Caught (1949)

Director:

Max Ophüls

Writers:

Libbie Block (novel)
Arthur Laurents (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 February 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

The story of a desperate girl

Plot:

It was her childhood dream come true. She had married a man worth millions. But her innocent dream became...

Plot Keywords:

Wealth | Butler | Unhappy Marriage | Psychiatrist | Tragic Ending

Cast

James Mason	...	Larry Quinada
Barbara Bel Geddes	...	Leonora Eames
Robert Ryan	...	Smith Ohlrig
Frank Ferguson	...	Dr. Hoffman
Curt Bois	...	Franzi Kartos
Ruth Brady	...	Maxine
Natalie Schafer	...	Dorothy Dale
Art Smith	...	Psychiatrist

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Company:

Enterprise Productions

Trivia:

The character Smith Ohlrig is based on Howard Hughes,

Quotes:

Leonora Eames: Posture and social useage
Smith Ohlrig: Social what?
Leonora Eames: Useage. You know, conversation, etiquette, how to pour tea
[Leonora mines this action with her hand]
Leonora Eames: , how to listen to music
[Leonora then places two fingers from her hand to her right ear]
Leonora Eames: , how to... please watch the road.

Melodramatic treatment of the evils of capitalism and its effect upon the human psyche...

This is a curiously interesting movie for three reasons: first, it has a chilling performance from Robert Ryan as Smith Ohlrig (what an odd name) whose persona in this narrative is apparently based on the very eccentric – and fabulously wealthy – recluse, Howard Hughes; second, it has James Mason – with still a very British accent – as poor doctor Larry Quinada, on the East Side of New York, tending to the poor of that area; and third, there is the radiant Barbara Bel Geddes as Leonora Eames, caught between the two men, trying to decide who to choose...

So, it's a rags to riches to rags story about Leonora who, after a brief -- rocket-like, you might say – courtship with Smith, decides to accept his marriage offer for a life of luxury – but after the honeymoon, she finds that, well, the honeymoon is over: she may as well be a wall-flower for all the interest that Smith shows towards her. Why is that? You see, Smith, being the mighty merchandising mogul he is, is a very acquisitive person and whatever he sees that he wants, he gets. Once he's got it, however, he tends to lose interest... Leonora thinks she loves him, but what she really loves is money and wealth.

Tiring of her eventually, Smith allows her to leave when her boredom reaches volcanic proportions: she's just too much trouble to be troubled with. So, searching for something useful to do, she takes a job as a receptionist in Doctor Quinada's office – and, of course, she and he eventually fall in love. All the while, of course, Smith has his agents watch Leonora 24/7, without her knowledge.

Eventually, the pot boils, the three confront each other at Smith's incredibly, disgustingly rich mansion where Smith succumbs to his own psychopathology (that's as much as I'll tell you --- when you see it, you'll know what I mean), leaving Leonora – sadder but wiser – free to take up the socially good life with the good doctor. As the world turns, all is well with the world, sort of...

The messages about the state of that world are strong, indeed almost totally lacking in any subtlety, with lines such as "He was a human being...", "nobody's poor by choice...", "money alone isn't security" and others, all of which starkly inform the viewer that the price of excessive wealth and social nihilism combined is so close to madness it's not worth chasing; far better, instead, to reject such excesses and concentrate on being a valuable member of society.

Mason and Bel Geddes are good support for Ryan who really carries this movie as the menacing, quasi-sociopath. But, I also enjoyed the very smooth performance of Curt Bois as Franzi, the sycophantic sidekick to Smith: Franzi's always too ready to please and calls everybody 'darling', even when he's treated like dirt by almost everybody – a slimy metaphor for the depths to which some go in order to survive in the world of untrammeled excess. But even Franzi has his limits, as you will find out.

Some great camera work and all in lovely black and white makes this movie a worthwhile addition to the film-noir genre. Watch particularly for the dark scenes in Smith's mansion and, later, the swiveling camera work when Doctors Quinada and Hoffman discuss Leonora's absence from their office. You just don't get shooting like that anymore...

Highly recommended for all you film-noir fans.