Dick Powell and Lizabeth Scott in “Pitfall”

Pitfall (1948) is an American film noir drama directed by Andre de Toth and starring Dick Powell, Lizabeth Scott, and Jane Wyatt. The supporting cast includes Ann Doran, John Litel, and Raymond Burr.

Johnny Forbes (Powell) works for an insurance company in downtown Los Angeles Johnny is introduced to the case of Mona Stevens and Bill Smiley by former policeman and private investigator J.B. “Mac” MacDonald (Burr). Smiley has been showering Mona with expensive gifts with money he embezzled. Johnny gets involved with Mona Stevens (Scott) the girlfriend of jailed criminal Bill Smiley (Byron Barr) while working on the investigation and Mona’s possible involvement. Johnny who has become disillusioned with his “happy” suburban life with his wife Sue (Wyatt) and his young son Tommy (Jimmy Hunt), finds himself attracted to Mona.

Will Johnny’s affair with Mona damage the investigation of Bill Smiley, and more importantly destroy his marriage to Sue?

 

Andre de Toth (1913 – 2002) was a Hungarian-American film director. De Toth directed films in Europe before World War II. He went to England and then to Los Angeles in 1942. De Toth worked in a variety of genres including films noir and westerns. He directed Gary Cooper in Springfield Rifle (1952) and Vincent Price in House of Wax (1953), the most popular 3-D movie during the 3-D movie craze. Later in his career, he worked as a second-unit director on Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Superman (1978). De Toth was married seven times. One of his wives was Veronica Lake with whom he had two children.

Dick Powell (1904 - 1963) was an American actor, singer, producer, and director. He began his movie career in musicals and comedies but eventually toughened up his image in the mid-1940s where he became a popular star of films noir. He was the first actor to portray Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet (1944). After appearing in his last film, Susan Slept Here, Powell started directing. In the 1950s he was one of the founders of Four Star Television along with Charles Boyer, David Niven, and Ida Lupino. Some popular films starring Powell include 42nd Street (1933), A Midsummer's Night Dream (1935), Christmas in July (1940), Pitfall (1948), and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952).

Lizabeth Scott (1922 – 2015) was an American actress dubbed “The Threat” because she had a similar husky voice and screen persona as Lauren Bacall. Scott was an understudy to Tallulah Bankhead in The Skin of Our Teeth but never got the opportunity to replace Bankhead’s run of the play. When Bankhead was replaced by Miriam Hopkins, Scott did go on for one night and received good reviews. It wasn’t long for Hollywood to take notice and producer Wallis signed her to a contract. She made her film debut as Ivy Hotchkiss in You Came Along (1945) with Robert Cummings. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) was Scott’s second feature. She went on to star in Dead Reckoning (1947) with Humphrey Bogart, I Walk Alone (1947) with Burt Lancaster, and Dark City (1950) with Charlton Heston in his film debut. She had a falling out with producer Wallis after starring in Loving You (1957) with Elvis Presley and another Wallis contract player, Wendell Corey. She basically retired from film after Loving You but appeared on television sporadically during the 1950s and 1960s.

Dick Powell and Jane Wyatt

Pitfall trivia

• There is a shot of the May Company department store on Wilshire Blvd. It’s now the home of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
• According to TCM host Eddie Muller, this was Lizabeth Scott’s favorite role.
• This was an independent production for Regal Films owned by producer Samuel Bischoff. Dick Powell was on the company’s board of directors.
• The comic in John’s son’s bedroom is Flash #77 which is worth over $500 in very good condition.
• John’s personal car is a 1947 Ford Super Deluxe convertible which was the top-of-the-line model.
• John’s company car is a 1948 Studebaker Commander Land Cruiser.

 

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

 

Click HERE to join the discussion on May 6, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

1. Most film noirs aren’t set in suburbia. Did the setting enhance or harm the film’s narrative?
2. Was Dick Powell’s affair with Lizabeth Scott’s character believable?
3. Is Lizabeth Scott’s character the typical femme fatale?
4. What did you think of the performances? Powell, Scott, Wyatt, and Burr?
5. Did this movie remind you of any others you’ve seen?

 

 

 

Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott face a “Dead Reckoning”

Dead Reckoning (1947) is an American film noir directed by John Cromwell and starring Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott.

Bogart plays Capt. Warren “Rip” Murdock who is trying to unlock the mystery surrounding the disappearance and death of his WW II buddy Sergeant Johnny Drake. During his search he meets Drake’s girlfriend Coral (Scott). During his search, Rip falls in love with Coral but is she worthy of his trust.

Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott

John Cromwell (1886 – 1979) was an American film and stage director. Cromwell started his career as an actor on the stage and in the early days of talking pictures. He was under contract to Paramount where he directed many pre-Code films. Some of the stars he directed during this time included Kay Francis, William Powell, and Jean Arthur. In 1933, he moved to RKO and directed Irene Dunne in Ann Vickers (1933), Spitfire (1934) with Katharine Hepburn, and Of Human Bondage (1934) with Leslie Howard and Bette Davis. Of Human Bondage was a tremendous box office success and made Cromwell a top director in Hollywood. Other films he directed include Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), Since You Went Away (1944), Anna and the Kind of Siam (1946), and Dead Reckoning. He is the father of actor James Cromwell.

Lizabeth Scott (1922 – 2015) was an American actress dubbed “The Threat” because she had a similar husky voice and screen persona as Lauren Bacall. Scott was understudy to Tallulah Bankhead in The Skin of Our Teeth but never got the opportunity to replace Bankhead’s run of the play. When Bankhead was replaced by Miriam Hopkins, Scott did go on for one night and received good reviews. It wasn’t long for Hollywood to take notice and producer Wallis signed her to a contract. She made her film debut as Ivy Hotchkiss in You Came Along (1945) with Robert Cummings. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) was Scott’s second feature. She went on to star in Dead Reckoning (1947) with Humphrey Bogart, I Walk Alone (1947) with Burt Lancaster, and Dark City (1950) with Charlton Heston in his film debut. She had a falling out with producer Wallis after starring in Loving You (1957) with Elvis Presley and another Wallis contract player, Wendell Corey. She basically retired from film after Loving You but appeared on television sporadically during the 1950s and 1960s.

Dead Reckoning trivia

• Rita Hayworth was the original choice to play Coral but she was committed to The Lady from Shanghai with her estranged husband, Orson Welles.
• Lizabeth Scott was on loan from Paramount to play Coral and Bogart was on loan from Warner Bros. to play Rip.
• Bogart was miffed about the terms of his loan out from Warner Bros. because Columbia paid Warner Bros. more than his salary.
• Coral’s car is a 1941 Lincoln Continental convertible. Only 400 were made.
• Lizabeth Scott was billed as “The Threat.” Lauren Bacall was tagged as “The Look” and Scott was often compared to Bacall.
• Lauren Bacall supposedly thought Scott did a good job in the picture.

 

Click HERE to join the discussion on May 6, 2024, 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Click HERE to watch the film on YouTube.

Discussion questions

1. Does this film fit all the film noir tropes?
2. What did you think of the pairing of Bogart and Scott?
3. Like many film noirs, the plot has many twists and turns. Were you able to follow it?
4. What did you think of the film’s production? Does it fit your idea of a “film noir style?”
5. Do you think the film would have been different had Rita Hayworth played Cora?

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers—Whisper Her Name

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) directed by Lewis Milestone and produced by Hal B. Wallis, stars Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, and Lizabeth Scott. It also marks the film debut of future star Kirk Douglas.

Stanwyk, Heflin, and Douglas in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

The movie begins with a flashback to an incident in the life of a 13-year-old Martha Ivers. Feeling trapped by the strict guardianship of her wealthy aunt (Judith Anderson), young Martha attempts to run away. Her attempt is thwarted which causes more friction between Martha and her aunt that she professes to hate. During a thunderstorm that knocks out the electricity in the Ivers mansion, Martha’s aunt is found dead. Will the secrets from the past come back to destroy Martha, who is now a rich and successful businesswoman?

With producer Wallis at the helm, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers was an A+ production. Along with the three stars, we have some great character actors on board including Anderson, Roman Bohnen, and child actor Darryl Hickman. The film also boasts a rich film score composed by Miklas Rozsa (Spellbound, Ben-Hur).

Look for the future director and producer Blake Edwards as the sailor that hitches a ride with Sam Masterson (Heflin).

Lewis Milestone (1895 – 1980) was a Russian-born American film director. He is a two-time Academy Award-winner for Best Director: Two Arabian Knights (1927) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). Other notable films directed by Milestone include The Front Page (1931), Of Mice and Men (1939), A Walk in the Sun (1945), Les Miserables (1952), and Ocean’s 11 (1960).

Barbara Stanwyck (1907 – 1990) was an American film star who got her acting start with a supporting role on Broadway in a play called The Noose (1926). The next year she had the lead in another Broadway production, Burlesque which was a huge hit. She eventually made it to Hollywood where her success was not immediate. Director Frank Capra saw something in Stanwyck and he educated her in filmmaking and film acting and the rest is history. Stanwyck was nominated four times for the Best Actress Oscar—Stella Dallas (1937), Ball of Fire (1941), Double Indemnity (1945), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)—and remains one of the most beloved movie stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Van Heflin (1908 – 1971) was an American actor who performed on the radio, stage, and screen. Heflin played mostly character parts, but during the 1940s he had a run as a leading man. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Johnny Eager (1942). Heflin starred in Presenting Lily Mars (1943) with Judy Garland, Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), and Possessed (1947) with Joan Crawford. He starred opposite Lana Turner in Green Dolphin Street (1947) which was M-G-M’s biggest hit of the year. He served in World War II as a combat cameraman in the Ninth Air Force in Europe. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers was Heflin’s first film role after returning from war. He starred in two other pictures with Stanwyck: B.F.’s Daughter (1948) and East Side, West Side (1949). Helflin’s last role was as the bomber in Airport (1970).

Lizabeth Scott (1922 – 2015) was an American actress dubbed “The Threat” because she had a similar husky voice and screen persona as Lauren Bacall. Scott was understudy to Tallulah Bankhead in The Skin of Our Teeth but never got the opportunity to replace Bankhead’s run of the play. When Bankhead was replaced by Miriam Hopkins, Scott did go on for one night and received good reviews. It wasn’t long for Hollywood to take notice and producer Wallis signed her to a contract. She made her film debut as Ivy Hotchkiss in You Came Along (1945) with Robert Cummings. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) was Scott’s second feature. She went on to star in Dead Reckoning (1947) with Humphrey Bogart, I Walk Alone (1947) with Burt Lancaster, and Dark City (1950) with Charlton Heston in his film debut. She had a falling out with producer Wallis after starring in Loving You (1957) with Elvis Presley and another Wallis contract player, Wendell Corey. She basically retired from film after Loving You but appeared on television sporadically during the 1950s and 1960s.

Director Milestone with Douglas, Heflin, and Stanwyck taking a break on the set

Questions for discussion:
1. Noir or not? Does this fit into what you consider a film noir?
2. Is there a femme fatale in this film? If yes, who is it?
3. Does this film remind you of another famous film noir?
4. Was the ending a surprise or did you expect it?
5. What did you think of the performances? Did one performance stand out to you?

Join us for a discussion of this film on Zoom, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. The invitation with links is below.

Below is the movie on YouTube. Please use this link; there are many prints of this film on YouTube, but this one is the best by a mile.



Below is the Zoom invitation.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers"
Time: May 12, 2020 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79269322150?pwd=c1dWVnFoS1hpMjFMTnNOeFVGRjN3Zz09

Meeting ID: 792 6932 2150
Password: 6G66Uq

Review of “I Walk Alone” at #NoirCityChicago

I spent Sunday evening taking in a screening of I Walk Alone at Noir City Chicago at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. I hadn’t seen this film before so it was a real treat. Another treat was the restored digital transfer, which was virtually flawless.

Introduced by Eddie Muller, Film Noir Foundation Founder and President, and host of Noir Alley on Turner Classic Movies, Muller said that this Hal Wallis independent production (released through Paramount) was a way to showcase the stars—Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey, and Kirk Douglas—he had under contract.

 

Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, and Kirk Douglas

The plot is a simple one: Lancaster and Douglas were partners selling booze during prohibition. During a run, the two were followed by the police so they decide to split up, thinking one of them would be able to make it to safety, but vowing that they would help the other if caught and profits would be split 50/50.

Well, 14 years later, Lancaster is out of prison and anxious to get his share of the profits from the business. Douglas who now runs a successful, but shady, nightclub, dissolved their old partnership and claims that Lancaster’s share amounts to less than $3000. This news sends Lancaster into a rage threatening to kill Wendell Corey, who set up the new corporation and does the books for the club.

In the middle of all this is Lizabeth Scott, a singer at the nightclub. Douglas has been stringing her along, all the while romancing a rich socialite. He plans on marrying her because he thinks she can help bring a higher class clientele to the club. Once this is revealed to Scott, her sympathies end up with Lancaster. She wants to help him, but doesn’t want him to resort to anything that would send him back to jail.

Like all classic films noir, the dialogue is sharp and snappy and delivered by a cast of pros. As the club singer, Scott wears a variety of fashions designed by the legendary Edith Head, and she wears them very well, I might add. Additionally, I don’t think one hair on Scott’s head was out of place through the entire movie, which is remarkable since she gets pushed around a bit.

It was fun to see Lancaster, Scott, and Douglas (Douglas is the only one still with us at 101!) so young. Muller said it looked like there was a bit of a competition between Lancaster and Douglas as to who could chew more scenery! And chew they do, and that’s what makes the movie so enjoyable.

I Walk Alone is now available on DVD in a restored version produced by the Paramount Pictures Archive.

The Chicago Noir City film festival continues through Thursday, August 23. For the remaining films scheduled, click here.     

2015 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Recap: Day 1

The Turner Classic Movies Film Festival began on Thursday March 29. The flight from Chicago to LA was uneventful (hallalujah!). After settling in at my hotel, I walked over to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and Club TCM. I was hoping to connect with folks that I’ve known via social media for years in-person for the first time. After walking around the room for several minutes, a woman walked up to me and said, “Stephen?” I replied yes and Pam, a Twitter friend, was the first person I met. After Pam it was Kelly, Joel, Will, Aurora,  Laura, and Kristina. Kristina and I have known each other from social media for several years. Two years ago we organized and managed the Val Lewton blogathon together. It was wonderful to finally meet her in person to talk about classic movies and the excitement (and our good fortune) about attending the festival for the first time.

I was almost in tears when I realized
I wasn't going to be seeing this film.

To save some money, I opted out of attending The Sound of Music. I’m sure it would have been fun, but I was willing to pass up that opportunity. My first movie choice was also my first (and only) disappointment. I wanted to see Too Late For Tears (1949) starring Lizabeth Scott, but it was sold out! So instead, I went into The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) starring John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Vera Miles. A John Ford classic and one of my favorites of his, so it was a fine consolation for missing out on Tears.

After Valance, it was a choice between My Man Godfrey (1936), Breaker Morant (1980), or The Sea Hawk (1940). I decided I wanted to laugh and Godfrey is a movie I never tire of seeing. And on a big screen with an audience, it was better than I could have imagined. The print screened was beautiful; It looked brand new. With the constant laughter emanating from the theater, it was almost like seeing the film for the very first time.

After Godfrey, it was time to go back to the hotel and try and catch up (or at least try) on my two hours of jet lag and plan day two!

To read my overview of the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival, click here.

Lizabeth Scott the quintessential “noir dame” dead at 92

Lizabeth Scott who became a star playing the femme fatale in many popular noir films from the mid-1940s to the early-1950s, passed away on January 31, 2015. She was 92 years old. In her prime, Scott starred opposite Burt Lancaster, Dick Powell, Robert Mitchum, and Humphrey Bogart. Scott was often compared, sometimes unfavorably, to Lauren Bacall because of her striking blond good looks and her husky voice.

Scott started out pursuing a career in the theater. In 1938 at 18, she found herself touring in Hellzapoppin. Her role in this production required her to do sketch comedy. Her next big break came as understudy to Tallulah Bankhead in the original Broadway production of Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth. Bankhead never missed a performance. After Bankhead left, she was replaced by Miriam Hopkins. During Hopkins’s run, Scott went on for one night with great success. After Hopkins, Gladys George took over. George had no understudy, but Scott was called in to replace George during a brief illness. Scott’s performance was noted by Hollywood, but she wasn’t interested in a career in film, so she continued her theater studies and earned a living by modeling.

Producer Hal Wallis, who had just left Warner Brothers for Paramount, persuaded Scott to sign a film contract. Her first picture was the comedy-drama You Came Along (1945) costarring Robert Cummings. With a script by Ayn Rand, the plot centered on an Army Air Force officer (Cummings) hiding his leukemia from a US Treasury PR woman (Scott) traveling with him on a bond tour. Scott’s next role in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) would define her movie persona for the rest of her film career. The legendary Lewis Milestone directed the popular film noir starring the top-billed Barbara Stanwyck and Van Heflin. Though her role wasn’t all that big, she received good notices. Her blond good looks and husky low voice fascinated moviegoers.

Scott’s breakout performance came in Dead Reckoning (1947) where she shared equal billing with Humphrey Bogart. As Bogart’s duplicitous girlfriend and torch singer Coral “Dusty” Chandler, Scott is both mysterious and beguiling. Next up was the Hal Wallis production of Desert Fury (1947). One of the few noir films shot in Technicolor, Scott was billed under John Hodiak, but above Burt Lancaster. Panned by the critics when first released, today it is considered a classic by many noir aficionados. Scott had a brief reprieve from heavy drama with a comedy sketch in Paramount’s all-star Variety Girl (1947). The next year would see Scott back in another noir, I Walk Alone (1948) once again costarring Burt Lancaster. More roles followed, Pitfall (1948) costarring Dick Powell, Too Late For Tears (1948) costarring Don Defore, Dan Duryea, and Aruthur Kennedy, Easy Living (1949) costarring Victor Mature and Lucille Ball.

By the early 1950s, with the movie business changing, film roles were harder to come by. Scott, like many movie stars, worked on television during its golden age. A trained singer, Scott recorded an album in 1957 titled Lizabeth. That same year, Scott starred opposite Elvis Presley in Loving You where she played the manager of a country band who discovers Deke Rivers (Presley) and makes him a star. After Loving You, Scott pretty much vanished, pursuing personal interests in education and charity work. Her last film was Pulp (1972), a comedy that poked fun at the noir genre.

Scott will go down in history as someone who appeared in more noir films than any other actress. She will also be remembered for her iconic look and sensual low voice. To film fans, she will be remembered as the perfect “noir dame” who could hold her own against any tough guy that crossed her path.