Moviecut—They Won't Believe Me

They Won't Believe Me

In many ways, this film is very reminiscent of Double Indemnity with Robert Young in the Fred MacMurray role. But unlike Walter Nehf, Larry Ballantine has no femme fatale such as the tantalizing Phyllis Dietrichsen to seduce him into murder. Larry is unscrupulous and feckless, but not evil, and neither are the women with whom he cheats, as played by Susan Hayward and the sensational Jane Greer (Skipper). Wife Rita Johnson, while a bit of a spoiled princess, is certainly not evil either. The narrative by Young is extremely effective and totally consistent with his character. There also are touches quite reminiscent of another Cain story, The Postman Always Rings Twice. Anyway, I saw this movie on TV twice after originally seeing it in the theatres as part of a triple feature. I love it as much now as I did then --- it's a real treat.

Robert Young? In a noir? He's near his best here, though for me his best is "Lady Be Good," in which he seems to be having a truly great time. Jane Greer looks luscious. Susan Hayward is very good -- though her best was "I Can Get It For You Wholesale." And Rita Johnson is good, in a different type of role from her usual. The rise and fall and rise and fall of a womanizer. It's well plotted, though slightly dull till the final five minutes. Then, the climax: No one who's ever seen this will forget it. (And I'm certainly not going to give it away.)

Contrary to what some previous reviews have stated, Susan Hayward was not first billed; Robert Young was the top billed player. Cast against his usual type of role, Robert Young was perfect in the role. Comparing him to how other actors might have played the role makes no sense to me, except as an exercise in "armchair casting". The standout for me in the actresses was Rita Johnson, who was terrific. A most underrated actress (catch her in "The Big Clock"). Jane Greer was a truly beautiful woman, and it is a shame that she never achieved the heights of stardom that others did. Susan Hayward, on her way up the ladder, was as always a knockout - this is my personal favorite period for her (including "Deadline At Dawn") I thought the picture was almost perfect, full of irony and suspense. As always, the RKO cinematography is second to none. What a look those RKO movies had!

I'm not a fan of old movies, but I got up early this morning and intended to go back to bed. Something about this movie caught my eye, so I thought I'd watch a few minutes of it before heading back to bed. I ended up not going back to bed because I couldn't turn the tv off. I couldn't believe how interesting this story was! Despite another reviewer's comments, I found the main character to be flawed, but sympathetic. I wouldn't do the things he did, but I imagine someone out there would. He had everything going for him, but screwed it up, and hardly ever made the right move. I did find the end to be... strange, let's say. I can't imagine THAT happening in any year, 1947 or 2000, but otherwise, it's a great flick. If you like older movies, beautiful starletts, solid acting, and an interesting storyline, you shouldn't pass this movie up. I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Outstanding film noir melodrama with Robert Young cast against type as a philanderer on trial for murder. Through flashbacks, he tells the jury about how he's a selfish womanizer who cheated on his rich wife (Rita Johnson) with her friend (Jane Greer) and a co-worker (Susan Hayward) but denies he's a murderer. Robert Young has one of his best film roles here, as does Rita Johnson. Noir goddess Jane Greer is fine in a 'good girl' role. Susan Hayward is dynamite as a libidinous woman who falls for Young in spite of herself. The script is smart and full of hard-boiled lines. The story takes many twists and turns but it always manages to feel believable, even when it's anything but. The memorable final scene is one of the best from any film noir. Nice cinematography from Harry J. Wild and excellent direction from the often underrated Irving Pichel. Tense, suspenseful movie that will please most noir fans. Definitely recommended.