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Where Danger Lives (1950)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
1/09, 2/24
1/09:
True story, I was once mixed up with a girl just exactly like Margo Lannington, and I can only say this for anybody else
facing the same situation: AVOID.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking when I was yelling at Robert Mitchum's character to get out of the mansion when he
was faced with the life-changing decision. But the poor sleepy-looking sap unbelievably wimps out and is therefore stuck with
Margo until the fateful, albeit weak, ending.
Although their chemistry is near zero, Where Danger Lives isn't so bad of a film noir that's actually redeemed
in the final ten minutes, reminding me of Touch of Evil. Yet it's hysterical to see the
half-paralyzed Robert Mitchum dragging himself toward the Mexican border.
Anyway, I like the story, and there's a certain amount of tension during the improbable chase when I initially thought nothing
of it. The husband's accidental death did cause me to say, "What's the big deal?", but the revelation came later that he was
intentionally killed. Given the colors of roses and how often they come up, shouldn't the film be called White Rose? As
a matter of fact, the working title was A White Rose for Julie.
Margo can be annoying to a certain degree, but I've been willing to go along with the flow. I never thought Faith Domergue was
a good-looking gal, but she's considerably younger than Julie. Now, shouldn't the nurse be mad about being cheated on
after all?
All in all, Where Danger Lives is a well-done film noir that requires some suspension of disbelief.
2/24:
My rating for Where Danger Lives remains unchanged.
It's a well-written film noir. Robert Mitchum is excellent while Faith Domergue is a take-charge femme fatale.
Misdiagnosing his condition as a concussion, what Jeff really had is a subdural hematoma. That's why he couldn't think
straight anymore after being hit in the head by a poker. As a result, Margo took over when the best thing to do was letting
Jeff transport her husband to the hospital and sign the death certificate; after all, he's a doctor with the power to authorize
it. You see how easy the situation would've been taken care of.
It's funny that everybody keeps telling Robert Mitchum his eyes don't look good, but we all know it's how they are.
Because Maureen O'Sullivan is old-looking as Julie, it's not hard to understand why Jeff switched interest to
Margo. Mitchum was 32 at the time of filming while Maureen was 38 and Faith 25 or so. Claude Rains is perfectly cast so he can
set up the dramatic confrontation and say, "I wish you'd stop calling her my daughter. She happens to be my wife."
All in all, Where Danger Lives works well for a film noir with Robert Mitchum playing a helpless sap.