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glitteryvWoman on the Run (YouTube)
It stars Ann Sheridan as Eleanor Johnson, Dennis O'Keefe as Legget, and Ross Elliott as Frank Johnson.
A 1951 film that begins with Frank, an artist, walking his dog in a park near his house one v. late night. He happens to witness a gangster being murdered; the murderer sees him and shoots at him before fleeing. When the police shows up, they explain to him that they need his help in catching the killer. As a way to pressure him into cooperating, they bring his wife down to convince him. Only to find out that Frank has run away cuz he's scared.
Now, Eleanor's reaction is..interesting. She's not sad, scared or angry. Instead, she radiates a kind of borderline frustration with her husband. Of course Frank's bounced. He's a coward, he's the worst, etc. It's a reaction both the police onscreen and myself found odd.
It turns out that Frank and Eleanor's marriage is not going well at all.
Regardless, the cops opt to go look for Frank. Eleanor decides to try to find him on her own, somewhat worried that he will killed. She ends up teaming up with a newspaper reporter named Legget. They make a deal: he'll help her find her husband in exchange for Frank giving him an exclusive interviews.
From there, they go all over San Francisco, following strange clues that Frank has left for Eleanor to find him. Will they meet before they both run out of time????
The plot is solid, it has good direction and pacing. Ann Sheridan as Eleanor gives a complex portrayal of a spouse who is disillusioned with marriage. According to Elanor, Frank can provide some kind of living (after all, Eleanor IS a housewife). At the same time, there is so little they share; their lives are drab. It creates a picture of a couple that has almost fallen completely out of love. And yet there's still something keeping them together.
As for the B plot, it's all abt marriage: how much work it takes for it to last. One funny thing is that, the more time she spends looking for her husband, the more Eleanor realizes she doesn't really know him. She has a whole bunch of assumptions abt how Frank sees their marriage, what he thinks abt her, etc. But now she's been challenged to really look at everything as it is and not thru her assumptions.
I also liked how it questions marriage. From dealing with the routines ppl will inevitably fall into, what real communication is like, etc.
Per what I know, the script was co-written by Alan Campbell who was, by then, famous American author Dorothy Parker's ex husband. It feels like poured his cynicism and questions abt marriage into the story, IDK
Do I have any criticisms?
The first time I watched this movie, I was v. annoyed with Frank. It was easy to sympathize with Eleanor's disappointment. In many ways, it felt like she'd always been the one to put in the most effort (up to the last possible minute) in order to keep Frank safe. FWIW, it's not that I've come around to thinking Frank's a great guy after rewatching this movie a few times. However, I've since realized that Eleanor's got her thorny side as well. Everyone has flaws.
I can't deny I'm still a little 🙄 abt Frank. Some of it comes from Elanor mentioning how unstable her life has been since marrying him. He likes to move from city to city, his impulsiveness and big dreams have put them both in some not-so-great financial situations. By the point the movie begins, she's kind over the whole thing. She wants more stability in their lives. And that's fair.
Also, the humor is not great.
The one thing that really irked me abt this movie happens in the last 15 minutes. Everything in the end takes place at an amusement park. There's A LOT of screaming and loud sounds (from rollercoasters and other rides.) So, if you're sensitive to high pitched and/or noise OR if you're watching with your headphones on, check your volume.
Do I recommend it?
Yes. Although it's not the BEST noir out there, it's a good movie in all aspects. Aside from rentals (and occasionally be included for free via YouTube Premium), you can also watch it thru any of the free movie apps (Tubi, Plex, etc.)
I'm giving it a 3.5 out of 5.
Queerness Level: Umm, an argument could be made for Legget not being 100% straight. He has a neat simpatico with Elanor but there are not romantic or sexual vibes happening.
It stars Ann Sheridan as Eleanor Johnson, Dennis O'Keefe as Legget, and Ross Elliott as Frank Johnson.
A 1951 film that begins with Frank, an artist, walking his dog in a park near his house one v. late night. He happens to witness a gangster being murdered; the murderer sees him and shoots at him before fleeing. When the police shows up, they explain to him that they need his help in catching the killer. As a way to pressure him into cooperating, they bring his wife down to convince him. Only to find out that Frank has run away cuz he's scared.
Now, Eleanor's reaction is..interesting. She's not sad, scared or angry. Instead, she radiates a kind of borderline frustration with her husband. Of course Frank's bounced. He's a coward, he's the worst, etc. It's a reaction both the police onscreen and myself found odd.
It turns out that Frank and Eleanor's marriage is not going well at all.
Regardless, the cops opt to go look for Frank. Eleanor decides to try to find him on her own, somewhat worried that he will killed. She ends up teaming up with a newspaper reporter named Legget. They make a deal: he'll help her find her husband in exchange for Frank giving him an exclusive interviews.
From there, they go all over San Francisco, following strange clues that Frank has left for Eleanor to find him. Will they meet before they both run out of time????
The plot is solid, it has good direction and pacing. Ann Sheridan as Eleanor gives a complex portrayal of a spouse who is disillusioned with marriage. According to Elanor, Frank can provide some kind of living (after all, Eleanor IS a housewife). At the same time, there is so little they share; their lives are drab. It creates a picture of a couple that has almost fallen completely out of love. And yet there's still something keeping them together.
As for the B plot, it's all abt marriage: how much work it takes for it to last. One funny thing is that, the more time she spends looking for her husband, the more Eleanor realizes she doesn't really know him. She has a whole bunch of assumptions abt how Frank sees their marriage, what he thinks abt her, etc. But now she's been challenged to really look at everything as it is and not thru her assumptions.
I also liked how it questions marriage. From dealing with the routines ppl will inevitably fall into, what real communication is like, etc.
Per what I know, the script was co-written by Alan Campbell who was, by then, famous American author Dorothy Parker's ex husband. It feels like poured his cynicism and questions abt marriage into the story, IDK
Do I have any criticisms?
The first time I watched this movie, I was v. annoyed with Frank. It was easy to sympathize with Eleanor's disappointment. In many ways, it felt like she'd always been the one to put in the most effort (up to the last possible minute) in order to keep Frank safe. FWIW, it's not that I've come around to thinking Frank's a great guy after rewatching this movie a few times. However, I've since realized that Eleanor's got her thorny side as well. Everyone has flaws.
I can't deny I'm still a little 🙄 abt Frank. Some of it comes from Elanor mentioning how unstable her life has been since marrying him. He likes to move from city to city, his impulsiveness and big dreams have put them both in some not-so-great financial situations. By the point the movie begins, she's kind over the whole thing. She wants more stability in their lives. And that's fair.
Also, the humor is not great.
The one thing that really irked me abt this movie happens in the last 15 minutes. Everything in the end takes place at an amusement park. There's A LOT of screaming and loud sounds (from rollercoasters and other rides.) So, if you're sensitive to high pitched and/or noise OR if you're watching with your headphones on, check your volume.
Do I recommend it?
Yes. Although it's not the BEST noir out there, it's a good movie in all aspects. Aside from rentals (and occasionally be included for free via YouTube Premium), you can also watch it thru any of the free movie apps (Tubi, Plex, etc.)
I'm giving it a 3.5 out of 5.
Queerness Level: Umm, an argument could be made for Legget not being 100% straight. He has a neat simpatico with Elanor but there are not romantic or sexual vibes happening.
