Sensation Hunters

This picture exhibits the same strain of pessimistic fatalism that underpins Edgar Ulmer's "Detour." Robert Lowery's blase demeanor is perfect for the role of the blue ribbon heel, Isabel Jewell is on hand to do her reliable turn as the cynical doxie, and there are a couple of lively tap numbers thrown in for good measure during a night club sequence.

The hopeless moodiness of a factory town cabaret is effectively established throughout.

Pair it with "Detour" and you'll have the perfect downbeat double bill, provided you accompany it with a steady stream of Chesterfield cigarette smoke, and a couple of quickly downed "side-cars." Good job Monogram.

In 1933 Monogram made an excellent film called "Sensation Hunters," a beautiful proto-noir with vivid direction by Charles Vidor (13 years before he made a major noir, "Gilda") and an overall atmosphere of gloom and doom. Too bad that when they made this one all they took from the original "Sensation Hunters" was the title (and even that got changed later for TV purposes to "Club Paradise"). It's one of those movies in which the put-upon heroine has to choose between two boyfriends, one of whom is annoying and the other is crooked. The script reads like the writers were on cliché autopilot and the actors (except for Isabel Jewell, who's marvelous in her usual characterization as a hard-bitten woman of the world) seem to be saying their lines, hitting their marks and little more. The ending doesn't work because nothing we've seen in the film before seems to be leading up to it. The reviewers who compared it to Edgar G. Ulmer's magnificent "Detour" seem totally off base to me. The guy who said it would have been a good vehicle for Tyrone Power is closer in that Power actually DID make this movie -- or something close to it -- in 1939: it was called "Rose of Washington Square" and that wasn't a great movie but it was at least entertaining and had some depth missing from this one.

The plot and characters hold your attention with suspense and an ending that you hope you're wrong about. Probably too melodramatic for some tastes, but for others it's nice to see something from that era without the over-the-top silliness that (all due respect) they considered "comic relief."

In "The Bad and the Beautiful," Kirk Douglas plays a successful producer who fires his director (clearly based on Fritz Lang) because that director isn't goosing up a certain scene. On his way out, the director warns that you can't use the same tone all the way through: you have to build a film with ups and downs, with rhythm and song.

The producer takes over and ends up with a movie that he shelves. It had passion in every scene but no life.

This movie could be that one. Superficially, it has a lot: sexy girls, musical numbers that aren't bad (at least compared to the norm), more or less competent actors (again, compared) and a pretty good setup.

The story revolves around the Paradise Club, where our heroine — a good girl with oafs for father and brother — ends up as a "dancer." A good half of the movie is spent getting us there and introducing the characters.

She is loved by a beginning bandmaster who makes good (in another club) by the end of the movie. But she loves a gigolo who has already been through the club's owner, a strong, sexy blond. He is completely without redeeming value, but all the girls love him. During the story, he hits up his old loves for money until he ditches our heroine, then comes to her for money to leave town with her best friend.

This could have been a noir "Moulin Rouge" where the performance and life overlapped, and you can see that writer had something like that in mind, even highlighting that the second half of the movie could be a dream.

But it has no variation in tone at all. Things start at 35 miles per hour and stay there forever. That has killed this movie, so dead that it is all but unavailable, and I'm the first commenter.

Now that's dead. Kirk would understand.

(This movie is in the public domain.)

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

"Sensation Hunters" (also called "Club Paradise") is a tough movie to love. It's not just that it's a cheap B-movie but the characters are difficult to like or care about in any way. So, while you might understand Julie (Doris Merrick) and her actions, you don't like her or care about the mess she makes of her life. And, as for her family and associates, they're most reprehensible jerks! Not exactly the makings for an entertaining movie.

When the film begins, you see that Julie lives in a family made up of scum. Her mother isn't 100% awful but she's weak and ineffectual. As for her father and brother-in-law...pure scum. So it's not surprising that Julie would want to get out of this home and get a man of her own. But Ray (Eddie Quillan) is a bit of a wimp and although she's been going out with him for some time, she doesn't love or even seem to respect him. Oddly, when an obvious jerk blows into town, Julie is taken with Danny (Robert Lowry). He makes no bones about it...he's been with LOTS of women and has no desire to become tied down with anyone....and yet Julie is stuck on him immediately. He's given her no reason to hope that he's the right man for her or anyone...but she is just crazy about the guy and is a real enabler. Sadly, while NOT entertaining, this sort of situation is rather realistic as often girls from abusive homes often seem to glomp onto losers like Danny. I saw this time and time again when I worked as a social worker and therapist. And, if the film is going to be realistic, her life will be miserable as a result of her poor choice in boyfriends. So what does become of Julie?! Does she somehow make something of herself or make some smart choices?

While the film has MANY strikes against it other than the characters (such as the women who sing in the film...none of them are particularly good), it fortunately does not tack on some nice, sappy ending. The film begins miserable and ends miserable. This makes for lousy entertainment BUT at least is a nice nod to realism. In some ways the film has a real noir sense to it. Too bad that the bad really outweighs the good.