Niagara

Dir: Henry Hathaway

1953

***

There is a lot to enjoy about Henry Hathaway's Niagara but by the time the end credits roll it's clear that it is more a poor man's Hitchcock rather than classic noir-thriller. It was a big hit in 1953, thanks mainly to the star billing of Marilyn Monroe but also because it was in colour - unusual for a film noir. Personally I think it could have looked better in black and white but I don't have any issue with the visuals in the film, far from it. Some of the scenes featuring Niagara Falls itself are quite stunning and it is nice to see footage of the area before it became so commercialized. However, Niagara (and the story) come second to 20th Century Fox's new star, with most of the film dedicated to her. Even though she was the reason for the film's success and why they made so much money, she was still listed as a 'stock' actor and was on a fixed salary, so received very little money - far less than everyone else involved. It certainly made her a star though and in my opinion, she never looked as desirable as she did here. The camera follows her every move, almost to the point of distraction. Jean Peters was an incredibly attractive women, one scene sees her in quite a revealing swimsuit but it was still all about Marilyn. One particular scene in the movie sees Monroe wiggle away from camera down a cobbled road. At 116 feet of film used, the scene has since become famous for being the longest walk ever to appear on film. It's quite shameless really but what can you say, she was a class act and contrary to what I had read about the film, I thought her acting was quite good. It's an average thriller with moments of visual flare and moments of sizzling passion. However, it is almost ruined by Max Showalter. Now I don't want to speak ill of the actor but he is woefully miss-cast in one of the main roles. His constant grinning suited big bawdy comedies and showy musicals but not serious thrillers. It was as if an Abbot and Costello extra from the next studio had wandered onto the set and everyone was too polite to tell him he was in the wrong place. Thing get even worse when Don Wilson and Lurene Tuttle turn up and I don't blame them, it's just that their characters had no place in such a film. It's this poor casting and thoughtless bits of script that make Niagara a good film but not a great one, which is a huge shame. The continuity guy should have been sacked on the spot too but all in all, I did enjoy it for what it was. It's certainly a unique and memorable addition to the genre.