The Big Night (1951)

Director:

Joseph Losey

Writers (WGA):

Stanley Ellin (novel)
Joseph Losey (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

13 November 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir

Plot:

A teenager comes of age while seeking revenge on the man who beat up his father.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Coming Of Age | Kicked In Butt | Spanking | Based On Novel

Cast

John Drew Barrymore	...	George La Main (as John Barrymore Jr.)
Preston Foster	...	Andy La Main
Joan Lorring	...	Marion Rostina
Howard St. John	...	Al Judge
Dorothy Comingore	...	Julie Rostina
Philip Bourneuf	...	Dr. James Cooper
Howland Chamberlain	...	Flanagan
Myron Healey	...	Kennealy
Emile Meyer	...	Peckinpaugh (as Emil Meyer)
Mauri Lynn	...	Singer, Terry Angeleus

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG

Company:

Philip A. Waxman Productions Inc.

Trivia:

According to interviews that director Joseph Losey gave, in the mid-seventies, to Michel Ciment, he revealed that FBI wanted to spy on him in Europe where he had to go to work after being black-listed in Hollywood. So they paid John Drew Barrymore (who was a good friend with him after this movie) to furnish informations about Losey's possible anti-American activities in London.

Quotes:

Al Judge: [when ordering Andy to disrobe for his beating] I said SKIN!

Soundtrack:

Am I Too Young

The Wrong Woman

The story here is revenge, more real-life based, a 1950's version of the crime of passion. A teenager's good-hearted father is beaten to a pulp by a gangster, so the kid invades the streets to get some payback. The father's not worried about the floor-wiping, which leads to a mystery behind the teen's mother, who skipped out on the family long ago, and a woman the father knows who has committed suicide.

Seeing this film, there's not much in terms of plot, but there are some notable scenes, particularly when the kid hears a beautiful night-club singer, becomes entranced, gets a chance to meet her on the street, and tells her how beautiful she is. Even though she's, you know,

black. The pain in the singer's face rends the poor kid, who was transported by her voice, but can't get beyond her skin color.

This film also has one of THE great lines ever in any film noir or any movie period, at least concerning the tragedy between a man and a woman, when there is love involved. There are no words more powerful or poignant, especially for a man who loves a woman beyond reason, who knows he has lost the love of his life. Unable to move on, to love or marry another woman after that one woman has destroyed him, and in fact still very much in love with his destroyer,

Preston Foster tells his son, "Sometimes a man loves one woman in the whole world. If she turns out to be the wrong one, well...that's just tough." Truly, the heart of noir is not blackness, but the white-hot scars of passion.