In a Lonely Place (1950)

In a Lonely Place (1950)
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A haunting work of stark confessionalism disguised as a taut noir thriller, In a Lonely Place -- Nicholas Ray's bleak, desperate tale of fear and self-loathing in Hollywood -- remains one of the filmmaker's greatest and most deeply resonant features. It stars Humphrey Bogart as Dixon Steele, a fading screenwriter suffering from creative burnout; hired to adapt a best-selling novel, instead of reading the book itself he asks the hat-check girl (Martha Stewart) at his favorite nightclub to simply tell him the plot. The morning after, the girl is found brutally murdered, and Steele is the police's prime suspect; however, the would-be starlet across the way, Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame), provides him with a solid alibi, and they soon begin a romance in spite of Gray's lingering concerns that the troubled, violent Steele might just be a killer after all. During production, Ray's real-life marriage to co-star Grahame began to crumble, and his own vulnerability and disillusionment clearly inform the picture; the brooding, bitter Steele -- a role ideally suited to Bogart's wounded romanticism -- is plainly a doppelganger for Ray himself (the site of his first Hollywood apartment is even employed as the set for Steele's home), and the film's unflinching examination of the character's disintegration makes for uniquely compelling viewing. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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Starring:
Humphrey BogartGloria Grahame, (more)
Director(s):
Nicholas Ray
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
NR
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of In a Lonely Place

A haunting work of stark confessionalism disguised as a taut noir thriller, In a Lonely Place -- Nicholas Ray's bleak, desperate tale of fear and self-loathing in Hollywood -- remains one of the filmmaker's greatest and most deeply resonant features. It stars Humphrey Bogart as Dixon Steele, a fading screenwriter suffering from creative burnout; hired to adapt a best-selling novel, instead of reading the book itself he asks the hat-check girl (Martha Stewart) at his favorite nightclub to simply tell him the plot. The morning after, the girl is found brutally murdered, and Steele is the police's prime suspect; however, the would-be starlet across the way, Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame), provides him with a solid alibi, and they soon begin a romance in spite of Gray's lingering concerns that the troubled, violent Steele might just be a killer after all. During production, Ray's real-life marriage to co-star Grahame began to crumble, and his own vulnerability and disillusionment clearly inform the picture; the brooding, bitter Steele -- a role ideally suited to Bogart's wounded romanticism -- is plainly a doppelganger for Ray himself (the site of his first Hollywood apartment is even employed as the set for Steele's home), and the film's unflinching examination of the character's disintegration makes for uniquely compelling viewing. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
93 mins

Complete Cast of In a Lonely Place


Director(s):
Nicholas Ray
Writer(s):
Andrew SoltEdmund H. North
Producer(s):
Robert Lord
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
NR(Questionable for Children, Violence, Adult Situations)
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    Heather M.

    I am fan of the film noir of the 40s and 50s, as well as a fan of Humphrey Bogart. I had not heard of this film until recently. I did enjoy the film, which was more intense then I would have thought. I never found it predicatable. Bogart does an excellent job of giving us a main character that we never really trust. Gloria Grahame does a fine job, as well. The only part I did not enjoy was the music, which often was inappropriate to what was happening in the film.

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    Sara B.

    Well, I'm not a classic film fan by any means...have never found the idea of a black and white movie appealing. This film was listed along with another 24 to be archived in the Library of Congress in 2007, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I am so glad I did! The acting is dramatic, violence eluded to and not blatant, and it's sexy without showing sex scenes. Basically...it's a work of art. I'd label it a murder-mystery love story. You should check it out!

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    Daniel B.

    Close to a masterpiece of the film noir genre. Creates a sense of suspense without actual violence. Humphrey Bogart keeps you guessing throughout. Could he really hurt someone or is he just mad because people think he is capable of it.

    Yes   |   No

     
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