The Pretender

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.

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.

With a solid cast and a good storyline, this film fits the bill for decent noir. Although made on a budget from a secondary studio, with less than great production values, the story is so compelling, that it will keep your attention from beginning to end. An investment expert gets knee deep in debt and marries a rich heiress to bail himself out, but there are complications. You will see them unfold as the story unwinds. A real treat. Reminiscent of The Scoundrel with George Sanders.

Albert Dekker does a great job as your average sleazeball broker, who would sell his own mother for a few bucks. The rest of the cast does an admirable job as well, with most playing gullible customers. Just so reminiscent of Wall Street, where I used to work selling baseball cards in front of the stock exchange.

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.

The Pretender, directed by Billy Wilder's much less talented brother, at time resembles nothing so much as an extended (though not by much; it runs 69 minutes) version of a TV show like The Twilight Zone. Albert Dekker plays a middle-aged financial advisor who has been plundering the accounts of his rich "ward," Catherine Craig. As he gets deeper in the hole, he dreams up the scheme of marrying her. Alas, she pops up with a fiance, who he arranges to have bumped off. Through several twists of fate and screenwriting, he ends up the target of the unknown hitman. Though living in the lap of luxury as a well-married husband, he refuses to eat food served by a series of butlers and gnaws on crackers and cold canned food in his room. His paranoia overtakes his life, until... Dekker plays the part with a convincing mixture of unction and fear, almost making a human being out of this contrived character. This is one of the first movies to score for theramin (oo-EEE-oo), which became a cliche in 50s it-came-from-beyond films, but here adds to the unsettling atmosphere.