Shockproof
Dir: Douglas Sirk
1949
***
Shockproof is a stunning noir that starts off brilliantly but goes down hill once the romantic story begins. The film starts with the stunning but dangerous Miss Jenny Marsh (played by the stunning but dangerous Patricia Knight) who waltzes out of prision on lifetime parole after serving five years for murder. She’s edgy, sharp and a real femme fatale that can’t be trusted. We soon learn that she had gone to prison in order to protect Harry Wesson (John Baragrey), a gambler with whom she was having an affair. Harry visits her the day she arrives at her assigned apartment at the same time her parole officer Griff Marat (played by Knight’s real life husband Cornel Wilde), compromising her new identity. While Griff (Samuel Fuller films always feature a character called Griff) warns her to stay away from former undesirable friends, Jenny meets with Harry and his crime boss friend to try and get reassigned and out of the parole system for good. Griff keeps a close eye on Jenny and knows not to trust her and although she doesn’t want a life of crime, she feels somewhat indebted to Harry for sticking by her while she was in prison. Griff knows that Harry is taking advantage of her and decides to get close. After asking her to dinner one evening and introducing her to his small family, Jenny soon ends up moving in with him as a paid carer for his blind mother. She soon becomes torn between two men, loyal to Harry but in love with Griff. It’s such a shame, as she was such a strong and mysterious character to begin with but she soon turns into a pathetic wreck who lets men make all of the decisions for her. I believe Jenny Marsh could have been an iconic character of the golden age but instead she’s just another blond dame who needs help. Harry isn’t much of a gangster and Griff’s character has absolutely no development whatsoever. You wonder how any of them have fallen in love with each other when they are all about as animated as a kitchen stool. Harry soon convinced Jenny to marry Griff so they can use it against him and his political aspirations. Jenny panics and refuses him, ending up with her shooting him at his home. She then flees to be with Griff who takes her out of state and towards Mexico instead of taking her in. Then for the next few months the pair go from place to place looking for work until they find work and a small home in an oil refinery. This part of the film is long and doesn’t seem to go anywhere until they are predictably caught. Turns out Harry didn’t die from the gunshot, and in wanting an easy life and recognising that Jenny wants out, he lies and says Jenny didn’t actually shoot him, clearing her name and letting everyone live happily ever after. Except for Harry of course who can no longer walk but serves him right for gambling. When wild stories such as this happen and then go back to normal as if they didn’t happen, they become utterly pointless. It looks like a sophisticated noir thriller but it really isn’t. There is nothing wrong with Douglas Sirk’s direction, and I do love his films, I just think the producers meddled too much with Samuel Fuller’s original script and Helen Deutsch was the wrong choice for the re-writes. Samuel Fuller wrote Pickup on South Street and I Shot Jesse James, while Helen Deutsch wrote National Velvet and The Loves of Carmen – all great films but worlds apart from each other. Fuller’s script ended with Griff taking violent revenge against those who refused him and Jenny the right to be together but Deutsch simply wrote the happily ever after conclusion. It just doesn’t work. Sirk was dead against the changes but there was nothing he could do, Shockproof remains a decent enough noir thriller but overall it’s something of a wasted opportunity.

Written on the Wind

Dir: Douglas Sirk

1956

***

Douglas Sirk's classic melodrama is based on the real-life scandal that involved singer Libby Holman and husband and Tobacco tycoon Zachary Smith Reynolds, although the similarities in story are only very slight. Written on the Wind sees Robert Stack play Kyle, the heir of a wealthy Oil tycoon, who's spoiled childhood and early death of his mother lead to insecurities and early alcoholism. His sister Marylee (played by the brilliant Dorothy Malone) is also rather self-destructive and spends most of her time luring young men to bed and tormenting those close to her. When Kyle falls for Lucy (Lauren Bacall), a young secretary from New York, he rushes her into marriage, unaware that his childhood best friend Mitch (Rock Hudson) is also in love with her. Things are complicated further when Marylee becomes jealous of Lucy's attention and vocal regarding her love for Mitch. Melodramas don't come much more melodramatic than this. The story is only really made more interesting by the fact that Kyle and Marylee are wealthy, giving the film stunning locations, beautiful cars and stunning interiors as back-drop. The real appeal of the film is the great performances. Dorothy Malone packs a punch when up against the force that is Lauren Bacall, both actresses are perfect. Robert Stack wasn't as good an actor as Rock Hudson but Hudson was generous enough to give him the space he needed to really expand the character. While the first half of the film is a little slow and uninteresting, the second half makes up for it with suspense, mystery, wonderful script and some unforgettable performances.