The Locket is this episode, with one of the coolest, Robert Mitchum, as Clyde, and Belgian Tripel, from Project Barley, one of our favorite new brewery discoveries. Nicholas Musuraca is the DP of this film. He's a legend in film, and one of the most important figures in film noir.
High society weddings from this era are interesting, to say the least.
Nancy, the bride to be, is a charmer. Almost too much so. Remember that. Her fiance, John, meets Dr. Henry Blair, who takes us on the first of three flashbacks. Flashbacks are important in this film.
Flashback #1: Blair tells how he met Nancy. She transfixes every man she meets. Nancy is a climber, she wants the good things in life, i.e. Money.
Norman Clyde visits Blair with some bad news about Nancy. Lots of smoking and drinking going on.
Flashback #2: Norman's story. The Depression was rough for this artist. His portrait gig dried up so he has to teach art to wealthy women. He's a crank who hates the people who might buy his art. What gives?
He's rude to Nancy, who works for a wealthy industrialist, Mr. Banner, who collects art. D'oh!
Nancy and Clyde conveniently bump into each other at his favorite restaurant. Romance ensues.
The lighting in this one is great. Nicholas Musuraca again.
Clyde's Cassandra painting. Banner wants it, Clyde won't sell it. It's important. Banner still hosts a party to display Clyde's work. His wife likes spending money.
A bracelet is stolen at the party. Clyde finds it in Nancy's purse. This is just the beginning of the men in her life questioning Nancy's honesty.
Flashback #3: the Belgian Triple opens up as it warms ever so slightly. Beautiful thing about beer. It would make a great gift, so I gifted it to us. Nancy's flashback: We get the origin story of why she just takes things. It's a sad story, really, and shows us where the title of the film comes from.
Nicholas Musuraca's camera work is discussed again. It's really amazing.
Another Banner party. Clyde seeks Nancy, hears gunshot, Nancy comes out of room. Clyde makes decision to shield Nancy. She's definitely the Femme Fatale of this film.
Laraine Day does some incredible acting. I may have been flashback #4 if I'd met Nancy.
Back to flashback #2. Blair may believe Clyde. A great piece of camerawork by Musuraca is discussed. It's a master class in subtle camerawork.
Blair invites Clyde over to settle all this Nancy business. Nancy denies all. Of course. Either Nancy is a brilliant sociopath, or Dr. Blair's a terrible shrink.
Clyde makes a life altering decision after visiting Blair and leaving him the Cassandra painting as a wedding gift. Sad, really.
Jayson has some interesting thoughts about why the structure of the film is as it is. It makes sense.
Blair and Nancy go to his home country, England, to help with the war effort. A weekend in the country at Lord Wyndham's to recharge leads to suspicion. Blair doesn't trust his wife.
We finished the Triple. Wish we had more. I highly recommend this brewery.
A necklace has been pinched at Lord Wyndham's! Blair suspects Nancy.
Air raid sirens draw Blair away. When he returns he finds their apartment building bombed. In the rubble he finds Nancy's dark secret. She lies, frighteningly.
Back to present. John brings in Nancy, who lies, natch, and Blair goes to leave. The locket reemerges right before the wedding, breaking Nancy. It's another fantastically shot sequence. She needs love, Blair tells John. Will he give it to her as she recuperates? We think maybe? There's no real resolution, though.
I don't think this is a film noir. It has elements, due to Musuraca's camerawork, but that's about it, for me. It's a psycho-melodrama. We both recommend it, though. There's a lot to peel apart. Seek out Project Barley, if you can, you won't be disappointed.
Intro music for this episode is a mix of (1) Turn on The Funk (Story Blocks Audio subscription), (2) sample 1961’s The Phantom Planet [in the public domain], and (3) sample 1968’s Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women [in the public domain]. Outro music Vintage Background Jazz Atmosphere by Volodymyr Piddubnyk (Story Blocks Audio subscription).
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