Heartaches

Before I began watching "Heartaches", I had very low expectations for the film. After all, it was from PRC...and nearly all their films that I've seen have been pretty bad. Additionally, like many PRC productions, most of the film's 'stars' are folks I've never heard of before...aside from Chill Wills.

Vic Morton has become a very successful movie star because of his beautiful singing voice. What most folks don't know is that his friend (Wills) actually does all the singing for him and most of the folks who know Vic seem to dislike him. So, it's not a huge surprise when he starts receiving death threats. But it's more than just threats...soon all sorts of 'accidents' occur which almost kill Vic. Who is behind all this and why?

For me, the obvious perpetrator seemed to be the one who was the killer. Add to that some very indifferent acting and direction and you've got a movie that is watchable and not much more. I liked the story itself...but a few red herrings and better acting would have helped this a lot.

Reporter Edward Norris and studio publicist Sheila Ryan are dating, her current client is crooner Kenneth Farrell who sounds an awful lot like Dick Haymes. Somebody has been sending him some threatening notes and at first they look like some cheap publicity gag. But the bodies start dropping and Farrell himself is nearly killed when a prop gun has real bullets in it.

The song Heartaches is here of course and some other forgettable ditties as well for Farrell. He's carrying a deep dark secret.

Nice to see Chill Wills in something other than a rustic or a western role. Sadly this is a typical cheap PRC film.

And it's obvious from the gitgo who wants to do Morton in.

Rising movie crooner Kenneth Farrell gets threatening letters. Then two of his associates are killed. Can reporter Edward Norris and girlfriend Sheila Ryan figure out who the murderer is?

Here's proof that it was possible to make a good movie on a PRC budget. The script is a little old-fashioned for the post-war era, but it offers a nicely cynical view of Hollywood, with Norris unable to sing a note. He's just a pretty face, with Chill Wills the actual singer! Wills has some lovely scenes, speaking in a quiet voice instead of his usual bellows. Keep an eye out for some tiny roles by Lash Larue, Minerva Urecal, Terry Moore, and Keefe Brasselle. It's not a classic, but it is definitely more than watchable.

Some fun scenes of early los angeles. Ken Farrell is Vic Morton, hollywood bigshot, now getting death threats. Sound and picture quality are a little shaggy. Stars Sheila Ryan and Ed Norris, who were actually married 1947 to 1949. Toni is dating newsman Jimmy McDonald, and they are caught up in the excitement over Morton. Morton has his own secrets that he doesn't want getting out, and that poses a problem for Jimmy... he has promised Toni that he won't print the secrets that could hurt Morton's career. It's pretty good. some intrigue. keeps you guessing, for a while. Directed by Basil Wrangell... was nominated for "Good Earth". Wrangell only directed a couple more after this one... but then edited for television into the 1960s, 1970s.