I Wake Up Screaming [DVD] [1941] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

The 1941 film I Wake Up Screaming reportedly set the standard for this type of noir thriller and the good news is that it gets everything right. Incorporating a perfect blend of noir elements and emphasizing the flashback story, the atmospheric lighting, and, most of all, the inherent moral ambiguities of the main protagonists, I Wake Up Screaming is a riveting suspense thriller from beginning to end.

The movie begins with as well-known New York sports promoter Frankie Christopher (Victor Mature) is hauled down to the New York City police headquarters, a prime suspect in the murder of beautiful café waitress Vicky Lynn (Carole Landis) who Frankie has since helped become a flourishing model and prospective actress.

Of course, Frankie denies having anything to do with the crime but the massive detective squad commander Ed Cornell (Laird Cregar) is totally convinced if his guilt. Meanwhile, in the adjoining room, Vicky's sister Jill (Betty Grable) is also being questioned. She recently came to New York to stay with Vicky as a type of live-in maid and she was the first person to discover the body and saw Frankie standing over it.

As both Jill and Frankie recount their stories - in brilliantly edited flashbacks - we are introduced to a number of supporting suspects: There's a manipulative and self-serving journalist Larry Evans (Allyn Joslyn), aging actor Robin Ray (Alan Mowbray), and the creepy, sinister switchboard operator William Harrison (Elisha Cook Jr.) who works in Vicky's hotel and who packs Jill's luggage up without being asked.

Jill and Frankie are soon released. Jill just wants to forget the whole thing and move on, but Frankie pursues Jill, all the while maintaining his innocence. The two are drawn together in the course of trying to sort out their lives and the murder of Vicky, and Jill's eventual recognition that Frankie is capable of truly loving a woman, and not just exploiting her. The couple soon realizes that Cornell - who is unremittingly in hunt of his prey - must be framing Frankie for the murder. But did Frankie really murder Vicky and if he didn't, who did?

The plot takes lots of mysterious twists and turns and the noose seems to tighten around Frankie, as the anecdotal proof seems to pile up. Jill begins to fall in love with him - in one instance, she even helps him escape from the law, which threatens her safely and making her an accessory to the crime - yet she's also plagued by uncertainty, she can never know for sure what the true motivation of Frankie really is.

Obviously, the real attraction of the movie is the wonderfully foreboding noir atmosphere, utilizing light and shadow to great effect, the director really manages to stretch as much as he can out of the dark goings on.

Betty Grable as Jill is quite a revelation in a dramatic role. Landis as Vicky is only briefly in the picture, but she makes a mark quickly and leaves a lasting impression, and Mature - an actor I don't normally like - is very imposing and impressive as Frankie, a desperate man on the run and fighting for his life. Mike Leonard July 06.

I won't address the plot, which I believe is superb, as this has been done amply by others, but rather the DVD edition. The print is vastly superior to the video release which had a jump in it during the moment when Jill Lynn (Grable) makes her way over the rooftops of New York to evade the police, who mean to let her escape so they can follow her to Frankie Christopher (Mature), the man she loves. Given that this is one of the scenes I remember best, that spoiled it for me. There was jump in another place, if memory serves, but all these are gone.

Extras include a cut scene where Grable sings 'Daddy' to a customer at the store before going off to take her sister to the station (in fact Jill is dead). This is fascinating, as it presents a very different film. I'm glad the scene was cut, as it would have totally spoiled the film, a comic, musical-type fragment in a great noir film, which keeps up the suspense throughout. That said, it's always a joy to see and hear Betty Grable sing.

Also included are images of the original publicity and titles. At first the film was to be called 'Hot Spot', but they changed the name to that of the story on which it was based, fearing that 'Hot Spot' might be mistaken for a musical. The changes reveal a film that was tightened up, Betty Grable's musical supports (as far as I'm aware, she sang in every other 'serious' film she made) removed. Yet she's a real revelation. She could do drama without singing, dancing, or showing off her legs (she hated the lido scene, which should also have been cut as detracting from the picture).

All in all, this is an excellent edition of an excellent film. If you bought the video and liked it, even with the faults, buy this. It is superior to it in every way. You will not be disappointed.

Betty Grable in a straight dramatic part for once, playing the sister of a murdered Carole Landis (who had more luck in 'Moon over Miami', but that's another story). Co-starring with one-time boyfriend Victor Mature. A good, wisecracking murder mystery, and one of my personal favourite films with a really sinister performance from 'Cornell' (I can't recall the actor's name). The real surprise is Betty's strong playing of the little sister part. It is unusual for Grable, of course, but well-written and well acted, with a surprisingly atmospheric score and good atmospheric settings. Oh, and look out for the gratutious display of Miss Grable's famous legs.