Forgotten Noir – Volume 13: Breakdown (1952) + Eye
Witness (1950/VCI DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C- Films: B-
As part
of their continuing series of Film Noirs worth rediscovering, Forgotten Noir – Volume 13 has one of
the better double features to date with two interesting, smart gems that all
Noir and serious film fans should see as well as those who might want to see
two unique entries in the cycle.
Edmond
Angelo’s Breakdown (1952, based on
the play The Samson Slasher) is one
of the better films on the corrupt side of boxing as an ex-con (William Bishop)
becomes a fighter, but finds his past catching up with him and obstacles he did
not need. A mature work, Robert Able
wrote the screenplay adaptation of his own play and though it has some
coherence issues, the implied homosexuality of his trainer, the woman he wants
(Ann Richards of Sorry Wrong Number)
being elusive and future TV mega-producer Sheldon Leonard (I Dream Of Jeannie, I Spy,
Make Room For Daddy) as the bad guy
make this a must-see.
Eye Witness (aka Your Witness, 1950) is actor Robert Montgomery’s last Noir that he
directed. Best known for the
point-of-view extreme Lady In The Lake
(1947) at M-G-M that was a dud at the time, but is now a famous Noir where he
plays Philip Marlowe, he plays a lawyer this time who goes to England to
defend an old friend (Michael Ripper) despite the court systems being rather
different. With that out of the way, the
saving-the-innocent-man angle works well enough and shows Montgomery could handle an outright
thriller. Among the four screenwriters
are Hitchcock veteran Joan Harrison (Rebecca,
Suspicion, Saboteur), Hugo Butler (The
Big Night (1951)), Ian McKellan Hunter and William Douglas-Home. The great Ken Adam headed the Art Department
for this film too.
The 1.33
black and white image in both cases may be cleaned up, but is a little soft in
both cases, but Video Black is not bad and the cinematography (by Paul Ivano
and Gerald Gibbs respectively) is a plus.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono in both cases shows their age, though some
efforts have been made to clean it up. Trailers
are the only extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
