The Woman on Pier 13
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | I married a communist |
| Original title | The Woman on Pier 13 I Married a Communist |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1949 |
| length | 73 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Robert Stevenson |
| script |
Robert Hardy Andrews Charles Grayson |
| production | Jack J. Gross |
| music | Leigh Harline |
| camera | Nicholas Musuraca |
| cut | Roland Gross |
| occupation | |
| |
The Woman on Pier 13 (Alternative title: I Married a Communist , I married a Communist ) is in black and white twisted American film noir from the year 1949. He is one with films such as I Was a Communist for the FBI (1951), Big Jim McLain and My Son John (both 1952) on a series of anti-communist thrillers that emerged in the late 1940s and early 1950s at the height of the McCarthy era .
action
Brad Collins has risen to become vice president of a San Francisco- based shipping company and is just married. During their honeymoon, he and his wife Nan meet his former girlfriend Christine, a fashion photographer, and arouse her jealousy. Christine is a secret Communist Party member and reports to her superiors. One of these is Vanning, head of a communist cell that the San Francisco dockers' union is trying to infiltrate. Vanning forces Collins to let the negotiations between the shipping company and the union fail, otherwise he wants to reveal Collins' true identity. Collins was a member of the Communist Party under the name Frank Johnson until he left. The party also covered Johnson when he killed a man in a street fight. Collins / Johnson witnesses Vanning drown an alleged traitor and gives in to the blackmailer. At the same time, Christine begins an affair with Don, Nan's brother, who works in the docks. The unionist Travers reveals Don Christine's political connections. Don angrily ends his relationship with Christine, although she assures him that she truly loves him. During their argument, she reveals to him that his brother-in-law Collins is also a former party member. Vanning first has Don killed as a dangerous accomplice and then murders Christine himself. While searching for her brother's murderer, Nan falls into the hands of the communists. Collins can save Nan at the last second and neutralize the conspirators, but is killed himself in the process.
background
Howard Hughes , owner of the film studio RKO Pictures since May 1948 , had supported the liberal Committee for the First Amendment a year earlier , which protested against the summons of left-wing filmmakers before the Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC). A little later, Hughes changed course and announced the production of the anti-communist I Married a Communist . A number of directors and screenwriters, including John Cromwell , Herman J. Mankiewicz and Nicholas Ray , were hired for the project, but after a short time either quit or were replaced by Hughes. Joseph Losey , one of the filmmakers who refused to direct in advance, later stated that Hughes used the film and willingness to collaborate as a loyalty test for the attitudes of his employees. Finally, the British Robert Stevenson took over the direction. Filming began in April 1949 and took a month to complete.
Not all those involved in the film shared its political orientation. While the leading actress Laraine Day was a member of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals committed to "fighting" communist currents in the US film industry, Robert Ryan , a committed liberal, publicly criticized the "allegations and defamations" of the HUAC .
I Married a Communist was premiered in Los Angeles and San Francisco in October 1949 and opened regularly in American cinemas in June 1950 under its new title The Woman on Pier 13 . The title change had been made due to cautious audience reactions, but the film failed at the box office. It was not shown in Germany .
criticism
“For simple action film fare, I Married a Communist creates enough tension to satisfy the average viewer. Regardless of its heavy sounding title, the film works according to a tried and tested model. The script replaces gangsters with communists in a typical underworld saga in a simple and somewhat naive way. "
“The outstanding cast has no chance against cartoon characters , an incredibly foolish script and a hysteria that covers everything. Fortunately, Nick Musuraca's noir camera work is breathtaking. "
Web links
- The Woman on Pier 13 in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Flying and filming for life and death . Article in Der Spiegel 26/1949
Individual evidence
- ^ Frank Krutnik: In a Lonely Street: Film Noir, Genre, Masculinity. Taylor & Francis, 2001, p. 132.
- ^ Gwendolyn Audrey Foster: My Son John and The Red Scare in Hollywood. Article on Senses of Cinema July 2009, accessed February 26, 2013.
- ↑ Donald L. Barlett, James B. Steele: Howard Hughes: His Life and Madness. W. W. Norton, New York / London 2004, p. 165.
- ^ John Huston: An Open Book. Da Capo Press, Cambridge (MA) 1994, p. 132.
- ↑ a b Franklin Jarlett: Robert Ryan: A Biography and Critical Filmography. McFarland & Co., Jefferson (NC) 1990, pp. 42-43.
- ↑ Tom Milne: Losey on Losey. Doubleday & Co., Garden City (NY) 1968, p. 73.
- ↑ a b c Franklin Jarlett: Robert Ryan: A Biography and Critical Filmography. McFarland & Co., Jefferson (NC) 1990, pp. 30-31.
- ↑ Carl Rollyson: Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews. University Press of Mississippi, 2012, p. 216.
- ↑ The Internet Movie Database names October 8, 1949 as the date of the premiere and June 15, 1950 for the start in New York. Turner Classic Movies states the time of the premiere as October 7, 1949 and the regular theatrical release as June 3, 1950.
- ↑ Relevant film noir compendia lead the film under the later title The Woman on Pier 13 , cf. u. a. Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward (Eds.): Film Noir. An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, Third Edition. Overlook / Duckworth, New York / Woodstock / London 1992, ISBN 978-0-87951-479-2 , p. 397; Foster Hirsch: The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir. Da Capo Press, New York 2001, ISBN 0-306-81039-5 , p. 179; Brian Neve: Film and Politics in America. A social tradition. Routledge, Oxon 1992, p. 187.
- ↑ The entry in the Internet Movie Database has the German title I married a communist , but the film was not shown in German cinemas.
- ^ "As a straight action fare, I married a Communist generates enough tension to satisfy the average customer. Despite its heavy sounding title, pic hews strictly to tried and true meller formula. Screenplay uses the simple and slightly naive device of substituting communist for gangsters in a typical underworld yarn. “- Review ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in Variety for 1949 (without an exact date), accessed February 27, 2013.
- ^ "The sterling cast can make no headway against cartoon characters, a fatuous script that defies belief, and an enveloping sense of hysteria. Nick Musuraca's noir-ish camerawork, mercifully, is stunning. "- Time Out Film Guide, Seventh Edition 1999. Penguin, London 1998, p. 422.
