Sexy redhead Dorothy has just gotten out of jail after serving time for theft; she is released into the custody of her only slightly less attractive sister June, who works for Ralph Jensen, a lawyer running for mayor, trying to oust the current crooked crowd who run the city according to the orders they get from mob boss Solly Caspar, who is getting Ben, one of his slick henchmen, to dig up dirt on June to hurt her boss. Of course, that dirt involves Dorothy, who in addition to being a kleptomaniac is also a bit of a tramp. What follows includes Solly throwing someone out of a window, Dorothy throwing herself at Ben—and shooting a harpoon at him, and June trying to take a shoplifting rap for Dorothy and falling for Ben, who is also falling for June. Based on a James Cain novel, this has the trappings of film noir, although it’s in glossy color. It takes a while for the plot to get into gear, but once it does, it moves along nicely. Arlene Dahl fares the best as the sexpot Dorothy; Rhonda Fleming is adequate in the relatively thankless role of the good sister; John Payne is lackluster as Ben, the bad guy turned hero. The well-shot blood-spattered climax is worth waiting for, though overall the movie feels a bit sluggish, and the DVD print from VCI is occasionally murky. [DVD]
Thursday, June 16, 2011
SLIGHTLY SCARLET (1956)
Sexy redhead Dorothy has just gotten out of jail after serving time for theft; she is released into the custody of her only slightly less attractive sister June, who works for Ralph Jensen, a lawyer running for mayor, trying to oust the current crooked crowd who run the city according to the orders they get from mob boss Solly Caspar, who is getting Ben, one of his slick henchmen, to dig up dirt on June to hurt her boss. Of course, that dirt involves Dorothy, who in addition to being a kleptomaniac is also a bit of a tramp. What follows includes Solly throwing someone out of a window, Dorothy throwing herself at Ben—and shooting a harpoon at him, and June trying to take a shoplifting rap for Dorothy and falling for Ben, who is also falling for June. Based on a James Cain novel, this has the trappings of film noir, although it’s in glossy color. It takes a while for the plot to get into gear, but once it does, it moves along nicely. Arlene Dahl fares the best as the sexpot Dorothy; Rhonda Fleming is adequate in the relatively thankless role of the good sister; John Payne is lackluster as Ben, the bad guy turned hero. The well-shot blood-spattered climax is worth waiting for, though overall the movie feels a bit sluggish, and the DVD print from VCI is occasionally murky. [DVD]
Sexy redhead Dorothy has just gotten out of jail after serving time for theft; she is released into the custody of her only slightly less attractive sister June, who works for Ralph Jensen, a lawyer running for mayor, trying to oust the current crooked crowd who run the city according to the orders they get from mob boss Solly Caspar, who is getting Ben, one of his slick henchmen, to dig up dirt on June to hurt her boss. Of course, that dirt involves Dorothy, who in addition to being a kleptomaniac is also a bit of a tramp. What follows includes Solly throwing someone out of a window, Dorothy throwing herself at Ben—and shooting a harpoon at him, and June trying to take a shoplifting rap for Dorothy and falling for Ben, who is also falling for June. Based on a James Cain novel, this has the trappings of film noir, although it’s in glossy color. It takes a while for the plot to get into gear, but once it does, it moves along nicely. Arlene Dahl fares the best as the sexpot Dorothy; Rhonda Fleming is adequate in the relatively thankless role of the good sister; John Payne is lackluster as Ben, the bad guy turned hero. The well-shot blood-spattered climax is worth waiting for, though overall the movie feels a bit sluggish, and the DVD print from VCI is occasionally murky. [DVD]
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