The Chase (1946 film)

Last updated
The Chase
The Chase 1946 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Arthur Ripley
Screenplay by Philip Yordan
Based onThe Black Path of Fear
by Cornell Woolrich
Produced by Seymour Nebenzal
Starring
Cinematography Frank F. Planer
Edited byEdward Mann
Music by Michel Michelet
Production
company
Nero Films
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • November 17, 1946 (1946-11-17)(New York City)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
The Chase (1946) by Arthur Ripley

The Chase is a 1946 American film noir directed by Arthur Ripley. The screenplay by Philip Yordan is based on Cornell Woolrich's 1944 novel The Black Path of Fear. It stars Robert Cummings as Chuck Scott, a veteran who suffers from hallucinations. When he returns a lost wallet to violent mobster Eddie Roman (Steve Cochran), Eddie offers to hire him as a chauffeur. Chuck becomes mixed up in a plot to help Eddie's wife Lorna (Michèle Morgan) run off to Havana to escape her cruel husband.

Contents

Plot

Chuck Scott is a World War II veteran who is now a penniless drifter in Miami tormented by bizarre dreams. After finding a wallet and returning it to Eddie Roman, a vicious gangster, he is hired by Roman to be his driver. Roman tests his new driver, whom he nicknames Scotty, by assuming control of his car from the back seat. Scotty does not know that Roman has an accelerator in the rear passenger compartment. This bizarre trick unnerves Scotty and Roman's right-hand man Gino.

Roman reveals himself as a tough gangster by killing any competition, and is harsh and controlling with his wife, Lorna. She goes for a ride every night, and one day she asks driver Scotty to take her to Havana, Cuba in exchange for $1,000. He consents and realizes that he is in love with her. When they reach Havana, they stop for a drink at a club, where Lorna is stabbed to death.

All the evidence points to Scotty as the killer, including the fact that he had, earlier that day, apparently purchased the knife used in the murder. He realizes that he is being framed. A photograph from the club that proves Scotty's innocence is destroyed by Gino, who has come to Cuba to exact revenge against Lorna and Scotty. Scotty escapes police custody but is supposedly gunned down by Gino when he returns to the curio store from which the knife was purchased. Scotty's face is never shown during this scene.

Scotty wakes in Miami on the night that he and Lorna are supposed to abscond to Havana. He is sweating profusely and immediately takes his pills, presumably prescribed to treat his posttraumatic stress disorder from battle. He remembers nothing, and visits the naval hospital to seek treatment from his doctor, Commander Davidson. Davidson urges him to try to remember why he was dressed as a driver, but Scotty is unable to do so. The two go drinking at the Florida Club.

Lorna is shocked that Scotty abruptly quit his job and departed earlier that night, and she is locked in her room after Roman discovers her writing a letter to Scotty. Roman and Gino go to the Florida Club to cool down, unknowingly sitting across the club, and behind a partition, from Scotty. Davidson realizes that the woman whom Scotty loves is Roman's wife, but by this time, Scotty remembers where he was supposed to be and leaves to find Lorna. He rescues her and they head for the port, but Gino and Roman are also heading to the port after they discover that Scotty was seen there buying tickets earlier that morning. With Roman using his master accelerator to push the car's speed to 100 mph, the car crashes into an oncoming train, killing both gangsters. Scotty and Lorna are now free to sail to Cuba and be together.

Cast

Michele Morgan Michele Morgan The Chase 2.jpg
Michèle Morgan

Production

The Black Path of Fear was published in 1944. The New York Times praised its "fiendishly ingenious plot and thrilling episodes." [1]

Producer Seymour Nebenzal bought the rights to the story. In January 1946, he announced Phil Yordan, with whom he had made Whistle Stop, was writing the script. [2]

Adjustments were required for the story to comply with the Production Code. Much of the action was framed as a dream sequence so that the characters could escape the consequences of their actions. The character of Scotty was originally to reenlist in the army at the end, but veterans thought this was a bad idea, so the time of Roman's death was advanced so that Lorna could wind up with Scotty. The cause of a death in the book was changed from an attack by a mad dog to an auto accident. Adjustments to scenes set in Cuba were required to avoid upsetting the Cuban government. [3]

In March 1946, Robert Cummings signed on to play a lead role [4] and Joan Leslie was borrowed from Warner Bros. to costar. [5] Arthur Ripley signed on to direct. [6] Warner Bros. then insisted Leslie was still under contract to them, [7] causing principal photography to be delayed by a month over the dispute. Nebenzal grew impatient and replaced Leslie with Michèle Morgan. Leslie sued Nebenzal for lost wages and damages, and she sued Warner Bros. to release her from her contract. [8] Morgan joined the cast in May along with Steve Cochran, who was borrowed from Sam Goldwyn. [9] Peter Lorre joined the cast in June. [10]

Also according to Variety , production was delayed by an electrical workers' strike at RKO's Culver City studio.[ citation needed ]

Reception

The Chase was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. [11] Critic Gene Arieel of The Hollywood Scene' wrote: "The Chase has flaws, to be sure, but it has additionally a good share of suspense and excitement." He also noted that "the performances are indispensably good."

Leyen Decker of The Independent newspaper wrote: "The Chase is fascinating and suspenseful but falls back on the familiar dream solution as the easiest way out, and the audiences will be confused and disappointed."

In a retrospective review in The New York Times , J. Hoberman wrote: "The Chase is nothing if not arty. Mrs. Roman is dressed and posed as if she were one of the subjects of Cecil Beaton’s Surrealist-inflected Vogue portraits."

Legacy

Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward write in Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style: " Phantom Lady excepted, The Chase is the best cinematic equivalent of the dark, oppressive atmosphere that characterizes most of Cornell Woolrich's best fiction." [12]

The story was adapted for television in 1954. In 1957, Steve Sekeley was reportedly preparing a version of the novel for United Artists, but the project did not materialize. [13]

Home media

The film is in the public domain, which has led to many substandard releases. In 2012, it was restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, [14] a version that has been released on DVD and Blu-ray by Kino Lorber in the U.S. It includes an audio commentary by Canadian director Guy Maddin and two 1940s radio adaptations based on the source novel. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell Woolrich</span> American novelist (1903–1968)

Cornell George Hopley Woolrich was an American novelist and short story writer. He sometimes used the pseudonyms William Irish and George Hopley.

<i>Fear in the Night</i> (1947 film) 1947 film by Maxwell Shane

Fear in the Night is an American 1947 film noir crime film directed by Maxwell Shane, starring Paul Kelly and DeForest Kelley. It is based on the Cornell Woolrich story "And So to Death". Woolrich is credited under pen name William Irish. The film was remade by the same director in 1956 with the title Nightmare this time starring Edward G. Robinson playing the cop and Kevin McCarthy.

Black Angel is a 1946 American film noir starring Dan Duryea, June Vincent and Peter Lorre. Directed by Roy William Neill, it was his final feature film. Produced by Universal Pictures, it is set in Los Angeles and broadly adapted from Cornell Woolrich's 1943 novel The Black Angel.

<i>Whistle Stop</i> (1946 film) 1946 film by Léonide Moguy

Whistle Stop is a 1946 American film noir crime film directed by Léonide Moguy and starring George Raft, Ava Gardner, Victor McLaglen, and Tom Conway. It was produced by Seymour Nebenzal's Nero Films and distributed by United Artists. The screenplay was written by Philip Yordan, based on a 1941 novel of the title by Maritta M. Wolff.

<i>Night Has a Thousand Eyes</i> 1948 film by John Farrow

Night Has a Thousand Eyes is a 1948 American horror film directed by John Farrow and starring Edward G. Robinson, Gail Russell and John Lund. The screenplay was written by Barré Lyndon and Jonathan Latimer. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Cornell Woolrich, originally published under the pseudonym George Hopley.

<i>The Brasher Doubloon</i> 1947 American crime film noir by John Brahm

The Brasher Doubloon is a 1947 American crime film noir directed by John Brahm and starring George Montgomery and Nancy Guild. It is based on the 1942 novel The High Window by Raymond Chandler.

<i>The Window</i> (1949 film) 1949 film by Ted Tetzlaff

The Window is a 1949 American black-and-white film noir, based on the short story "The Boy Cried Murder" by Cornell Woolrich, about a lying boy who witnesses a killing but is not believed. The film, a critical success that was shot on location in New York City, was produced by Frederic Ullman Jr. for $210,000 but earned much more, making it a box-office hit for RKO Pictures. The film was directed by Ted Tetzlaff, who worked as a cinematographer on over 100 films, including another successful suspense film, Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946). For his performances in this film and in So Dear to My Heart, Bobby Driscoll was presented with a miniature Oscar statuette as the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949 at the 1950 Academy Awards ceremony.

<i>Red Light</i> (film) 1949 film noir

Red Light is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed and produced by Roy Del Ruth, starring George Raft and Virginia Mayo, and based on the story "This Guy Gideon" by Don "Red" Barry, featuring strong religious overtones.

<i>Mr. Ace</i> 1946 film by Edwin L. Marin

Mr. Ace is a 1946 American film noir starring George Raft and Sylvia Sidney involving a society woman who taps a gangster for his political support as she runs for Congress. The movie was written by Fred F. Finkelhoffe, directed by Edwin L. Marin, and photographed by legendary cinematographer Karl Struss.

Seymour Nebenzal was an American-born Jewish-German film producer. He produced 46 films between 1927 and 1961.

Lorna Feijóo is a Cuban former ballet dancer. Her career started at the Cuban National Ballet, where she rose through the ranks. She left Cuba in 2001, then spent two years with the Cincinnati Ballet, before joining the Boston Ballet in 2003, where she remained as a principal dancer until she retired. Her sister, Lorena Feijóo, was also a ballet dancer.

<i>Saigon</i> (1948 film) 1948 film by Leslie Fenton

Saigon is a 1948 American crime film directed by Leslie Fenton starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, in their fourth and final film together. It was distributed by Paramount Pictures and was one of the last films Veronica Lake made under her contract with the studio. Ladd and Lake made four films together; This Gun for Hire and The Glass Key, both in 1942, The Blue Dahlia in 1946 and Saigon. While the earlier films all proved to be big box office successes, Saigon did not do as well financially. Ladd continued to remain one of Paramount's top male stars, while Lake's career was in decline. By the end of 1948 her contract with Paramount had expired and the studio chose not to renew it.

<i>Affair in Havana</i> 1957 film

Affair in Havana is a 1957 American film noir crime film directed by László Benedek and written by Maurice Zimm. It stars Raymond Burr and John Cassavetes.

<i>Cry Terror!</i> 1958 American thriller film

Cry Terror! is a 1958 American crime thriller film starring James Mason, Inger Stevens, and Rod Steiger. The story was written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. Neville Brand, Jack Klugman and Angie Dickinson appear in support.

<i>Lorna Doone</i> (1951 film) 1951 film

Lorna Doone is a 1951 American adventure film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Barbara Hale and Richard Greene. It is an adaptation of the 1869 novel Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore, set in the English West Country during the 17th century.

<i>My Dog Shep</i> 1946 film

My Dog Shep is a 1946 American drama film directed by Ford Beebe.

<i>I Live on Danger</i> 1942 film by Sam White

I Live on Danger is a 1942 film noir thriller film directed by Sam White and starring Chester Morris and Jean Parker.

<i>Desert Fury</i> 1947 film by Lewis Allen

Desert Fury is a 1947 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis Allen, and starring John Hodiak, Lizabeth Scott and Burt Lancaster. Its plot follows the daughter of a casino owner in a small Nevada town who becomes involved with a racketeer who was once suspected of murdering his wife. The screenplay was written by Robert Rossen and A. I. Bezzerides (uncredited), adapted from the 1947 novel of the same name by Ramona Stewart. The picture was produced by Hal Wallis, with music by Miklós Rózsa and cinematography in Technicolor by Edward Cronjager and Charles Lang.

<i>The Big Boodle</i> 1957 film by Richard Wilson

The Big Boodle is a 1957 American film noir crime film directed by Richard Wilson, and starring Errol Flynn, Pedro Armendáriz, Rossana Rory, and Gia Scala, filmed in Cuba.

Nero-Film AG was a German film production company founded in 1925 and based in Berlin during the Weimar era.

References

  1. ↑ THE BLACK PATH OF FEAR. By Cornell Woolrich. 183 pp. New York: Crime Club-Doubleday, Doran & Co. $2. By ISAAC ANDERSON. New York Times 4 June 1944: BR14.
  2. ↑ Tufts May Play 'Brown;' Claire Trevor to Star Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 23 Jan 1946: A3.
  3. ↑ MAUGHAM IN HOLLYWOOD: Anthor's Viewpoint Minor Alteration OUT OF HOLLYWOOD'S NEWS HOPPER Scott Reversed Unusual Deal Pitfalls By THOMAS F. BRADY. New York Times 28 July 1946: X1.
  4. ↑ NEWS OF THE SCREEN New York Times 9 Mar 1946: 20.
  5. ↑ NEW 'CHAMP' FILM AGAIN STARS BEERY New York Times 20 Mar 1946: 31.
  6. ↑ LANCASTER IS SIGNED FOR ROLE IN 'KILLERS' Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. 23 Mar 1946: 8.
  7. ↑ Leslie in Godiva Role; Maxwell as Shady Lady Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 3 Apr 1946: 9.
  8. ↑ JOAN LESLIE SIGNS FOR UA FILM LEAD: Released From Contract With Warners, Actress Gets Role in 'Personal Column' Of Local Origin Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.28 May 1946: 32.
  9. ↑ Lee Bowman Borrowed for Lead in 'Smash-up' Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 16 May 1946: A3.
  10. ↑ Of Local Origin New York Times 10 June 1946: 38.
  11. ↑ "Festival de Cannes: The Chase". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
  12. ↑ Silver, Alain, and Elizabeth Ward, eds. Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, 3rd edition, 1992. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press. ISBN   0-87951-479-5.
  13. ↑ Unique Shaw Play Slated: 'Undying Flame' to Star Loren, Brazzi; Schell Return Speeded Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times6 Nov 1957: B9.
  14. ↑ "The Chase/High Tide screenings". UCLA Film and Television Archive.
  15. ↑ "The Chase DVD". Kino Lorber.

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Streaming audio

  1. ↑ Erickson, Glenn. "The Chase (1946)". Trailersfromhell. CineSavant. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Chase". Kino Now.
  3. ↑ "The Chase". Rotten Tomatoes.
  4. ↑ Cito, Paul. "The Chase (1946)". Film Noir of the Week. Retrieved Mar 6, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.