Whirlpool (1949)

 Not sure this is a noir, but...
Worth seeing for Jose Ferrar's performance as the oily "hypnotist" and womanizer. The film has Preminger's usual delight in the unsavoury and dark in human nature, but it also has Richard Conti rather miscast as a succesful California psychologist (kinda of like De Niro playing an Irish priest in "True Confessions"...) Of course, Gene Tierney is pretty easy on the eyes, but the film is not really noir, more of a psychological thriller. Not a good place to start if your just getting into classic film noir, but a fine little film nevertheless. Pick this up after you have squeezed everything out of "DOA", "Out of the Past", "Gun Crazy" and "Detour"... April 25, 2008

 Noir, schmoir. Enjoy this little-seen gem
Let's be honest, the two best reasons to sit through Whirlpool are 1) to see Gene Tierney at the peak of her luminous beauty, and 2) to enjoy Jose Ferrer at the peak of his ingratiating, oily charm. Slow? Is it slow? Yes, but a brisk wisecracking script about hypnosis, infidelity, and seduction would have been -- jarring. Another way of saying "slow" could be "building suspense". Charles Coburn is great as a crusty cop with a poignant backstory. Richard Conte is less convincing as a psychiatrist. Something to contemplate: What if Ferrer had played the Waldo Lydecker role in Laura? Forget the listless commentary, it adds nothing. April 19, 2008

 The Tierney Magic
The suspense is totally engrossing, and serves as a good example of Otto Preminger's mastery of the genre. Gene Tierney's performance is deeply moving as she plays the kleptomaniac spouse of a famous psychiatrist, Richard Conte, who falls into the clutches of a nefarious charlatan. The Tierney magic works at full potency as she emotes the conflicting thoughts and feelings that tear at her soul.
Jose Ferrer as the sociopathic astrologer/hypnotist, is completely sinister as he cons, then blackmails, rich women in need of psychiatric help out of their fortunes. Whirlpool is a must for suspense freaks and film noir addicts. Reminiscing a bit about Laura, Otto Preminger created a point of rendezvous for past and future shades. Ironically, this film foreshadows the kind of desperate battle into which Gene Tierney will later be caught up in, as she fights to stay afloat in her own swirling torrent. March 23, 2008

 Solid Mystery, if not Great Nior
"Whirlpool" is a first rate murder mystery but it's debatable if it qualifies as a noir release. Silver and Ward's encyclopedic "Film Noir" does not list it, though it does mention other releases by the lading cast members. No matter, W can stand on its' own merits. As the story opens, Gene Tierney is pinched for shoplifting by the house dick at a fancy department store in LA. Quickly, perhaps a bit conveniently, GT is sprung by a smooth talking Jose Ferrer. It develops that GT is a very vulnerable young woman. Among her problems is kleptomania and JF is quick to exploit. He hypnotizes GT under the guise of "helping her sleep at night" but he has far darker motives. It seems he has bilked Barbara O'Neill out of $60Gs and O'N wants her $$ back. Soon she is found murdered-with GT at the crime scene! As many of previous reviews have revealed the resolution, this one will try to maintain an air of mystery. Will justice be done? Is GT on her way to the electric chair? Her lawyer is planning an insanity defense! What happens? My amazon friends will have to watch for themselves, but what develops is a very solid murder mystery with many more angles than mentioned here. This reviewer believes that the males carry W. Richard Conte is GT's supportive husband, capably shedding his customary tough guy role. (He is a shrink with a penchant for taping his sessions!) Charles Bickford is perfect as the gruff but patient veteran homicide detective. And Ferrer is over the top as an effete oily, smug villain with an airtight alibi. (Wasn't he flat on his back in a hospital bed the night O'N met her demise?) One wonders why he didn't play the black hat more often. With all the references to hypnosis and kleptomania W is an easy movie to over analyze. Amazoners are urged to resist this temptation and simply enjoy W on its' own terms. Watch attentively. This is a good one, noir or not.


February 14, 2007

 Ferrer as Satanic Svengali
Jose Ferrer proved he had a strong acting presence and reached his peak in his virtuoso role in "Cyrano de Bergerac." In "Whirlpool" he is cast in a role that stretches his talents.

Ferrer can display a modicum of style mixed with a strong measure of authority when he is so disposed. Ultimately he emerges as a satanic Svengali hell bent on destroying beautiful Gene Tierney.

Tierney, for her part, is cast as a vulnerable woman who is seen as ripe pickings by the opportunistic Ferrer. After all, she is the wife of a prominent psychiatrist, played by Richard Conte in a shift from more traditionally machismo roles, and has plenty of money.

Otto Preminger, the director who specialized in films dealing with the "moral ambiguity" of America in the mid-century period, was just the person to develop such a conflict on screen in this 1949 release.

It was only natural for veteran scenarist Ben Hecht to write the screenplay, working with Andrew Solt. After all, it was Hecht who gave us such psychological thrillers working with Alfred Hitchcock as "Spellbound" and "Notorious."

The film begins with Ferrer helping Tierney out of a jam. Even though she lives an affluent life with her highly successful husband, Tierney is a kleptomaniac. When she attempts to steal a brooch from a department store the store's detective is there to apprehend her before she has a chance to drive away.

Ferrer comes to the rescue of Tierney. The store manager knows him well and immediately seeks to bring an unfortunate matter to a close. His conduct tips off viewers early that Ferrer is the type of individual who can and will cause trouble if and when he feels so disposed and has a formidable reputation.

It takes Ferrer little time to adopt his Svengali manner and seek to dominate Tierney, who in turn resists. Before long circumstances develop under Ferrer's unscrupulous planning that she is charged with a murder.

To give away more would interfere with the suspense plotting, but it can be said without giving away critical facts that Ferrer is a man who plays by the "take no prisoners" rules. Opportunism and domination are his twin hallmarks.

Just as we have an ongoing conflict in the relationship between Ferrer and Tierney, we have a corresponding cooperative alliance that emerges between Tierney's husband Conte and police-investigating detective Charles Bickford.

When Bickford sees that Conte is a loyal husband convinced that the woman he loves is innocent, Bickford confides that his wife died recently, generating empathy between the two men as he begins to increasingly believe that Tierney is an innocent victim.

Bickford, as a shrewd and veteran police officer, realizes that he can benefit from Conte's professional expertise from his background as a world famous psychiatrist. Conte's knowledge of the effects of hypnosis proves highly beneficial in helping solve the case.

Bickford at a critical juncture treats Conte more like an investigative partner rather than the husband of the official prime suspect of the moment and his strategy ploy brings results when a Conte strategy ploy results with Ferrer figuratively "hanging himself on his own petard."

February 9, 2007

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