Tension (1949)

A meek pharmacist creates an alternate identity under which he plans to murder the bullying liquor salesman who has become his wife's lover.

Director:

John Berry

Writers:

Allen Rivkin (screenplay), John D. Klorer (based on the story by),

Stars:

Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Basehart	...	Warren Quimby
Audrey Totter	...	Claire Quimby
Cyd Charisse	...	Mary Chanler
Barry Sullivan	...	Lt. Collier Bonnabel
Lloyd Gough	...	Barney Deager
Tom D'Andrea	...	Freddie
William Conrad	...	Lt. Edgar Gonsales
Tito Renaldo	...	Narco

Storyline

A mousy drugstore manager turns killer after his conniving wife leaves him for another man. He devises a complex plan, which involves assuming a new identity, to make it look like someone else murdered her new boyfriend. Things take an unexpected turn when someone else commits the murder first and he becomes the prime suspect.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | lover | liquor salesman | drugstore | neighbor | 

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Taglines:

The hard-hitting story of a man with a plan...REVENGE!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 November 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

O agnostos eihe diplo allothi

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Loew's

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Richard Basehart's character of Quimby decides to create another identity for himself, he gets the idea for the name Sothern when he sees a movie fan magazine with Ann Sothern on the cover. "Tension" producer Robert Sisk was then in the process of prepping Shadow on the Wall to star Miss Sothern in the last film of her long-term MGM contract.

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Goofs

When Mr. Quimby is bowling, he hits the pins and then turns away, talking briefly to his friend. He then returns to bowl another ball, yet the pins have been set up again. This is a mistake because previously there was still one pin standing solid. Therefore, even automated machines could not have reset the them.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Police Lt. Collier Bonnabel: I'm Collier Bonnabel. I'm a cop. I'm a Lieutenant Detective in, uh, Homicide. That's a fancy name for murder.

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Connections

Featured in Tension: Who's Guilty Now? (2007)

User Reviews

Excellent mid-century melodrama

Although a bit noir-sh at times, and produced during the golden era of that film genre, this is by no means a pure film noir. Rather, "Tension" is a B-movie version of the melodramas popular at all of the studios during the late 40s. And, certainly, as suggested by other posters, this film has no business being compared to Hitchcock.

Overall, I am pleasantly surprised with the talent, direction, script and locations.

Granted, the whole "Clark-Kent-wearing-glasses-isn't-Superman" form of disguise is ludicrous, but it has always been an accepted modus-operandi for the concept of hidden identities on stage, film and TV. The performances of all of the leads are good - none chew the scenery. Basehart never "got his due" as an actor, as I'm afraid most remember him as the captain on TV's "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" in the 60s. Totter is excellent, and while Cyd Charisse is little more than set dressing, she requites herself well.

The techniques of law have certainly changed, as the means of tricking the guilty party in this film is nothing less than entrapment.

And for those of you interested in architecture, that great Deco-ish apartment complex featured in the film is still much the same 55 years later, even down to the vines on the railing. It is located off West Olympic Blvd, just west of Century City (across from Pavilion's, behind hotel). By the way, contrary to what a previous poster states, most of this film takes place in Culver City - only the beach house and apartment complex are "in" Malibu. Being an MGM film, they stuck close to home with locations.

UPDATE: Bad news - that beautiful apt. complex is coming down in 2006. Now THAT is a crime!

Update 2: Jan 2007 - the building is still there.

Update 3: Oct 2008 - they're moving people out by 2010.