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Hollow Triumph (1948)Pursued by the big-time gambler he robbed, John Muller takes a new identity, with ironic results. Director:Steve Sekely |
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Title: Hollow Triumph (1948)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Paul Henreid | ... |
John Muller /
Dr. Bartok
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| Joan Bennett | ... |
Evelyn Hahn
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| Eduard Franz | ... |
Frederick Muller
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Leslie Brooks | ... |
Virginia Taylor
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| John Qualen | ... |
Swangron
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Mabel Paige | ... |
Charwoman
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Herbert Rudley | ... |
Marcy
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Charles Arnt | ... |
Coblenz
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George Chandler | ... |
Aubrey - Assistant
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Sid Tomack | ... |
Artell - Manager
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| Alvin Hammer | ... |
Jerry
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Ann Staunton | ... |
Blonde
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Paul E. Burns | ... |
Clerk
(as Paul Burns)
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Charles Trowbridge | ... |
Deputy
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Morgan Farley | ... |
Howard Anderson
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
John Muller, medical school dropout and brilliant crook, plans a holdup which goes a little bit wrong, and finds vindictive gambler Rocky Stansyck after him. At the end of his tether, he stumbles onto a lucky chance to assume an impenetrable new identity as psychiatrist Victor Bartok. But irony piles on as Muller finds it's out of the frying pan, into the fire. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Taglines:
HIS SCAR marked them BOTH!!Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
3 February 1949 (Mexico) See more »Also Known As:
The Man Who Murdered Himself See more »Filming Locations:
Angel's Flight Railway, Bunker Hill, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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John Muller: Things have come out of that sweet baby face of yours.
Evelyn Hahn: Don't run away with yourself. Take it easy!
John Muller: Why do I like you?
Evelyn Hahn: My baby blue eyes!
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(uncredited)
Written by Johann Strauß
Whistled by Muller's workmate at the garage
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Did You Know?
Quotes
Evelyn Hahn: Don't take too much for granted! A girl has to have a social life.John Muller: Things have come out of that sweet baby face of yours.
Evelyn Hahn: Don't run away with yourself. Take it easy!
John Muller: Why do I like you?
Evelyn Hahn: My baby blue eyes!
See more »
Soundtracks
"Blue Danube Waltz"(uncredited)
Written by Johann Strauß
Whistled by Muller's workmate at the garage
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Yes, "Hollow Triumph" or "The Scar" is a very fine example of film noir. It is tough, gritty, full of duplicity, and identities that shift across screen time. But what really makes this film sing is the vivid low-key photography of John Alton. Yes, perhaps Sekely deserves some credit, but the look is all Alton. "HT" is shot the same year (1948) as two other excellently lensed films by Alton -- "Amazing Mr. X" and "He Walked By Night." Dark sets lit with single light sources, bizarre angles and strong uses of deep focus compositions characterize Alton's work. Alton knew well how to get along with less light, creating the nightmarish worlds we see on the screen. This film's look reminds me of another great noir work -- Welles' 1958 "Touch of Evil" shot by Metty. But as I think of the two cinematographers, Alton seemed to best encapsulate the noir look -- seamy, wet, claustrophobic and dead-ended.
Of worthy mention here too, is: Henreid repeating the cigarette motif we saw earlier in "Now, Voyager," but here given a chain-smoking mania of its own, suggestive of insecurity and metaphoric of his attempts to "cloak" his identity, to shape-shift like a cloud of smoke into something new.