The Pretender

A genuine bottom of the barrel sleeper. Sure, the budget doesn't exceed about a dollar-fifty, especially for the bare-bones sets. But wisely, most of that was earmarked for two giants of classic noir— actor Dekker and photographer Alton. Add to that a pretty tight little screenplay, and we get a riveting foray into a noirish web of paranoia and guilt, heightened by Dekker's commanding performance and Alton's expressionist lighting.

Note, for example, how economically stockbroker Holden's (Dekker) devious character is conveyed in the opening scene. He's dug a hole and now must scheme his way out, but soon that scheming will envelop him in odd ways, through either sheer bad luck or the proverbial hand of noirish fate. What a marvelously dominating turn by Dekker as the doomed fortune hunter. He always brought an icy intelligence to his roles and it's on effective display here.

Note also how Alton's lighting gets progressively more oppressive as the web tightens. Those pin lights isolating Holden's face are perfect visual correlates of the mounting paranoia. And catch that final grim figure, eating out of a suitcase in an unlit bedroom, the dark forces at last closing in. Noir doesn't get much more expressive than this.

Something should also be said about Alan Carney's wonderfully sinister nightclub owner. Note how quickly he moves from jovial host to fierce gangster once Holden broaches his murderous proposition. At the same time, that screeching giggle is enough to cause an audience run on earmuffs. The rotund Carney's an unusual presence, to say the least. Too bad that other expert grotesque, Charles Middleton, is in a rather conventional butler role, minus way too much screen time. His graveyard voice is always a shuddery treat, and a big reason to catch those old Flash Gordon serials.

Director Wilder may have been the lesser half of the two director brothers, but a look at his production credits shows a certain flair for low-budget quality both here and elsewhere— The Great Flamarion (1945), Strange Impersonation (1946), Three Steps North (1951)-- all contain redeeming virtues, even if in a minor key.

All in all, The Pretender remains a sleeper on several interesting levels-- another pleasant surprise at even this most obscure level of 40's movie-making.

(In passing-- viewers might question the eerie, yet cheesy, presence of the theremin sound effect in what's already an eerie movie. Also, there're some distractive problems with Holden's moustache. Check out the occasional color and shape shifts for no apparent reason. Maybe someone in make-up was near-sighted.)

With a solid cast and a good storyline, this film fits the bill for decent noir. Although made on a budget from a secondary studio, with less than great production values, the story is so compelling, that it will keep your attention from beginning to end.

An investment expert gets knee deep in debt and marries a rich heiress to bail himself out, but there are complications. You will see them unfold as the story unwinds. A real treat. Reminiscent of The Scoundrel with George Sanders.

Albert Dekker does a great job as your average sleazeball broker, who would sell his own mother for a few bucks. The rest of the cast does an admirable job as well, with most playing gullible customers. I liked the hoods as well; especially Fingers. Just so reminiscent of Wall Street, where I used to work selling baseball cards in front of the stock exchange.

The Pretender, directed by Billy Wilder's much less talented brother, at time resembles nothing so much as an extended (though not by much; it runs 69 minutes) version of a TV show like The Twilight Zone. Albert Dekker plays a middle-aged financial advisor who has been plundering the accounts of his rich "ward," Catherine Craig. As he gets deeper in the hole, he dreams up the scheme of marrying her. Alas, she pops up with a fiance, who he arranges to have bumped off. Through several twists of fate and screenwriting, he ends up the target of the unknown hitman. Though living in the lap of luxury as a well-married husband, he refuses to eat food served by a series of butlers and gnaws on crackers and cold canned food in his room. His paranoia overtakes his life, until... Dekker plays the part with a convincing mixture of unction and fear, almost making a human being out of this contrived character. This is one of the first movies to score for theramin (oo-EEE-oo), which became a cliche in 50s it-came-from-beyond films, but here adds to the unsettling atmosphere.

Billy Wilder's less-talented elder brother William (Billy's real name was Samuel) is best known for the notoriously awful sci-fi Killers From Space. But don't let that deter you from this dark little gem. Albert Dekker plays a failing investment broker who plots to marry his wealthy young ward for her money. When he finds she is about to be engaged to a doctor, he hires a gangster acquaintance to rub out the rival, but things go awfully awry. The twisty plot, John Alton's magnificently oppressive lighting, the near-Gothic settings and the spooky theremin score make this an absorbing, if melodramatic, portrait in paranoia. Two other noirs from Wilder are of note - The Glass Alibi and The Vicious Circle.

Kenneth Holden (Albert Dekker) is a sleazy banker who has been misusing the funds of an heiress in order to cover his losses in the stock market. He owes nearly $100,000 and his plan is to hide it by marrying the heiress. But Claire informs him that she's already engaged...so Holden arranges for the boyfriend to have an 'accident'. However, Claire unexpectedly changes her mind and insists that Holden marry her. So he does and then tries to cancel the contract...as, after all, the contract was to kill Claire's fiancé...and the killer might just think that's Holden. But this goes amok when the man behind arranging the 'accident' is murdered...and he's unable to stop the contract! Holden is at his wits end...realizing that some unknown killer might just be waiting for him!

This is an exciting and sleazy movie...and I mean sleazy in the best possible way! It has many film noir sensibilities and ends as such a film would end. Very exciting and well made.