TV and Movies

[Oznell]

Saturday midnight eastern--  "Pitfall"-- D i c k Powell, Lizabeth Scott, Raymond Bu

Top-notch romantic triangle/film noir, among my all time favorites. Director Andre de Toth draws us into the domestic life of sardonic, intelligent, dissatisfied, insurance man D i c k Powell.  He has the perfect post-World War II family-- adorable wife (Jane Wyatt), sweet little boy, and all that goes with middle class suburban California living...

Despite his essential "good guy" nature, he blows all that up when he investigates, and then romances, vulnerable blonde model, Lizabeth Scott on an insurance claim.  Working for him is a memorably sleazy private eye (Raymond Burr) whose research on Scott has convinced him (obsessively), that she should be his alone.

This is my favorite performance of all of D i c k Powell's, who gives a nuanced portrait of a man who makes an initial mistake and suffers for it.  Everybody is terrific in this, and the film lingers in the mind for the pointed questions it raises about human existence.

I like this TCM clip for the beginning chemistry between Powell and Scott, two wounded people.  Raymond Burr fans will recognize the suggestion of a squalid menace that he conveyed so well in "The Blue Gardenia":

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/990619/Pitfall-Movie-Clip-She-Probably-Doesn-t-Appeal-To-You.html

[Oznell]

I really like this guy's take on "Pitfall", plus his pocket review contains a stunning publicity shot from the film of a young Raymond Burr and sultry Lizabeth Scott:

http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/8930-REVIEW-ANDRE-DE-TOTHS-PITFALL-1948-STARRING-****...

Never heard of this "cinemaretro" site before, but looks like it might have some interest for us vintage film fans...

Hey, I tested the cinemaretro link and didn't take me to the specific review---  grrrr.  Will try to tinker with it some more....

[Oznell]

Trying again to make the cinemaretro link come up:

http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/8930-REVIEW-ANDRE-DE-TOTHS-PITFALL-1948-STARRING-****...

Edited to add:  Quirky little site!  It's beyond my cyber understanding why the link won't go directly to the Pitfall review-- I tried a couple of things.  Sorry, gang!

[GingerPeach]

OMG, @Oznell.  "Squalid menace" !!  How do these brilliant phrases come to you? (Rhetorical question.)   I am loving this one!

[GingerPeach]

Testing:

http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/8930-REVIEW-ANDRE-DE-TOTHS-PITFALL-1948-STARRING-****...

This link doesn't work either.  I even tried their suggestion of right clicking and "copy" (which is the same as left clicking and CTRL-c).  To read the review, you still have to scroll pretty much down to the bottom of the Cinema Retro page and type "pitfall" into the search bar.

[Oznell]

Oh, thanks so much for your detective work, @GingerPeach.  Much appreciated!

[golding76]

Oznell's mind is exquisite; of that, there is no doubt.  We are truly fortunate to have her share her many gifts with us.

[Oznell]

@golding76, you and @GingerPeach have been too kind in your comments. Not true, but thank you!

[sfnative]

@Oznell

Thanks so much for the heads-up!

LOVE film noir and don't think I've ever seen this film, so am really looking forward to viewing it tonight.

Comes on at 9pm here, which is great, because current programming is just awful.  So nice to have something to look forward to.

XXX

[drizzellla]

Guess I will have to check out Pitfall. Not sure if I have seen it before. Lizabeth Scott seems to mess up someone's life in every movie, I have seen her in.

And I don't know what it is about Raymond Burr. He gave me the creeps when I was about 8 years old. My cousins used to watch Perry Mason. And I would try and do something else, rather than watch the show. I still find him hard to watch.