DARK CORNER (DVD/1.33/ENG-SP SUB) DVD

The Dark Corner
This grade-A example of "film noir" stars Mark Stevens as Brad Galt, an embittered ex-convict who returns to the private detective business upon his release. Sour and surly, Galt behaves himself only when he's around his faithful and adoring secretary Kathleen (top-billed Lucille Ball). When Galt's crooked former partner Tony Jardine (Kurt Krueger) inaugurates an affair with socialite Mari Cathcart (Cathy Downs), Cathcart's waspish art-collector husband (Clifton Webb) arranges Jardine's murder, carefully pinning the blame on Galt. On the lam from the cops, Galt must rely on Kathleen to help gather enough evidence to prove his innocence. Best scene: Cathcart's abrupt but chillingly casual murder of his partner-in-crime (William Bendix). The deliberate lack of background music serves to enhance the gloomy atmosphere of The Dark Corner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Lucille Ball as Kathleen Clifton Webb as Hardy Cathcart Mark Stevens as Bradford Galt William Bendix as White Suit Cathy Downs as Mari Cathcart Eddie Heywood & Orch. as Themselves Mary Field as Cashier John W. Goldsworthy as Butler Vincent Graeff as Newsboy Reed Hadley as Lt. Frank Reeves Eloise Hardt as Saleswoman Kurt Kreuger as Tony Jardine Molly Lamont as Lucy Wilding Hope Landin as Scrubwoman Thomas Martin as Major Domo Matt McHugh as Milk Man Forbes Murray as Mr. Bryson Steve Olsen as Barker Frieda Stoll as Frau Keller Gisela Werbiseck as Mrs. Schwartz Charles Wagenheim as Foss Regina Wallace as Mrs. Bryson

Crew James Basevi - Art Director Leland Fuller - Art Director Kay Nelson - Costume Designer Henry Hathaway - Director J. Watson Webb, Jr. - Editor Cyril Mockridge - Composer (Music Score) Emil Newman - Musical Direction/Supervision Ben Nye, Sr. - Makeup Bill Nye - Makeup Joe MacDonald - Cinematographer Fred Kohlmar - Producer Paul S. Fox - Set Designer Thomas K. Little - Set Designer Fred Sersen - Special Effects W.D. Flick - Sound/Sound Designer Harry M. Leonard - Sound/Sound Designer Bernard Schoenfeld - Screenwriter Jay Dratler - Screenwriter Leo Rosten - Short Story Author

The Dark Corner
A fairly neglected exercise in film noir, The Dark Corner is a more than adequate if less than topflight example of the genre. Director Henry Hathaway was already familiar with crime thrillers, having helmed such previous efforts as Johnny Apollo and The House on 92nd Street, and he competently makes the shift to the edgier, more fatalist film noir game with ease and assurance, if little in the way of virtuosity. The screenplay is solid, hitting all the right plot points and keeping its cards appropriately close to the vest until it's time to spring a few surprises on the audience, and there's a good swift line of hardboiled dialogue hiding behind every corner. If Mark Stevens is not an immortal in the pantheon of screen tough guys -- his Galt is a little wan, a trifle lightweight -- he's more than credible and makes the character's tightlipped stoicism appealing. Lucille Ball assays one of her rare non-comedic roles and comes off very well; there's a welcome mixture of innocence and worldliness to her character that she manages to get across without getting mired down in either extreme. Clifton Webb is deliciously smarmy, a nasty piece of work that's a joy to watch. Corner misses out on being one of the majors, but as minor leaguers go, it's one of the best. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, Spanish Sound Processing: DD2: Dolby Digital Stereo DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: cc Commentary by film historians Alain Silver & James Ursini Theatrical trailer DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 99 min Part of Series: Fox Film Noir   DVD Chapters: Disc #1 -- The Dark Corner 1. Main Titles [1:08] 2. Keeping It Legit [4:22] 3. Hired Muscle [12:25] 4. A Collection of Crooks [5:27] 5. The High Hat [5:32] 6. Brad's Story [7:14] 7. Two-Timing Tony [9:03] 8. The Two Faces of Mari [6:50] 9. Lying in Wait [11:51] 10. Finding Fred Foss [2:48] 11. The Other Man [5:02] 12. Getting the Whites White [3:59] 13. Discarding a Financial Burden [7:21] 14. Catching a Cab [2:35] 15. Wrap It Up! [12:03] 16. Playing for Keeps [1:21]