Slattery's Hurricane (1949)

Director:

André De Toth

Writers:

Richard Murphy (writer)
Herman Wouk (novel)

Release Date:

11 August 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Action | Adventure

Plot:

A pilot wants a life of ease, flying for drug smugglers and looking the other way until his conscience is tweaked by a woman he has misused...

Plot Keywords:

Hurricane | Beautiful Woman | Weather | Weatherman | Aviation

Cast

Richard Widmark	...	Lt. Willard Francis Slattery
Linda Darnell	...	Mrs. Aggie Hobson
Veronica Lake	...	Dolores Grieves
John Russell	...	Lt. F.A. 'Hobbie' Hobson
Gary Merrill	...	Cmdr E.T. Kramer
Walter Kingsford	...	R.J. Milne
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Adm. William F. Ollenby
Stanley Waxman	...	Frank
Joe De Santis	...	Gregory (as Joseph De Santis)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ruth Clifford	...	Nurse Bailey (scenes deleted)
Norman Leavitt	...	Waiter (scenes deleted)
Howard Negley	...	Bartender (scenes deleted)
Maudie Prickett	...	Nurse Collins (scenes deleted)
Grandon Rhodes	...	Meteorologist (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Soundtrack:

Anchors Aweigh

Storm Number 9-Slattery's Hurricane.

Lt. Willard Francis Slattery {Richard Widmark}, a former Navy pilot, is in control of this Grumman Mallard Aeroplane. He's flying right into the centre of a storm, a ferocious storm gathering momentum, here Slattery reviews his latter day life.

Slattery's Hurricane is directed by André De Toth and also stars Linda Darnell, Veronica Lake, John Russell and Gary Merill. It's based around a story written by Herman Wouk, and it's with Wouk that the interesting back story to the film belongs. Herman Wouk was of course the writer of Pulitzer Prize winning novel-The Caine Mutiny {also made into a fabulous film starring Humphrey Bogart}. It was while Wouk was researching weather data for "Mutiny" that he got the genesis for Slattery's Hurricane. Pitching it to 20th Century Fox, he got the go ahead for a screenplay, and feeling inspired he turned his short story into a fully fledged book.

Adapted by Richard Murphy, Slattery's Hurricane is a real good film stopped from being a great one due to the inevitable interference from the Production Code Administartion. Research into the film, and those who know the novel, shows the story to be a spiky one about adultery, drug smuggling and drug addiction, with closely formed characterisations leading the way. The observant will spot these things in the film anyway, but the toning down leaves us with a more melo-dramamtic picture than a sharply dark one that the story deserved. However, it's with much credit to De Toth and his cast that the film is still an engrossing mood piece set around the birth of a raging hurricane, a hurricane that is not just of the storm itself, but of the emotional state of Will Slattery too. Grim nature and the troubled human condition dovetailing to create our finale of Slattery's Hurricane.

Richard Widmark is good value {wasn't he always?} as the lead protagonist, mean, moody and even menacing in his selfishness, Slattery called for an actor capable of blending emotional layers. The studio had wanted Tyrone Power for the role {perhaps showing the high hopes they had for the film?}, but they got Widmark instead, who rewards them {and us} with yet another memorable performance. Linda Darnell, softly spoken, sexy and exuding a femme fatale sheen, does well with what is a surprisingly underwritten part, tho we can probably thank {not!} the PCA for that issue. Veronica Lake, then married to director De Toth, had hoped for the film to signal a comeback for her faltering career, it wasn't to be, and that's sad because she's really rather great here. Heartfelt and giving the story a crucial counter point edge to Widmark's unfolding state, Lake served notice that she still had some quality to offer cinema. John Russell and Gary Merrill {whos opening narration sets the tone} do what is needed, but rightly play second fiddle to the three principals.

It could have done with better villains than the portrayals given by Walter Kingsford and Joe De Santis, but Slattery's Huricane remains a fine movie begging to be seen by more people. Still not given a DVD release and rarely shown on television, it's a film that if you get a chance to see,? you should grab that opportunity with both hands. 7/10