he allows himself to take some lawyerly and wifely advice from Bennett and his lawyer Lloyd Nolan. Of course Nolan has an agenda all his own which not only includes taking Bennett from Raft, but also his money. Nolan tanks the defense and Raft winds up with ten years on the Rock for income tax evasion. I'm sure he and Al Capone must have commiserated some while there.

Bennett is loyal and true blue, but she's feeling a bit antsy and also attracted to aircraft manufacturer Walter Pidgeon whom she meets by accident. After that the plot takes some unbelievable turns.

Joan Bennett and her husband Walter Wanger were friends of George Raft, The House Across The Bay in fact was the third of four films she did with him. She also wrote the forward to George Raft's biography, The George Raft File. She described Raft as moody and temperamental and trying to break away from his gangster persona. This sure wasn't the film to do it. But that he was also a polished gentleman and proud of the fact he'd raised himself to stardom after a childhood in Hell's Kitchen in New York. She also said he was a marvelous dancer and that when Wanger and she were out on the town and met Raft at some nightclub, he would always ask Wanger for a dance with his wife. A good idea since Wanger later shot someone paying attention to Joan Bennett.

According to Bennett, Raft did walk off the film, but later did come back only to find that director Archie Mayo also walked off it just before shooting the finale. Alfred Hitchcock came in and shot the last scene with no credit as a favor.

Bennett and Raft and in fact all the cast have seen better days. They look bored with the film and Pidgeon loaned out from MGM as Raft was from Warner Brothers has little to do, but be a noble pal to Bennett. Lloyd Nolan always is good even in the worst films and Gladys George as the unofficial chairperson of a fraternity of visiting Alcatraz women is outstanding in the film. She's another one who always is.

Raft turned down High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, and Casablanca all at Warner Brothers and instead wound up doing this. Well at least Humphrey Bogart made out fine in the deal.

The flick's a Bennett showcase. The other top-cast members (Raft, Pidgeon, Nolan) sort of drop in and out as needed, while Bennett's struggling single woman carries the storyline. Despite Raft's presence as an underworld entrepreneur, the plot has more to do with Bennett's romantic mishaps than with the sinister Raft. So what suspense there is has mostly to do with which suitor she'll end up with rather than Raft's underworld intrigue. Nonetheless, note that clever plot twist where, for his own protection, Bennett gets Raft sent to the slammer for what she thinks is only a year, only to watch it backfire in more ways than one. It's also an ironical move that sets up the rather surprising climax.

Anyway, kudos to wonderful A-list actress Bennett who's both gorgeous and convincing in what's a fairly demanding role. Her steely reserve alternates convincingly with the more tender moments. Also, a big nod to the always understated Lloyd Nolan as the sly lawyer man, along with Raft who manages to unbend more than usual, his occasional hard-eyed stare still managing to send me under the bed. To me, the movie's high point, however, are the scenes between the sassy Gladys George and Bennett who still manages to hold her own against tough gal competition. Between them, there's a lot of memorable chemistry and snappy dialogue.

All in all, it's more a movie of outstanding cast-members than gripping plot. Nonetheless, the 90-minutes will keep the viewer eye tuned in.

If you can accept Raft's pitch to Bennett at the beginning of the movie, this is a pretty decent flic. Raft and Bennett eventually develop chemistry, and Lloyd Nolan is superbly understated as the rat. Pidgeon is not quite believable as the guy who almost gets the girl, and then finds a way to be there when Raft is no longer in the picture. It may not excatly be noir, but it is pretty good.

A George Raft movie I never saw? Impossible, but true. And I don't think many others have seen it either. The plot isn't much, but the movie does have a certain charm. George Raft elevated under acting to a fine art, but in this movie, he almost seems animated. I could tell because he raised his voice a half decibel, and he smiled.

He plays a hard boiled gangster who falls for his lucky charm played by Joan Bennett. He is so fixed on her he is blind to all the enemies around him. Joan sells him out to the IRS to keep him from being snuffed, and the Feds tuck him away in Alcatraz for ten years. But as we know, these things never work out. Don't pay too much attention to the plot. It's routine and predictable. Instead, watch the acting. None of the principals seem to deliver the performance you might expect. George Raft gets emotional and, at times, even seems a little vulnerable. Joan Bennett, who can be very seductive, seems schizophrenic and switches from light comedy to pure drama without warning. Walter Pigeon plays Walter Pigeon, but with less intensity and no mustache. I should give honorable mention to Lloyd Nolan in a supporting role as a rat. I always give Lloyd Nolan honorable mention. An amusing coincidence here. The movie takes place in San Francisco, which was Lloyd Nolan's home town. Also, Walter Pigeon's character is named Nolan, and it was curious to watch Lloyd Nolan talking to Mr Nolan. I kept watching his face to see if I could detect a wink or a nod of recognition, but he is too good an actor and never so much as blinked.

This may be a routine pot boiler, but some of the performances are worth watching, so tune in. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I was expecting some sort of mystery or suspense film, but I didn't get one.

House Across the Bay stars Joan Bennett, George Raft, and Walter Pidgeon. It's from 1940, and it's an independent film produced by Bennett's husband, Walter Wanger, he of the itchy trigger finger.

The story concerns a gangster, Steve (Raft) who falls hard for a performer, Brenda (Bennett) at one of his clubs, and they get married. They have a wonderful time together. He showers her with gifts, they attend a lot of social events. It's a real whirlwind.

When Raft is shot at, Bennett thinks it might be better for him to plead to tax evasion, which his lawyer Slant (Lloyd Nolan) says will get him one year. She thinks it's worth it so he will be protected.

Little does Brenda know, Slant is not only a crook, but he's in love with her and wants Steve out of the way. So she's surprised when Steve gets 10 years and is sent to Alcatraz, probably joining fellow gangster Al Capone.

Brenda takes an apartment that looks out over Alcatraz, as it helps her to feel closer to Steve. She makes some friends, one of whom is Glenda Farrell, whose husband is also incarcerated. And one day she meets a very successful aircraft manufacturer and pilot, Tim (Pidgeon), and he falls in love with her. This is one woman who never had a problem getting dates.

Brenda stays faithful, but she's attracted to Tim. Problems arise - big ones.

Raft was a friend of the Wangers, although he walked off the set once. When he returned, the director, Archie Mayo, was gone. As a favor, Hitchcock stepped in and directed some of the airplane scenes.

I was disappointed. I thought this film was pretty routine, though I like all of the actors. Raft was a smooth actor and despite all that tough guy stuff, he demonstrated some warmth. Nolan was great as the calculating Slant. Bennett, as always, was lovely. I was in an elevator with her once -- she was elderly by then, her hair still black, beautiful blue eyes, and very tiny. She was a real glamour girl, along with her sister Constance.

Raft was responsible for Humphrey Bogart's career, and in the end, I think that was okay. He would never have had the layers Bogart did in playing the roles he turned down, as he was advised to do by his astrologer. Unfortunately she didn't look too far into the future.