Film Noir Double Feature, Vol. 2: The Chase/Bury Me Dead (1946)

Volume two in our series of Film Noir double-bills features three stars better known for their TV personas - Robert Cummings (Love That Bob), June Lockhart (the mom on Lassie) and Hugh Beaumont (the 'Beave's' dad on Leave it to Beaver) - but whose hard-boiled performances here are nothing like those TV characters. The Chase (1946) has Robert Cummings playing an ex-GI who by chance is hired to be the chauffeur for a ruthless gangster. He is soon drawn into a twisted nightmarish plot involving the gangster's unfaithful wife and a charge for a murder he did not commit. The second feature, Bury Me Dead (1947), starts off with a bang when a woman (June Lockhart) shows up as a mourner at her own funeral! With the help of her family lawyer (Hugh Beaumont) the woman begins an investigation to uncover who's really buried in her place and who wanted her dead in the first place. Features cinematography by John Alton. Two film noir gems for the price of one! Bonus Features: Commentaries by Jay Fenton, Film Restoration Consultant| Scene Selection| Bios & Filmographies| Film Noir Movie Poster Gallery| Film Noir Trailers| Bonus: 'Noirish' Superman Cartoon "Showdown" (1942) - the man of steel takes on gangsters! Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital Mono; 153 minutes; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1946, 1947; SRP - $9.99.

Snoozers

I found both of these to be rather dull & boring, it seems like any Noir outside of the major studies & is a public domain/VCI or Alpha noir are kinda flat..
I cant recommend either unless you are a noir completest and must own them. This is the VCI print and its good, but the movies werent June 25, 2008

One Great Film

I have long supported the B category film noirs. Often they are as entertaining or more so than the A product. The stories are straight forward without having to stop for star turns. VCI and other companies releasing these films should be applauded for the efforts made. Having said that, I feel bad about having to give a downward thumb to "Bury Me Dead." It's the first title I've collected which I feel is a letdown. The acting is terrible as well as the pacing. I am a big fan of Hugh Beaumont, who was a very fine actor, with a highly likable aspect to his personality. He always turned in professional efforts as an actor. Here he is as flat as the rest of the film. I have to say that the film's final 10 minutes are really quite good as is the fade-out moment involving three of the characters. "The Chase," on the other hand, made the purchase worth while. It is a very well made film noir. Robert Cummings was a light comedienne who could do the job in turning in a solid sober performance. What worked against him was a softness in his delivery. But he was another very likable type and gives a good account of himself in "The Chase." Steve Cochran is always good especially in the number of films where he was teamed with Virginia Mayo. Who could forget the smoldering sexuality between the two in WB's "White Heat?"
I highly recommend this film noir set for "The Chase." February 18, 2008

A special favorite of mine...

It has a convoluted plot which leaves a number of questions unanswered but if you don't mind dreamy, impressionistic films The Chase may be for you. I found it an outstanding (though atypical) example of the noir style and hard to forget. As explained in the DVD notes, this VCI edition is probably the best quality possible given the flawed source print. The 2nd film on this double feature disc, Bury Me Dead, is a so-so "comedy noir" featuring June Lockhart and Hugh Beaumont. My rating applies only to The Chase with no deduction for the substandard video/audio which apparently can't be helped.

March 24, 2007

This is a critique, not a synopsis...

VCI's offering of The Chase is, as I understand, a superior transfer of this little known title. They have remastered the copy from the best surviving prints. There is a notice at the outset of the movie describing the techniques, materials, and film stock used for the restoration. It is well packaged, and includes a nicely printed liner booklet. All of this attention to detail begs just one question. Why bother?

Although initially excited about seeing a movie that had escaped my orbit, the enthusiasm quickly waned by the end of the first reel. The characters in this movie are not simply "underdeveloped," they're non-existant. We know or learn very little about these people until the very end, and consequently care nothing about them. Bob Cummings, a fine actor whose career and accomplishments are widely unknown and vastly underrated, portrays the WWII veteran, Chuck Scott. Clearly uncomfortable with the material, Cummings acts as though he's having a tooth pulled throughout the movie. Peter Lorre's character, Gino, is constructed with all the acumen of taking a Bentley to the McDonalds drive-thru, so poorly developed and written are his scenes and dialogue. Steve Cochran's Eddie Roman is acceptable only in that he actually has fewer lines than his hench-man, Lorre does. Michele Morgan's Lorna Roman, is unappealing and unbelievable as the thick-tongued French-immigrant gangster's moll.

The story, or lack thereof is a hodge-podge so randomly executed we must simply accept a new set of circumstances and rules with each scene. Speaking of rules, as in the "rules of filmmaking and storytelling", this movie breaks far too many to be taken seriously. Our suspension of disbelief is violated instantly, and throughout the entire film. The plot leads us from one point to another as though we are in posession of the the shooting script. During the final reel, the filmmakers try to convince us that everything we have witnessed has been a dream or hallucination. Chuck's delusion, or the explanation of said event, is a perfect example of a broken rule. His experiences within this delusion are taking place parallel to, and concurrent with actions, characters, and events apart from his own. It is presented as though the screenwriter and director didn't want to bother with annoying trivialities like continuity. We are deprived of an ultimate confrontation and conclusion to the affairs, with the gangster's demise played out in a contrived fate that would be more appropriate in a hackneyed weekly serial...which is apparently all the time that was required to explain the actual plot of this movie.

In keeping with the tone of the film, the liner notes and synopsis are a collection of uninformative vacuous thoughts and platitudes as nebulous and poorly conceived as the movie itself. The "author" reminds us that Michele Morgan received the Best Actress award for Symphonie Pastorale, at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, as though the two performances had some relationship. However, he fails to mention that Ms Morgan had washed her hands of Hollywood after filming The Chase, returning to Paris for good. He also claims, "one way to suggest a dream-like atmosphere is to soften the glow or exaggerate the contrast and color, like the often ambiguous and dreamy paintings of Maxwell Parrish." Huh...???!!! I don't know who Maxwell Parrish is, but famed American Illustrator, Maxfield Parrish painted colorful fantasy art, and nursery rhymes. He also informs us that throughout cinematic history, filmmakers have been unable to successfully produce dream-like movies. Apparently, somebody forgot to mention this to Val Lewton and Jacques Tournneur. Obviously, the author is as confused about film history as he is about art history.

There are a few dark shots and set-ups in The Chase, with the most effective lighting, photography, and settings taking place inside Roman's estate. However, this is not some "little gem" of a film-noir classic. It is a disjointed, poorly written and badly told story on all levels. The only surprise here is seeing Cummings, Lorre, and Morgan, agreeing to act in this amateurish effort. Who knows, maybe the best stuff was left on the cutting room floor. It had all of the elements "on paper"... Likeable WWII veteran, mobster and beautiful unhappy wife, Peter Lorre as a heavy...

Now imagine Edward D. Wood Jr. writing and directing it, and you have, The Chase. March 31, 2006

Entertaining Noirs; Awful DVD edition

Of the two films on this DVD, "The Chase" is the one really worth watching. It boasts a great cast (boyish Robert Cummings, French star Michele Morgan, and the unique Peter Lorre) and an interesting, dreamlike narrative adapted from a Cornell Woolrich novel.
"Bury Me Dead" starts off well, with a woman attending her own funeral, but, despite cinematography by the great John Alton, the film then becomes a rather conventional whodunit with a surprising amount of wisecracks thrown in and no star appeal.
As for the DVD, the sound and image are terrible in both cases. I almost gave up when I first tried to watch them, but "The Chase" was interesting enough to make me glad I purchased this, especially since it seems unlikely either film will merit a "Criterion Collection"-style release. The DVD also includes numerous extras, but be warned that the image and sound are downright awful. March 4, 2006

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