The Big Night (1951)

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

Director:

Joseph Losey

Writers:

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

Stars:

John Drew Barrymore, Preston Foster, Joan Lorring

Cast

Complete credited 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. Lloyd Cooper
Howland Chamberlain	...	Flanagan (as Howland Chamberlin)
Myron Healey	...	Kennealy
Emile Meyer	...	Peckinpaugh (as Emil Meyer)
Mauri Lynn	...	Terry Angelus

Storyline

George La Main, just turned 17, suffers growing pains and is anxious to prove his manhood. That night, George's adored father Andy is savagely beaten by sportswriter Al Judge. Traumatized and unable to learn why it happened, George goes gunning for Judge. His mission becomes an odyssey through the town's seamy side, and his coming of age is more of a trial by fire than he bargained for.

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Plot Keywords:

coming of age | revenge | night club | cane | loud machinery | 

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Nacht der Wahrheit

Company Credits

Production Co:

Philip A. Waxman Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

George blows out all but one of his birthday candles. When the view changes from over George's shoulder to a position over his father's shoulder, all the candles are out, but when it changes back, the one candle is again lit.

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Quotes

Marion Rostina: I mean, each of us has got secret things deep inside, and if we don't have someone we can share them with, we usually go all haywire. That's what I mean by lonely.

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Soundtracks

"Am I Too Young"
Music by Lyn Murray
Lyrics by Sid Kuller
Sung by Mauri Lynn

User Reviews

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.