Prisioneiro do Medo

Billy Wilder's less-talented elder brother William (Billy's real name was Samuel) is best known for the notoriously awful sci-fi Killers From Space. But don't let that deter you from this dark little gem. Albert Dekker plays a failing investment broker who plots to marry his wealthy young ward for her money. When he finds she is about to be engaged to a doctor, he hires a gangster acquaintance to rub out the rival, but things go awfully awry. The twisty plot, John Alton's magnificently oppressive lighting, the near-Gothic settings and the spooky theremin score make this an absorbing, if melodramatic, portrait in paranoia. Two other noirs from Wilder are of note - The Glass Alibi and The Vicious Circle.

Dodgy financial swindler Albert Dekker (Holden) wants to get rid of the fiancé of wealthy Catherine Craig (Claire) so that he can step in and bag himself a fortune. He's not sure who the intended groom is but approaches nightclub owner and gangster Alan Carney (Victor) to take him out whoever he may be. Problems begin when Craig dumps her intended and agrees to marry Dekker in a quick wedding that gets plastered over the newspapers. The hit-man now knows who to go for – Dekker has unintentionally taken out a hit on himself! He tries to put things right with Carney but things get worse and we watch as he spends the rest of the film in total paranoia. Who's coming after him? When's it going to happen? How is it going to happen?

This film started a little slow but once the premise has been set up, the film gets a purpose and we watch to see how things will pan out. The film keeps you guessing and Dekker is good in the lead role. In real life, Dekker's death is a fascinating mystery that I recommend you read up on. It goes beyond auto-erotic asphyxiation as suggested. Someone seriously didn't like him! No S&M in this film, though, so you'll be disappointed if that's what you are watching for.

Kenneth Holden (Albert Dekker) is a sleazy banker who has been misusing the funds of an heiress in order to cover his losses in the stock market. He owes nearly $100,000 and his plan is to hide it by marrying the heiress. But Claire informs him that she's already engaged...so Holden arranges for the boyfriend to have an 'accident'. However, Claire unexpectedly changes her mind and insists that Holden marry her. So he does and then tries to cancel the contract...as, after all, the contract was to kill Claire's fiancé...and the killer might just think that's Holden. But this goes amok when the man behind arranging the 'accident' is murdered...and he's unable to stop the contract! Holden is at his wits end...realizing that some unknown killer might just be waiting for him!

This is an exciting and sleazy movie...and I mean sleazy in the best possible way! It has many film noir sensibilities and ends as such a film would end. Very exciting and well made.

What would it have been like if David Lynch were sitting in the director's chair in the golden age of film noir? This picture might give a hint of what it may have looked like. The thing is populated with phantoms inhabiting the bodies of some of the screen's most dastardly character types. There goes Charles Middleton posing as a butler from the nether regions. And here comes a young doctor in the guise of Charles Drake. I wonder what else he cuts up when he slithers out the door in the evening? And then there's the film's handsome, middle aged, Albert Dekker, in a bravura performance as an embezzler. He continually wrings his hands and worries about other fantasies that are too diseased for the light of night. He becomes obsessed and woefully paranoid about "those who are coming" to get him. He locks himself into his "fine and private" room there to gorge himself on a worthless diet of potted meats and stale crackers. His self perpetuated madness takes on epic proportions as he tries to get away from his internal horror and this makes for the ultimate bad choice in causing him to forfeit his life in a most chilling manner.

This is truly a low budget nightmare noir filmed with consummate skill and gusto by the German cinematographer John Alton before his career with the terrific director Anthony Mann. The two of them made some of the finest film noirs to grace the screen. Also, this particular picture uses forced perspective and scrunched miniatures to add to its otherworldly view. In the end, it is probably W.Lee Wilder, Billy's older brother's best attempt behind the camera. He wouldn't manage to trod any meaner streets than these again.

THE PRETENDER is a neat little film noir with a high concept and atmospheric execution. It was directed by W. Lee Wilder, the lesser-known brother of Billy, and has a great little story that I haven't seen done before. The main character, as played by Albert Dekker, is a banker with the debts mounting up, so he somewhat cheekily uses the funds of a rich woman he knows in order to pay them off.

Dekker isn't happy with the situation so decides to move closer to the woman by paying a gangster to have her lover bumped off, thus paving the way for him. In the end, though, the woman falls for Dekker himself, so his next job is to call off the hit lest he himself is mistaken for the victim. At this point, things get complicated.

A great sense of foreboding and claustrophobia propels THE PRETENDER, which makes it stand out a little from the rest. The copious use of the Theremin machine on the soundtrack is a lovely touch. The cast is undistinguished but Dekker is believable as the thoroughly unlikeable protagonist. There's also a great little role for the delightfully sinister Charles Middleton, a former Ming the Merciless. The highlight of the movie is undoubtedly the climax, which is fantastic stuff.