In a Lonely Place (1950)

A potentially violent screenwriter is a murder suspect until his lovely neighbor clears him. However, she soon starts to have her doubts.

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

Andrew Solt (screenplay), Edmund H. North (adaptation)

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy

3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Dixon Steele
Gloria Grahame	...	Laurel Gray
Frank Lovejoy	...	Brub Nicolai
Carl Benton Reid	...	Capt. Lochner
Art Smith	...	Mel Lippman
Jeff Donnell	...	Sylvia Nicolai
Martha Stewart	...	Mildred Atkinson
Robert Warwick	...	Charlie Waterman
Morris Ankrum	...	Lloyd Barnes
William Ching	...	Ted Barton
Steven Geray	...	Paul
Hadda Brooks	...	Singer

Storyline

Screenwriter Dixon Steele, faced with the odious task of scripting a trashy bestseller, has hat-check girl Mildred Atkinson tell him the story in her own words. Later that night, Mildred is murdered and Steele is a prime suspect; his record of belligerence when angry and his macabre sense of humor tell against him. Fortunately, lovely neighbor Laurel Gray gives him an alibi. Laurel proves to be just what Steele needed, and their friendship ripens into love. Will suspicion, doubt, and Steele's inner demons come between them?

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Plot Keywords:

temper | screenwriter | police investigation | murder | alibi | 

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Taglines:

Suspense! Intrigue! Suspicion!

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The masseuse, Martha, occasionally calls Laurel "Angel". Gloria Grahame was in "The Greatest Show on Earth" two years later, and her character was named Angel in that film.

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Goofs

As Steele and Mildred walk through the gate of his apartment building, she has only her purse, hanging from her arm. When they enter the courtyard after passing through the gate, she is clutching both her purse and the book, tucked in the crook of her arm.

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Quotes

Dixon Steele: [as Mel enters the house he intoduces him to Laurel] Oh, come in. Mr. Lippman, my agent.
[he introduces Laurel to Mel]
Dixon Steele: Miss Gray, my alibi.

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Connections

Referenced in L.A. Noire (2011)

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Soundtracks

Either It's Love or It Isn't
(uncredited)
Written by Doris Fisher and Allan Roberts

User Reviews

One of Nicholas Ray's best movies with brilliant performances from Bogart and Grahame.

Nicholas Ray is a director who has almost been forgotten these days, despite making brilliant movies like 'They Live By Night', 'On Dangerous Ground', 'Johnny Guitar' and 'Rebel Without A Cause', and numbering Martin Scorsese and Wim Wenders among his fans (the latter even gave him a small role in his 'The American Friend'). 'In A Lonely Place' could be Ray's best. It's a fascinating movie that mixes drama, suspense and romance in a very interesting way. You could call it Noir I suppose, but it's a very difficult movie to tie down. Humphrey Bogart plays a bitter, hard drinking and frequently violent screen writer who becomes a murder suspect when a young girl (Martha Stewart) is killed. Gloria Grahame ('Crossfire', 'The Big Set Up') is a neighbour who supplies him with an alibi. This odd way of meeting leads into a romance. At first everything is wonderful, and Bogart is even writing again, but bit by bit Grahame starts to see his dark side and begins to fear him, even suspecting that he may have been involved in the murder after all. I don't think I've ever seen Bogart better. It's a terrific performance, and while his character can be charming at times he's also surprisingly unlikeable and intense (we are told he broke an old girlfriend's nose, for example. Imagine Mel Gibson or Brad Pitt doing that in a movie today and still being the romantic lead!). Grahame pulls off a difficult role too, being torn between love and terror. They both make a great team. Such a pity they never worked together after this. I also liked Frank Lovejoy ('House Of Wax', 'The Hitch-Hiker') who plays Bogart's cop buddy. 'In A Lonely Place' is a movie not to be overlooked. I thought it was superb entertainment.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Behind the Mask

Filming Locations:

Will Rogers State Beach - 17700 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,493

Company Credits

Production Co:

Santana Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1