gmcslattery

While boasting "more stars than there are in heaven" MGM was not terribly stellar when it came to making crime pictures. This is a somewhat clunky example of that shortfall, but still worth an hour of your time.

What's interesting about Main Street After Dark is its noirish view of the American home front during World War II, made when the war was still going on.

No Andy Hardy-like coziness here. Main Street in this burg is teeming with pickpockets and pattyrollers (whatever those are) all eager to bamboozle the boys in uniform before they ship out.

All in all, it's a surprisingly gritty take on the seamy side of wartime America, enlivened by the screen debut of Audrey Totter, who plays-what else?-one tough dame.

I don't believe it's considered lost, yet His Glorious Night-the film said to have destroyed John Gilbert's career-is nowhere to be seen.

TCM is running a John Gilbert festival and it's not there either. Doesn't Turner have the clout to get this ultimate cinema curiosity released?

Admittedly, HGN is not believed to be very good. Heavy on Ruritanian schmaltz, it not only derailed poor John Gilbert, it put a nail in the coffin of Lionel Barrymore's career as a director. Although he of course went on to bigger, better things on the other side of the camera.

But enough talk of Paramount bureaucracy and long-locked studio vaults. Free John Gilbert!

What will it take for His Glorious Night to see the light of day?

Well, not too much light. Wouldn't want to ruin the film stock.