Nocturne (1946)

Police detective Joe Warner investigates the shooting of womanizing composer Keith Vincent. Evidence points to suicide and that is the official verdict, but Joe doesn't buy it and ... See full summary »

Director:

Edwin L. Marin

Writers:

Rowland Brown (story), Frank Fenton (story),

Stars:

George Raft, Lynn Bari, Virginia Huston

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Raft	...	Police Lt. Joe Warne
Lynn Bari	...	Frances Ransom
Virginia Huston	...	Carol Page
Joseph Pevney	...	Ned 'Fingers' Ford
Myrna Dell	...	Susan Flanders
Edward Ashley	...	Keith Vincent
Walter Sande	...	Police Lt. Halberson
Mabel Paige	...	Mrs. Warne
Bern Hoffman	...	Erik Torp (as Bernard Hoffman)
Queenie Smith	...	Queenie, Nora's Roommate
Mack Gray	...	Gratz (as Mack Grey)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lilian Bond	...	Mrs. Billings (scenes deleted)
Martha Mears	...	Carol Page (voice)
Broderick O'Farrell	...	Billings' Butler (scenes deleted)
William Wright	...	Mr. Billings (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Police detective Joe Warner investigates the shooting of womanizing composer Keith Vincent. Evidence points to suicide and that is the official verdict, but Joe doesn't buy it and obsessively keeps looking, tracking down one discarded love after another, despite being ordered off the case.

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Plot Keywords:

police | detective | piano | pianist | investigation | 

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nocturno

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Police Lt. Joe Warne says, "I like that alibi. It's round, it's firm, it's fully packed.", he is riffing on a phrase often used in advertising for Lucky Strike cigarettes at the time: "So round, so firm, so fully packed."

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Goofs

Fingers is playing a spinet piano, but the sound is that of a grand piano.

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Quotes

Pat: [trying to push through the apartment door] Well, baby, it's been a nice evening.
Frances Ransom: [holding him back] Why not let it stay that way? Good night!
Police Lt. Joe Warne: [waiting inside apartment] That's as good a block as I ever saw. Ever thought of trying out for the Green Bay Packers?

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Connections

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Nocturne"
Music by Leigh Harline
Lyrics by Mort Greene
Sung by Virginia Huston (dubbed by Martha Mears)

User Reviews

little screened melodic noir entertaining and suspenseful

From the initial scene chronicling the murder central to the plot of Nocturne as seen from the killer's vantage point, this movie has much to sustain the viewer's interest. Whenever a stock line or situation makes you feel this is a typical hardboiled cop flick, another plot twist or cinemotographic trick changes your mind. Portions of the movie shot after hours in a deserted photographic studio remind the viewer of Harrison's Hitchcockian associations with palpable suspense. George Raft shows surprising likeability as the lead, and Lynn Bari lends sparky support as one of the ranks of the victim's past conquests-or was she?-who just might hold a clue to the identity of the deadly Dolores. If you have a chance to see this film, grab it-although it was a successful and high grossing film at the time of its release in 1946, it is extremely difficult to rent, view, or purchase today. And the music, so evocative of the forties' nightclub allure, is great.