Displaying items by tag: Night Editor movie

NIGHT EDITOR

US, 1946, 68 minutes, Black-and-white.

William Gargan, Janis Carter, Jeff Donnell.

Directed by Henry Levin.

Night Editor is a modest supporting feature, B-budget, directed by Henry Levin who was to have a successful and varied career as a director. The lead is William Gargan, a regular in supporting features, especially three Ellery Queen mysteries of the early 1940s. Janice Carter is quite the femme fatale.

However, the film is well worth seeing as an example of film noir in the 1940s. In 1944 with Double Indemnity and film versions of Chandler mysteries, there were the beginnings of the popularity of film noir, especially in the mid to late 1940s.

This film is distinctive in its photography in the film noir style and, angles, lighting, compositions, close-ups, exploiting the black-and-white photography for noir effect. In fact, the bloggers on the IMDb are almost unanimous in singling this film out and praising it for its qualities as film noir.

The plot is intricate, has a framework of buddies telling a story about a case but intending to jolt a young man who is having problems – and succeeding with telling the story and his being affected.

The film has the seductive femme fatale, the affair, then complicated by the couple witnessing a murder, the femme fatale knowing the victim and the killer, the conscience of the detective, a family man, the effect on his family, his integrity, his trying to solve the case and expose the killer, and his finally having to admit the truth.

Some film noir fans have commented that the final sequence of the film, with the detective having served his prison sentence, working at the precinct, is too nice and cheery for 1946.

1. Based on a radio program of the time, intended as a pilot for a film series?
2. A film noir, the development of film noir in the mid-40s, after World War II? The femme fatale, seduction, the male victim, murders, police, detection?
3. The newspaper setting, the reporters, the police precinct, the detectives, the teams? Investigations?
4. The group talking, playing cards, the young man drunk, telling the story, hoping to jolt him? The personalities around the table? The reminiscences? And the main story opening up? Returning to the card players and their commentary? And the effect of telling the story on the young man at the end?
5. The main story, Tony, his reputation with the police, at home, the scenes with his son, his absences, his wife languishing at home? His going out to work, allegedly solving a case, meeting with Jill, her seductive manner, wealthy, her husband, his wanting to break off, her persistence? The car, the couple, witnessing the murder, turning on the car lights, seeing the identity of the killer?
6. Tony, age, formal manner of dressing in the 1940s, phone calls and his wife, his lies, trying to reconcile with her, plan for the dinner, her going out, his change of plans? The moral dilemma, witnessing the murder, his not trying to save the woman, the car tires, his footprints?
7. The police group, his friend, wanting to help, keeping an eye on him? The sardonic fellow detective, suspicions, interventions? The range of the investigations, the scene, his footprints, in the garage, changing the tire?
8. Jill, the callous attitude, no sympathy for the woman, at home with her husband, going out, socialising? The continuing seduction of Tony?
9. Tony, going to the bank, recognising the man, the discussions, the information, the manager covering up, suave manner? The later interview with Jill and the police, his being the alibi for Jill?
10. Tony, worries, drinking, his wife and son, confronting Jill, his friend following him?
11. The setup, the trapping of the killer, the consequences for Jill?
12. Tony, honesty, going to prison? Serving his sentence, the aftermath, at the bar, the young man seeing him, change of heart?
13. IMDb bloggers and the unanimous affirmation of this film as a quality film noir.