In A Lonely Place
Written by Joe D on June 8th, 2010
Gloria, Bogey and Nick Ray confer on the set
Here for your viewing pleasure is Nick Ray’s In A Lonley Place. Produced by Bogart’s Santana Production Company, the film took a while to get underway due to the studio not approving Gloria Grahame, Nick Ray’s wife at the time. When the film finally got underway Nick and Gloria were splitsville. A few years later Gloria married Nick’s son. Oedipus in tinseltown. The characters are all fucked up which is what makes the film good.
Are These The Hands Of A Killer?
The music sucks but what can you do, this film was made during a transitional period, in old Hollywood films there was music under dialog scenes commenting on everything in an obvious way, this film still has a lot of that. Although there is an appearance by the amazing Hadda Brooks, tinkling the ivories and vocalizing at a piano bar while Bogey and Grahame look on. Gloria Grahame is at her sexiest in this film, she’s incredible. Bogey is great too, weird but great. Louise Brooks said this film captured the real Humphrey Bogart more than any other. It’s interesting how the patented Bogey dialog doesn’t quite work here, you know like the lines from The Big Sleep with Betty Bacall , “You have a touch of class but you don’t like to be rated…” I think it’s because it was made during a transitional time, getting away from the conventions of Old Hollywood, Bogey getting older, vulnerable, screwed up. Mortality taking it’s toll. Watch it for yourself and decide.
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Yeah, Gloria G never gets credit for this film. It’s a shame. Compare this film with the other Santana production that Ray directed, ‘Knock on Any Door’: the difference beggars belief.
> lines from To Have And Have Not with Betty Bacall , “You have a touch of class but you don’t like to be rated…â€
That was ‘The Big Sleep’
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You’re right, at the gambling casino. It’s similar to the scene in THAHN with the “you know how to whistle “line.