Fear (1946)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Alfred Zeisler

Writers:

Alfred Zeisler (writer) and
Dennis J. Cooper (writer)

Release Date:

2 March 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

Plot:

A medical student--broke, hungry and desperate for money--is hired to murder a loan shark. After the...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Peter Cookson	...	Larry Crain
Warren William	...	Police Capt. Burke
Anne Gwynne	...	Eileen Stevens
Francis Pierlot	...	Prof. Stanley
Nestor Paiva	...	Detective Shaefer
James Cardwell	...	Ben - a Student
Almira Sessions	...	Mrs. Williams - Landlady
William Moss	...	Al
Harry Clay	...	Student
Johnny Strong	...	Student
Ernie Adams	...	House Painter
Charles Calvert	...	Doc

Also Known As:

Black Tower (USA) (reissue title)
Suspense (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

68 min | USA:27 min (edited version) (TV)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Monogram Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Re-titled, and edited down to less than thirty minutes, it was sold to television in the early 1950's as part of a syndicated half hour mystery show.

Movie Connections:

Version of Crime & Punishment, USA (1959)

Better than average Monogram "B", with Langian touches

Maltin's summary, and his star-and-a-half rating, for this quickie film noir fails to put it in the context of other, far more dismal Monogram productions. "Fear" has lots of interesting camera-pushes, nice use of close-ups, relatively interesting lighting, and a great nightmare montage. Plus, an expressive touch at the moment the key murder takes place (which I won't reveal) is just brilliant. Three things link this film to Fritz Lang's work--the marked coat (from "M") the dream-frame ("The Woman in the Window"), and perhaps most explicitly the palmreading of Larry's hand, revealing an "M", which stands for. . . . [supply your own dramatic music here]. Noir fans should seek this one one out for sure. Others may not be so impressed.