Monday, 18 May 2020

The Locket (1946 John Brahm)

Rather bonkers tale starts with Gene Raymond about to marry Laraine Day, when psychiatrist Brian Aherne shows up and tells him he was married to her first, and she's bonkers. Cue Flashback #1, in which artist Robert Mitchum turns up and says he's been married to her before, and she stole a bracelet, in Flashback #2. In this, there's a third Flashback, let's call if Flashback #3, in which the little Laraine Day is given a locket, then had it taken away again, by the bitch Katherine Emery, thus setting up the woman's psychosis (there's only one bitch, really, so there's no point going as far as Bitch #1. That would be silly.) Anyway the doctor won't believe Mitchum (we're back to Flashback #1 now) so he jumps out of the window (and it's a High Window, though that sounds like a film noir title, so we mustn't confuse things.* This is no film noir).

Anyway, following the pattern of things, the present day fiance won't believe the doctor and goes ahead and marries the girl anyway, but she has a flashback - well it's sort of an impressionistic thing you get particularly in RKO films - I think I'd call it the suggestion of a Flashback, rather than Flashback #4 - about the stolen bracelet and goes nuts, so finally everyone believes all those flashback stories. Except Mitchum, who remains dead.

Luckily we have Nick Musuraca on camera and Roy Webb scoring to help us through.

Also in cast: Henry Stephenson again, Reginald Denny, Ricardo Cortez, and (uncredited) Grandma Walton Ellen Corby.

Brahm made that great Laird Cregar double bill Hangover Square and The Lodger, so clearly had a talent for something better. Day's only films of note were Foreign Correspondent and Mr. Lucky.

* It turns out High Window is not a film noir title, though it should be.

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