Million Dollar Weekend

Raymond directs, writes, and stars in this film and and does the first two capably. While he's shown in other work that he can act, I feel he plays it too cool here and unfortunately comes off as rather stiff. Similarly with Massen, she seems a bit detached. Lederer however is quite good as the greasy bad guy. Million Dollar Weekend isn't anything to get too excited about but still, was at times entertaining and worth checking out if you're curious.

30s screen idol Gene Raymond's sole directing credit and one of his last leading roles is a nifty thriller which sees him play a trusted bank employee who, uncomfortably aware that life is passing him by, steals $1m in bonds from his employer. The robbery is simple, but reaching his ultimate destination of Shanghai proves less straightforward when he finds himself sat opposite possible femme fatale Osa Massen (credited as Stephanie Paull), who's being blackmailed by fellow passenger Francis Lederer. The routine plot is energised by a series of twists and is further bolstered by the interplay between the three leads, with Lederer standing out as a pleasingly slimy antagonist.

It seems as if the late 1940s was a time when every aging Hollywood pretty-boy star from the 1930s was trying to revitalize his career by film noir. MILLION DOLLAR WEEKEND was Gene Raymond's attempt. He not only starred and co-produced, he directed it, and DP Paul Ivanov offers some noir touches almost immediately: when Raymond is confirming his airplane reservation, the desk clerk sits in a room well shadowed by Venetian blinds.

Raymond leaves his brokerage office and takes that plane. First to Honolulu, for a brief stopover while waiting for his flight to Shanghai. On the way, however, he is waylaid by Osa Massen. She is being blackmailed by a smarmy Francis Lederer, who also steals Raymond's briefcase. This leads them back to San Francisco (where else for a film noir?) and revelations.

Despite the film noir touches, for most of its length, it doesn't fit so neatly into the category. Mostly, it seems a tired retread, in which we are forced to guess what is going on, because everyone is keeping secrets. Then, just before the hour mark, Raymond and Massen tell each other what is going on, their hopes and failures, and it's clear that Mr. Raymond was not just another pretty face, but an actual actor.

The movie didn't do well at the box office. It was released by Eagle-Lion, still working its way out of its PRC roots, and film noir was a drug on the market in 1948, even with topnotch talent at the height of its fame. Even so, it's a worthy addition to the genre, if only for that one scene, of two actors talking to each other about their human frailties.

One evening company executive Gene Raymond decides to start a new life, with the company's money. He takes all the money & stock papers he can from his office safe and boards a plane to Honolulu, where he will switch to a plane to Shanghai. On the plane he meets recent widow Osa Massen (credited as Stephanie Paull), who is being stalked by family friend Francis Lederer who tries to blackmail her, as he claims he saw her kill her husband. Massen tries to use Raymond to get Lederer off her back, but it only leads to more trouble when Lederer steals Raymond's suitcase with the money & papers and heads to San Francisco, just as Raymond decides his boring life is exciting enough after all.

Despite what IMDb thinks, this movie is pretty far removed from film noir. It has a few elements with the dissatisfied, stealing protagonist and the blackmailer, as well as a potentially murderous widow, but it doesn't amount to much to be honest. The movie is fairly bland, things stay predictable and straight-forward, and while it does entertain decently enough, the ending is as predictable as they get.

Actor Gene Raymond went all out on this one, as he also co-wrote the story (with the producer) and directed it. He is pretty solid here, as are Massen and slimy Lederer. If only Raymond's writing and directing was more exciting. Heck, even veteran cinematographer Paul Ivano ('Black Angel', 'The Shanghai Gesture', 'The Suspect') doesn't excite here with only a few shadowy scenes.

A missed opportunity, there was potential here. Enjoyable in parts (and Raymond and Massen work well together) but not noir enough to earn a recommendation. 6/10

Gene Raymond is director, writer, and lead actor in this chase action-thriller from 1948. (One of three movies he made that year.) Not sure if his stiff, wooden performance is intentional, but it's quite a change from his earlier roles, where happy-go-lucky boy meets girl, they have some silly misunderstanding, then it's resolved. In Million Dollar Weekend, Nicholas Lawrence (Raymond) is absconding with the company funds, and gets involved with the pretty girl Cynthia Strong (Osa Massen), who thinks she is also running away from her problems. Both of their plans for flight are sidetracked, and they agree to try to solve their own problems back home. Some scenes are a little weak, such as the car chase (filmed slow, then sped up ??) and a fight in the hotel hall. Interloper Alan Marker gives the strongest performance of the ensemble. Black and white flick. Not bad, no plot holes. Would be interesting to know if the filming locations (Hawaii and San Francisco) were authentic or backdrops.