Tension (1949)

Directed by John Berry. Written by Allen Rivkin (screenplay), John D. Klorer (based on the story by), John Berry(uncredited). Starring Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, and Cyd Charisse.

Bottom line: The highlight of this movie is the introduction and the over-the-top introduction to the femme fatale everything else is alright.

2/4

Tension opens with such a fun monologue by a detective in homicide. Homicide, the detective informs us, is a fancy word for muuuurder. He continues, saying that the push and pull and romance and squeeze their suspects (he does this while pulling a rubber band) until they snap (and he appropriately snaps the rubber band) and the title card swoops in. If you're in the mood for borderline cheesy film noir, this introduction sets the stage perfectly.

We then are introduced to our protagonist. Warren Quimby (Basehart) is the manager at a 24-hour pharmacy. He's been working the 12 hour night shift five days a week for the past couple of years. He's working hard, saving for a better life for himself and his wife, Claire (Totter). Quimby is busy ringing up a customer when the soda jerk comes up to him and vocalizes concern. The soda jerk doesn't like how Mrs. Quimby mistreats Mr. Quimby. His worries fall on deaf ears. Ears deafened by love! Just as Warren orders the man back to his counter, he sees that his wife has been in the diner the whole time.

A quick aside, this pharmacy is structured like a general convenience store with a drug store in the back and the diner on the side. It's all part of the pharmacy but it's not like people are hanging out at a CVS. Alright, back to the Quimbys.

Mr. Quimby stops what he's doing and goes over to greet his wife. What comes next is by far my favorite introduction to a character that I've seen in a long time. The platinum blonde hair is flipped aside as a film noir trumpet (or saxophone) starts trilling. Mrs. Quimby scowls at her husband with her sharp, mean, eyebrows. She takes a big bite of a hamburger and, with her mouth full, orders him to get her some pills. She slouches, flips through a magazine, and flirts with the employee we met earlier (her flirting is not reciprocated mind you, the "jerk" is anything but).

So, IMDB has this as a description, "a meek pharmacist creates an alternate identity under which he plans to murder the bullying liquor salesman who has become his wife's lover." With these film noir flicks it always surprises me how little a secret the plot is. There is a minor plot twist but it's like, it's less a twist and more a slight lean.

Let's cut to the chase: would I recommend Tension. If you get the Movies! channel (I get it with our little antenna), and Tension is on, I'd watch it. It's a silly b-grade film noir that works. It's a straightforward plot so you could always be doing something else while watching this. Unfortunately, the main draw is with the plot. One of the reasons I like Film Noir is because of its roots in German Expressionism and Tension lacks those elements.

I'll have to check earlier in this blog to see if I've written about it but, as a teaser, one of the things about German Expressionism is the use of lighting and sets. Harsh contrasts and sharp angles are key features. Keep that in mind next time you see a film noir. Check out all of those harsh police interrogation lights and the shadows they create. It makes it so the dialog isn't the sole engine of the movie; the images help set the stage too. Mmm mmm mmm, just thinking about it.

Alright, thanks for reading! Do you like Film Noir? I wonder after watching this B-grade stuff will change the experience of watching A-grade films like The Maltese Falcon or The Big Sleep. Oh, speaking of The Big Sleep check out the fun trailer. It's so meta.