LADY IN THE LAKE

Audry Totter and Robert Montgomery's reflection

LADY IN THE LAKE (1946). Director: Robert Montgomery.

Philip Marlowe (Robert Montgomery) submits a short mystery story based on truth to a pulp magazine and is invited in to meet the editor, a woman named Adrienne (Audrey Totter). She is more interested in hiring Marlowe to look for her boss, Derace Kingsby's (Leon Ames), wife, who has supposedly run off with a man named Chris (Dick Simmons of Man with the Steel Whip). This leads into a series of murders and a kind of strange affair between Marlowe and Adrienne, whom the private eye doesn't quite trust. Then he starts tripping over bodies ...

Man in the mirror: Marlowe gets first aid

Lady in the Lake is one of six films directed by star Montgomery, who decided to shoot this as an ill-advised stunt. Except for three brief sequences in which he addresses the camera to move the plot along, Marlowe/Montgomery is only seen in mirrors. While the plot and acting is interesting enough to keep the viewer entertained for most of the film's length, the gimmick gets a little tiresome and one longs for a more traditional approach. Another problem is that Montgomery is miscast as Marlowe (the detective's first name is misspelled as "Phillip"); he's as gruff and obnoxious as the script requires but he doesn't make a convincing Marlowe.

Audrey Totter and Leon Ames

On the other hand, Audrey Totter steals the picture as Adrienne, giving a fascinating and multi-leveled performance, a snarling bitch one minute, a cloying child the next, belting out orders and disdain in equal measure with one hand, and purring kittenishly with the other. She lacks the raw sex appeal of, say, Veronica Lake, but she's extremely effective nevertheless. Leon Ames, Tom Tully [A Kiss for Corliss] as a police captain, and especially Lloyd Nolan [Sergeant Ryker] as a vicious cop are all terrific. Jayne Meadows also has some fine moments, although she isn't always completely convincing in her portrayal. Dick Simmons makes a positive impression as the oddly likable gigolo, Chris.

One has to pay careful attention while watching this picture, because at the end you still may not be certain who did what to whom and why. Raymond Chandler's source novel undoubtedly spelled it out in more detail. In any case, the movie is suspenseful, and there's at least one creepy scene when Marlowe searches inside a bathroom.

Verdict: Watch for Totter if nothing else. **3/4. 

MAN WITH THE STEEL WHIP

Our hero snoozes with the rest of the audience

MAN WITH THE STEEL WHIP (12 chapter Republic serial/1954). Director: Franklin Adreon.

In the old west, a man named Barnett (Mauritz Hugo) has discovered that there is gold on an Indian reservation, and wants both the natives and nearby ranchers to get out of the area. His chief opponent is Jerry Randell (Dick Simmons), who dresses up for no good reason as the legendary "El Latigo," whom he thinks the Indians will respect. Barnett is aided in his nefarious plans by Crane (Dale Van Sickel) and the ugly Indian Tosco (Lane Bradford of Zombies of the Stratosphere). Jerry gets tea and sympathy and some solid help as well from pretty school teacher, Nancy Cooper (Barbara Bestar of Safari Drums). A runaway wagon goes over a cliff in at least two episodes. Man with the Steel Whip is, as usual, a fast-paced and slick Republic production, but this has an especially dull premise, a villain that is just as colorless as the hero, and only one memorable cliffhanger. The acting is at least professional. The best thing about the serial is R. Dale Butts' theme music. Roy Barcroft [Don Daredevil Rides Again] is the sheriff and Tom Steele a henchman.

Verdict: One of the last and lesser Republic serials. **.