Strano fascino

Hugo Haas's personal story and how it relates to this film is undeniably moving, but unfortunately the tale he created didn't have much of a spark to it, and if you're looking for noir you're probably barking up the wrong tree, this is a melodrama.

There is a certain pathos to the parallel stories involving acts of friendship which are accompanied by feelings, both in the rich woman (Mona Barrie) who sponsors the Czech pianist (Haas himself), and in his befriending the showgirl who's down on her luck (Cleo Moore). In both cases, it's the pianist who is the object of affection, but it's only with the younger women that he gradually begins to reciprocate. When she moves into his apartment, it's made clear he's like a grandfather to her, so that when they later marry we can be assured per the Production Code that their relationship was platonic beforehand, neutering what might have been wonderfully scandalous. The only flash of life for me was when she was swinging her hips in the kitchen, imagining her next musical number.

The film lumbers through the ensuing melodrama when unsurprisingly they don't just live happily ever after, but it all felt pretty staid, even the jealousy that develops when his career falters and she wants to return to work with a guy who looks like he's meant more to her than just a boss. This is one I liked seeing more because of Hugo Haas's life than the actual film, speaking of which, it was a nice touch to see his wife Maria Bibikov as Nurse Peterson towards the end.

The Czech actor Hugo Haas was a very popular film star. However, after fleeing the Third Reich he came to America and his career never reached the same heights. He mostly appeared in lower budgeted movies, though a few times he managed to do what he did in "Strange Fascination"...he directed, wrote, produced AND starred in it!

Paul (Haas) is a concert pianist who is unknown in America. Through the help of a rich American lady, he is brought to the States for a concert tour. While this works well, things start to go amiss when he falls for a trampy dancer, Margo (Cleo Moore). She is an expert at playing men and the middle-aged Paul hasn't a chance with her. Soon she is a major part of his life and he marries her. However, he isn't a rich man and is beholden to his sponsor, Diana (Mona Barrie). And, this sponsor soon abandons him when Paul makes a mess of his life. What's next in this tragic tale? Plenty!

Is this a fun film to watch? Nope. It's pretty tragic and sad. It is, however, well made I also appreciate how Moore's character is conniving but not 100% awful...and many of Paul's problems are self-created. It's not just a 'black & white' marriage. Overall an interesting character study but also a downer of a story. So, if you are feeling depressed, it's NOT a story for you!

Euro pianist paul marvan (haas) is brought back to the united states by the wealthy diana fowler ( monie barrie). But marvan falls for another girl (cleo moore), and marries her, sabotaging his own career. Or at least his steady income from mrs. Fowler. And when he needs money, he comes up with a low-down, illegal scheme to raise money fast. Will it work? What will happen to them? It's a bit over the top, but probably plausible, maybe during the depression. Written and directed by hugo haas. Sometimes bad things happen when the same person writes, directs, and stars in a film. But in this case, it turned out okay! Produced by haas himself, for columbia pictures. Haas and moore made a whole bunch of films together, with very similar plots.

Hugo Haas is a famous European piano virtuoso who's brought to the States by wealthy widow Mona Barrie. Haas goes on a concert tour where he meets dancer Cleo Moore, and they end up getting married. As Haas struggles to break thorugh in the States, he also struggles to keep both Moore and Barrie happy. But Barrie isn't crazy about Haas's marriage and cuts off her financial support. And when Moore is also thinking about going back to her old dance partner, Haas gets desperate and thinks about collecting the insurance on his hands, somehow...

This was director, writer, actor and producer Hugo Haas ('Pickup') and Cleo Moore's ('On Dangerous Ground') first of 7 collaborations. Moore is far less of a femme fatale in this one than their subsequent movies, but Haas plays essentially the same role as in most of the other ones (ditto in his movies with Beverly Michaels), a 'simple' man who gets involved with the wrong woman and ends up in a downward spiral. Noone can accuse Haas of having too much talent as a writer, director or actor, but as with the title of this movie, he's strangely fascinating to watch. In some close-up's it almost as if you can see him thinking about how to portray emotions. In any case, and for whatever reason, with Haas I don't mind it, I find him very likeable somehow.

Haas's movies are almost invariably low budget affairs, but he does a nice job here with limited means, with a surprising high amount of sets. And experienced DoP Paul Ivano ('The Shanghai Gesture', 'Black Angel') also added a bit of noir aesthetic to this movie, unfortunately not a lot tho. But this is not one of Haas's best efforts, also because Moore's character is nowhere near the sultry and sleazy characters she would portray in her later movies under Haas. It's a decent noir-ish melodrama, but no need to go out of your way to see this one.

Entertaining run of the mill 1950s b movie brightened by the beauty and charisma of Cleo Taurus Moore.