Sunday, May 13, 2012

FILM NOIR FESTIVAL: THE FINALE

ROAD HOUSE (1948)

first off

go the your netflix account and add all the ida lupio movies

to your queue, get 'em in the mail and watch 'em all

i'm sorry to say, but if you're not that familiar with her work

- well, she works it, and works well, especially in road house

this movie is a classic love triangle tail that seems

so much like it would be an old warner bros. production

but it's not, it's from 20th century fox... enter darryl zanuck

zanuck was the head of production at warners

until he had a falling out with the brothers, especially jack

he left warners in 1933 and headed to 20th century fox

the impetus for this movie was really ida lupino, she was on

contract at warners but zanuck brought her with him to fox

he bought out her contract for $100,000 and also spent an

additional $30,000 for the rights to a screenplay she had

had commissioned called dark love

this film road house is based on that screenplay

lupino went on to form a film company and became one of

the very first important woman directors in hollywood

she produced a series of successful films in the 40's & 50's

in this film, which is only richard widmark's third role 

he brilliantly plays jefty, a spoiled brat man-boy who owns a

bar/bowling alley roadhouse - but plays most of the time

plays with the weekly earnings and with most of the hired help

jefty hires sultry, tough-talking torch singer lily stevens

played by lupino, against the advice of his manager, pete

jefty is smitten with lily, who in turn exerts her charms

on the more resistant, tough as nails manager, pete

when pete finally falls for her and she turns down jefty's

marriage proposal, the trouble really begins

and now they must face jefty's murderous jealousy

that's when things really start to sizzle and what happens next

is what you have to find out for yourself, that is

if you can find it to rent, 'cuz this is a rare one

and a very good one - call netflix!

NOTE:
IS OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR
BASED ON THE NEARLY FULL THEATER
FOR NEARLY EVERY SCREENING
THIS TRULY WAS A HUGE SUCCESS
PLAN ON BEING THERE NEXT YEAR