Almas em Desespero

I saw this film in its original release in Hollywood and have never forgotten June Allyson's shrew of a wife and how she kept putting the psychological knife in her poor, emotionally wasted husband, played by Jose Ferrer. I was too young to know why a wife would do this but the effect has never left me. This film deserves a beautifully restored DVD presentation. June Allyson deserved an Oscar nomination and perhaps the award given the fact that she made a 180 turn against her long established type. Ms. Allyson would only make three more Hollywood films and then escape into television with her own series and then guest host and star in her husband, Dick Powell's, weekly anthology series. She proved her dramatic mettle over and over on television and lived out a serene, much respected retirement in California's wine country near Clint Eastwood's place. Those in Ojai, according to what one resident told me, would see Ms. Allyson in town and about and always gave her the respect of admired distance, yet with warmth. I loved June Allyson, still a handsome beauty to the end.

June Allyson is really good in this movie but Isabel Bonner should be given some credit also. Especially when she was married to the writer and died playing her part. I wonder how much time went by between filming the movie and her death.

(July 2, 1955) ACTRESS DROPS DEAD ON CARTHAY CIRCLE STAGE The final curtain fell on the Carthay Circle Theater stage last night for Isabel Bonner, New York stage and television actress, who collapsed and died as she played a hospital bed scene with Actor Dane Clarck in "The Shrike." Miss Bonner, 47, who in private life is the wife of Joseph Kramm, author of "The Shrike," was seated by the bedside of Clark when she suddenly fell forward with her head down on the spread.

Does anyone want to see June Allyson as the bad guy? I was very excited to see America's Sweetheart wear a different hat, especially since I don't normally like her. José Ferrer starred and directed The Shrike, an intense and intimate drama that starts with marital difficulties. In the opening scene, Joe has just attempted suicide and his wife lets the hospital put him in the mental ward. Yes, this is a heavy movie.

There are all the classic elements of a "cuckoo's nest" movie: the unreasonable nurse, the violent inmates, the hallucinating inmates, the unfair release board interviews, and the frightening realization that the protagonist might just stay there until he's actually driven mad and belongs there. In one fantastic scene, Joe is being questioned by the "parole board". He's so nervous because he wants to be released. You can see every thought flitting through his head as he stalls for time before answering their questions. He wants to appear normal yet changed and humbled, he doesn't want them to think he needs more time to learn more lessons, he doesn't want to answer too quickly or too slowly, and he knows one wrong word can prevent his release.

Why did he attempt suicide in the first place, if he's married to the supportive and loving June Allyson? Why does he murmur the name "Charlotte" in his sleep? Through flashbacks, we see his life from years earlier to the present state. We understand how he made a drastic, and innocent enough at the start, mistake with June, and we hope desperately alongside him that he can get released from all his shackles. Try to find a copy of this obscure movie if you want to feel a bit uncomfortable this evening. And don't hold the ending against it. Obviously, you won't find any spoilers here, but just know that the ending had to be changed (much to the director's chagrin) to suit the studio.

A decent film ruined by a totally unbelievable ending. The final 2 minute scene went against everything I'd been viewing for the previous 90 minutes. I allow a wide berth in films, especially older ones, for unrealistic situations, characters, coincidences.....but I'm not sure if I've even seen anything like this. Judge for yourself.

June Allyson steps way out of type for this bravura acting effort. It is a psychological study of a playwright (Jose Ferrer) slowly sinking into depression and attempting suicide unsuccessfully. Allyson plays his loving but demanding wife. It is very clinical and grimly realistic. Allyson is magnificent and 100% believable as the domineering wife who comes close to loving her man to death. Ferrer is very good as the brooding playwright who comes apart at the seams under the pressure he buys into. Edward Platt is very good as Ferrer's brother. Only Joy Page is a tad unbelievable as Ferrer's ultra-sympathetic would-be paramour. Altogether, I rate it 9/10.