The Dark Corner (1946)

The Dark Corner is a black and white film about a private detective (Mark Stevens) who becomes entangled in a web of deceit and murder.  His secretary (Lucille Ball) goes outside of the boundaries of her job description to fight to try to help him survive.

This movie was much better than I anticipated.  Even though the film is 67 years old, it can still pack a punch.  It was all beautifully filmed.  The story had some creative twists and turns and was told at a reasonable pace.  I was thrilled at how exciting this movie was.  It’s classic storytelling at its best.  It was a little slower at times, but just enough to build up the suspense and keep your attention.

The characters were thoroughly developed which made them super fun to watch.  But what made the characters even better were the actors playing them.

It’s my favorite Lucille Ball performance that I have seen so far.  Obviously she isn’t making any more movies, but there are still plenty of her films that I have yet to see.  She brought a level of class to her character that most women are not capable of.  It was one of the stronger performances that I have seen from an actress in a classic film in a long time.

Mark Stevens and William Bendix both played their parts well, but Clifton Webb went above and beyond.  He carried himself with a great deal of charm and energy.  His words were not only heard, but felt.  The powerful force that he brought to the film made it that much more enjoyable.

The movie was directed by Henry Hathaway and also starred Kurt Kreuger, Cathy Downs, Reed Hadley, Constance Collier, and Ellen Corby.

If you are looking for a classic film noir picture to watch, look no further than The Dark Corner.  If you like older movies, this one should not disappoint.

I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.