CAST A DARK SHADOW / WANTED FOR MURDER (Blu-ray Review)
FROM COHEN MEDIA GROUP
Review by Mr. Pawsđœ
Some aesthetic similarities notwithstanding, I donât think either of these films really qualify as true film noir, despite what the cover and synopsis suggest. Still, both are solid mid-century British thrillers, each with vividly-depicted antagonists as the main characters.
Conceptually similar to Gaslight, 1955âs Cast a Dark Shadow has a young Dirk Borgarde as âTeddyâ Bare, and right from the get-go, itâs obvious he has nefarious plans for his wealthy older wife, Monica, before he utters a single word. Our suspicions are confirmed a few scenes later when he arranges her death to look like an accident. But just his luck...he offs her before she has the chance to amend her will to leave everything to him. All he inherits is the house, while Monicaâs estranged sister gets the fortune. Though family lawyer Mortimer (Robert Fleming) suspects foul play, Teddyâs already preying on the next gullible gal, Freda (Margaret Lockwood).
For the most part, itâs a pretty interesting story, further complicated by the arrival of Charlotte (Kay Walsh), whoâs not what she seems. But itâs Borgardeâs off-kilter performance that ultimately drives the film. Sometimes heâs a suave smooth-talker, others he looks ready to come completely unglued, with a wide range of facial expressions obviously intended to make the audience privy to his real intentions. Subtle, the movie ainât.
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"Just ignore that sign, baby." |
Definitely not noir, Wanted for Murder is fast-paced psychological thriller with an antagonist whose facade masks a seriously maladjusted psychopath. In some ways, heâs similar to Norman Bates - though not as introverted - and Coleman plays him perfectly. Thereâs also a bit of humor in this one, particularly when Conway is dealing with some of his bumbling underlings.
Though both films have been restored for this Blu-ray, I gotta say the sound quality of Wanted for Murder is terrible and ended up turning on the subtitles just to hear what characters were saying. Since there wasnât the same issue with Cast a Dark Shadow, one must assume they did their best with the print they had to work with. Other than that, this is a good pair of lesser-known British thrillers.
EXTRA KIBBLES
TRAILERS FOR EACH FILM
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