The Prowler (1951)

When Susan Gilvray reports a prowler outside her house police officer Webb Garwood investigates and sparks fly. If only her husband wasn't in the way.

Director:

Joseph Losey

Writers:

Robert Thoeren (story), Hans Wilhelm (story)

Stars:

Van Heflin, Evelyn Keyes, John Maxwell

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Van Heflin	...	Webb Garwood
Evelyn Keyes	...	Susan Gilvray
John Maxwell	...	Bud Crocker
Katherine Warren	...	Grace Crocker (as Katharine Warren)
Emerson Treacy	...	William Gilvray
Madge Blake	...	Martha Gilvray
Wheaton Chambers	...	Doctor James
Robert Osterloh	...	Coroner
Sherry Hall	...	John Gilvray
Louise Lorimer	...	Motel Manager

Storyline

In a fancy suburb in California, the gorgeous housewife Susan Gilvray finds a prowler outside her house late one night and she calls the police. Officer Webb Garwood and his partner answer the call but do not find anyone. Later Webb returns to Susan's house with the pretext of checking if everything is OK. Susan invites him in to have coffee with her. Webb soon learns that Susan is married to John Gilvray, a middle-aged broadcaster of a late night radio show. They also discover that they are from the same hometown. Webb makes a pass at Susan and even though she tries to put him off they soon start a love affair. When John becomes suspicious Susan ends her relationship with Webb. Though difficult Webb stays away from Susan. Without Susan's knowledge Webb plots a scheme to get rid of John; he simulates a scenario where John is "accidently" shot dead. There is an inquest and it is ruled that John Gilvray's death was not intentional. Webb quits the police-force a job he was never happy ...

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Plot Keywords:

police | pregnancy | drugstore | infertility | infidelity | 

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Taglines:

WHAT woman would welcome THE PROWLER.

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 May 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cost of Living

Filming Locations:

Calico Dry Lake, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Horizon Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Novelist James Ellroy ("L.A. Confidential", "The Black Dahlia") once called this his favorite film and described it as "a masterpiece of sexual creepiness, institutional corruption and suffocating, ugly passion."

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Goofs

Webb tells Susan the birth of their baby will increase the ghost town's population by 33-1/3%. The birth will increase the population by 50% because the population will go from two to three.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bud Crocker: [to Webb while they walk up to the house] Quite a hacienda.
[rings doorbell]
Susan Gilvray: Oh, thank you so much for coming.
Bud Crocker: You report a prowler ma'am?
Susan Gilvray: Yes, about twenty minutes ago. I looked up and there was this man looking in the window.
Bud Crocker: Which window?
Susan Gilvray: It was one of the back windows.
Bud Crocker: Well there's an empty lot on that side isn't there?
Susan Gilvray: Yes. When he saw that I'd seen him, he jumped away from the window and I-I phoned you.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Trumbo (2007)

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Soundtracks

Baby
Lyrics by Dick Mack
Music by Lyn Murray
Sung by Robert Carroll (as Bob Carroll)

User Reviews

Greed, Lust, and settling for a provider rather than a true love

As the story unfolds we see the true personalities of the main charcters come clearly through the film screen. There is the beautiful wife Susan Gilvray (Evelyn Keyes) who married a successful but older radio host who provides for his wife Susan but keeps her more as another prized possession under lock and key, than as his loving wife. When a prowler is spotted outside Susan's window she calls the police and two (2) policeman show up one of whom is a rugged looking single policeman named Webb Garwood (Van Heflin).

Officer Webb Garwood is immediately attracted to the pretty and helpless Susan, who spends her evenings alone listening on the radio to her older husbands well known radio broadcasts. So Webb makes some more than frequent late evening and impromptu visits to check up on the pretty Susan who falls prey to Webb's flattery and promises of a better life if she agrees to leave her wealthy husband for a beat cops salary.

The story unfolds slowly with lust and unfulfilled dreams becoming the films main focus with the third wheel becoming Susan's absent husband so Webb decides he has to make a plan to free Susan so that the two of the can have an open relationship.

As with any good plan there are flaws with Webb's own plan and we realize that the noose is closing in on these two adulterous lovers. Greed, lust and looking for a short cut to happiness can only end up in a bad result and this film is a good example of a film noir that works quite well and will hold your attention throughout.

I give it a solid 8 out of 10 rating