On P List of Movie Reviews
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Portrait in Black (1960)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
1/25
1/25:
Portrait in Black brings back memories of Douglas Sirk's films, most especially
Written on the Wind.
It's because of producer Ross Hunter who put everything together for him in ten pictures such as
Magnificent Obsession,
All That Heaven Allows,
and Imitation of Life. But this time, he went
with a different director by the name of Michael Gordon due to the success of Pillow Talk.
Portrait in Black may seem like a Lana Turner vehicle on paper, but it's Anthony Quinn who steals
the show as the doctor with his forceful demeanor. He directing her character, Sheila Cabot, to do this and that is
impressive, and she's a willing accomplice due to not being able to think anymore. The same goes for the
doctor who lost control of his mental faculties as evidenced toward the end when he desperately
tried to rationalize everything to her stepdaughter.
I know a lot of people have called this one a neo-noir, but I found it heavy in soap opera
with a great deal of costumes, hence the association with Douglas Sirk. Yet I agree that the neo-noir aspect
showed up in a big way during the second half. At first, the cinematography looked cheap, but it got better
over time. However, San Francisco isn't extensively shown like
Vertigo and The Lineup.
The cast is terrific: Lana Turner, Anthony Quinn, Richard Basehart, Sandra Dee, John Saxon, Lloyd Nolan,
Ray Walston, Virginia Grey, and Anna May Wong. They all stand out, but the boy is annoying. I thought for a
while the Chinese maid may have had something to do with it, but nope. There are several red herrings along
the way, and motive can be mistakenly derived.
All in all, Portrait in Black is a well-made movie that was unfairly criticized at the time, and yes,
Lana Turner undoubtedly could act.