Nobody Lives Forever (1946)

G.I. Nick Blake, a never charged con man in his pre-military life, has just received an honorable discharge from the army on medical reasons. Rather than return to his old life, he plans to... See full summary »

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writer:

W.R. Burnett (original screenplay)

Stars:

John Garfield, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Walter Brennan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Garfield	...	Nick Blake
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Gladys Halvorsen
Walter Brennan	...	Pop Gruber
Faye Emerson	...	Toni Blackburn
George Coulouris	...	Doc Ganson
George Tobias	...	Al Doyle
Robert Shayne	...	Chet King
Richard Gaines	...	Charles Manning
Richard Erdman	...	Bellboy, The Marwood Arms (as Dick Erdman)
James Flavin	...	Shake Thomas
Ralph Peters	...	Windy Mather
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Kelsey	...	Railroad Conductor (scenes deleted)

Storyline

G.I. Nick Blake, a never charged con man in his pre-military life, has just received an honorable discharge from the army on medical reasons. Rather than return to his old life, he plans to settle down in New York, his hometown, with his girlfriend Toni Blackburn and the small cache of money he amassed prior to the war: $50,000. When that plan does not pan out, he decides to head to Los Angeles with his con man friend Al Doyle and live it up until he decides on a more permanent course for his life. He is informed by Pop Gruber, an aging mentor doing solely penny-ante street cons now in L.A., of a potential big mark. Doc Ganson, a former con associate, found the mark, lonely widow Gladys Halvorsen worth $2 million, but does not have either the bankroll or the charms to carry out the con on Gladys himself. With Al running interference for him, Nick agrees both to bankroll and carry out the con, he negotiating two-thirds of the take for himself, leaving Doc and his two associates a ...

---

Plot Keywords:

widow | swindle | champagne | racing form | brandy | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amor de Salvação

Filming Locations:

Mission San Juan Capistrano - 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Humphrey Bogart refused the role of Nick Blake.

---

Goofs

In an early scene Doc agrees to a third share of the con. Later on however, he asks for his 30%.

---

Quotes

Nick Blake: People like me don't change.

---

Connections

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

---

Soundtracks

You Again
(uncredited)
Music by M.K. Jerome
Lyrics by Jack Scholl
Performed by Faye Emerson

User Reviews

The Genius of W.R. Burnett

Of all the Hollywood writers now associated with classic film noir --among them James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler & Dashell Hammett— the least known and perhaps least appreciated is W.R. Burnett who was responsible for the story and often the screenplay of a number of film crime classics, among them the films Scarface, Little Caesar, High Sierra and Asphalt Jungle. Burnett's dialog is as sharp and tough as the others, and he often displays a finer insight and even greater sympathy for the criminal mind than the others whose stories feature and sometimes romanticize the hard-boiled detective. This excellently directed and photographed film tells the story of a charming con-man, perfectly played by John Garfield, who falls for the widow he is trying to cheat. The petty crooks who people his world played by a superb cast of character actors (George Coulouris, Walter Brennan, George Tobias) are all clearly drawn and don't resemble the usual cliché gang members of other films. Burnett obviously knew this world better than his colleagues.