On I List of Movie Reviews

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I Wake Up Screaming (1941)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 12/15

WakeUp
12/15: Originally titled Hot Spot, I Wake Up Screaming is a good, solid whodunnit noir thriller.

When the killer's identity was finally revealed, I wasn't surprised since I had the person pegged right from the start. Still, it's nice to be part of the fun.

Apart from the story, the film's lone asset is Laird Cregar. Victor Mature isn't bad, but he was better in Kiss of Death which starred Richard Widmark. Betty Grable is better-looking than Carole Landis, but she's not much of an actress.

Laird Cregar is a scene-stealer, and his weird, creepy presence reminds me of Orson Welles in Touch of Evil. Without him, I Wake Up Screaming would've been a subpar picture with not much going for it. By the way, he lived to 31, having died of a heart attack after complications from a severe stomach disorder by going through an unsupervised crash diet which saw his weight go from 300 to 200 lbs.

All in all, it's Laird Creigar who makes the biggest difference in taking I Wake Up Screaming to noir territory.