On I List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)


In a Lonely Place (1950)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 11/13, 1/25

LonelyP
11/13: I never get tried of watching Humphrey Bogart films.

When I see the names of actors and actresses in the billing list, it usually takes some motivation for me to take the plunge, but that's not the case for Humphrey Bogart. So, it was easy to get started with In a Lonely Place.

This time, it's Gloria Grahame who steps up to the plate and matches Humphrey Bogart scene for scene. The results are terrific. There's a good deal of Hitchcock's Suspicion going on.

Of course, Humphrey Bogart steals the show because he's that good. Lots of credit go to Nicholas Ray for his direction which is a lost art nowadays. The same thing is said for Humphrey Bogart's acting which explains why his films are special, something that Marlon Brando had never understood.

All in all, In a Lonely Place is a superlative suspense picture.

1/25: In a Lonely Place still holds up well.

However, I'm going to have to say it's not a strong film noir picture. When I saw Dead Reckoning, I remarked that Humphrey Bogart was being a parody of himself. But he's magnificent in In a Lonely Place, the very reason why he's a silver screen legend. On the other hand, I'm surprised at Gloria Grahame's downfall which began five years afterwards. She used to be a good actress, winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Bad and the Beautiful.

As for the story, what Dix Steele had is a case of bipolar behavior. Laurel Gray just couldn't put up with it and ultimately left him. That's not film noir enough to me but rather a psychological drama. But the script is outstanding, having been penned by Andrew Solt via Edmund H. North's adaptation of Dorothy B. Hughes' 1947 novel.

All in all, In a Lonely Place is the closest you'll get to Humphrey Bogart's demeanor in real life.