Shockproof (1949)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Douglas Sirk

Writers:

Helen Deutsch (writer)
Samuel Fuller (writer)

Release Date:

25 January 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

Plot:

Jenny Marsh, still dangerously attractive after 5 years in prison for killing a man in defense of her shady lover Harry...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman

Cast

Cornel Wilde	...	Griff Marat
Patricia Knight	...	Jenny Marsh
John Baragrey	...	Harry Wesson
Esther Minciotti	...	Mrs. Marat
Howard St. John	...	Sam Brooks
Russell Collins	...	Frederick Bauer
Charles Bates	...	Tommy Marat

Also Known As:

The Lovers (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

79 min | Germany:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Director Douglas Sirk signed to make this film on the basis of Sam Fuller's original screenplay, which was called "The Lovers" and ended in a shoot-out. Co-producer Helen Deutsch rewrote the script and added a cop-out ending Sirk disliked. Sirk later said Deutsch's script changes ruined the film by depriving it of the sense of doom in Fuller's original story.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

A parole officer falls in love with one of his charges

"Shockproof" is a 1949 Douglas Sirk film starring Cornel Wilde and Patricia Knight. Wilde is Griff Marat, who gets a paroled prisoner, Jenny Marsh (Knight) on his caseload. She refuses to give up the bad acquaintances that got her into trouble in the first place; this includes her old boyfriend, Harry (John Baragrey) whom she continues to meet secretly. Griff has taken Jenny into his home to care for his blind mother (Esther Minciotti), and over time, they fall in love. Though she's still pulled toward Harry, she balks when Harry wants her to convince Griff to marry her, a clear violation of his job ethics and her parole. Because Griff has political ambitions, they will then have them where they want him. Gradually Harry realizes that Jenny is not going to cooperate, and he ends up gravely injured. Griff and Jenny go on the run to avoid her arrest.

This is a pretty good noir with two heavyweights attached, Sirk, the director, and Sam Fuller, who co-wrote the script. Unfortunately, the characters aren't fleshed out enough so that we understand their sudden turnarounds - a man on the side of the law with political ambitions decides to throw it all out the window, marry a client secretly, and go on the run riding in boxcars and living in shacks because though the shooting was accidental, Griff feels Jenny won't be believed. That's just Griff - in reality, all three of the main characters do complete reversals during the course of this film with little or no justification.

Wilde does a good job here, and Knight, a new actress to me, is beautiful and has good chemistry opposite her then husband Wilde. She didn't work much longer, as after their divorce, her career dried up.

Entertaining.