The Chase(1946 film)

The Chase
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Arthur Ripley
Screenplay by	Philip Yordan
Based on	The Black Path of Fear byCornell Woolrich
Produced by	Seymour Nebenzal
Starring	Robert Cummings Michèle Morgan Steve Cochran Peter Lorre
Cinematography	Frank F. Planer
Edited by	Edward Mann
Music by	Michel Michelet
Production company	Nero Films
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	November 17, 1946(1946-11-17)(New York City)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Chase(1946) by Arthur Ripley

The Chaseis a 1946 Americanfilm noirdirected byArthur Ripley.The screenplay byPhilip Yordanis based onCornell Woolrich's 1944 novelThe Black Path of Fear.It starsRobert Cummingsas Chuck Scott, a veteran who suffers from hallucinations. When he returns a lost wallet to violent mobster Eddie Roman (Steve Cochran), Eddie offers to hire him as a chauffeur. Chuck becomes mixed up in a plot to help Eddie's wife Lorna (Michèle Morgan) run off to Havana to escape her cruel husband.

Plot

Chuck Scott is aWorld War IIveteran who is now a penniless drifter inMiamitormented by bizarre dreams. After finding a wallet and returning it to Eddie Roman, a vicious gangster, he is hired by Roman to be his driver. Roman tests his new driver, whom he nicknames Scotty, by assuming control of his car from the back seat. Scotty does not know that Roman has an accelerator in the rear passenger compartment. This bizarre trick unnerves Scotty and Roman's right-hand man Gino.

Roman reveals himself as a tough gangster by killing any competition, and is harsh and controlling with his wife, Lorna. She goes for a ride every night, and one day she asks driver Scotty to take her toHavana, Cubain exchange for $1,000. He consents and realizes that he is in love with her. When they reach Havana, they stop for a drink at a club, where Lorna is stabbed to death.

All the evidence points to Scotty as the killer, including the fact that he had, earlier that day, apparently purchased the knife used in the murder. He realizes that he is being framed. A photograph from the club that proves Scotty's innocence is destroyed by Gino, who has come to Cuba to exact revenge against Lorna and Scotty. Scotty escapes police custody but is supposedly gunned down by Gino when he returns to thecuriostore from which the knife was purchased. Scotty's face is never shown during this scene.

Scotty wakes in Miami on the night that he and Lorna are supposed to abscond to Havana. He issweatingprofusely and immediately takes his pills, presumably prescribed to treat hisposttraumatic stress disorderfrom battle. He remembers nothing, and visits the naval hospital to seek treatment from his doctor, Commander Davidson. Davidson urges him to try to remember why he was dressed as a driver, but Scotty is unable to do so. The two go drinking at the Florida Club.

Lorna is shocked that Scotty abruptly quit his job and departed earlier that night, and she is locked in her room after Roman discovers her writing a letter to Scotty. Roman and Gino go to the Florida Club to cool down, unknowingly sitting across the club, and behind a partition, from Scotty. Davidson realizes that the woman whom Scotty loves is Roman's wife, but by this time, Scotty remembers where he was supposed to be and leaves to find Lorna. He rescues her and they head for the port, but Gino and Roman are also heading to the port after they discover that Scotty was seen there buying tickets earlier that morning. With Roman using his master accelerator to push the car's speed to 100mph,the car crashes into an oncoming train, killing both gangsters. Scotty and Lorna are now free to sail to Cuba and be together.

Cast

Michèle Morgan

• Robert Cummings– Chuck Scott
• Michèle Morgan– Lorna Roman
• Steve Cochran– Eddie Roman
• Lloyd Corrigan– Emmerich Johnson
• Jack Holt– Cmdr. Davidson
• Peter Lorre– Gino
• Don Wilson– Fats
• Alexis Minotis– Lt. Acosta
• Nina Koshetz– Madame Chin
• Yolanda Lacca – Midnight
• James Westerfield– Job the Butler
• Jimmy Ames – The Killer

Production

The Black Path of Fearwas published in 1944.The New York Timespraised its "fiendishly ingenious plot and thrilling episodes."

ProducerSeymour Nebenzalbought the rights to the story. In January 1946, he announced Phil Yordan, with whom he had madeWhistle Stop,was writing the script.

Adjustments were required for the story to comply with theProduction Code.Much of the action was framed as a dream sequence so that the characters could escape the consequences of their actions. The character of Scotty was originally to reenlist in the army at the end, but veterans thought this was a bad idea, so the time of Roman's death was advanced so that Lorna could wind up with Scotty. The cause of a death in the book was changed from an attack by a mad dog to an auto accident. Adjustments to scenes set in Cuba were required to avoid upsetting the Cuban government.

In March 1946,Robert Cummingssigned on to play a lead roleandJoan Lesliewas borrowed from Warner Bros. to costar.Arthur Ripleysigned on to direct.Warner Bros. then insisted Leslie was still under contract to them,causing principal photography to be delayed by a month over the dispute. Nebenzal grew impatient and replaced Leslie withMichèle Morgan.Leslie sued Nebenzal for lost wages and damages, and she sued Warner Bros. to release her from her contract.Morgan joined the cast in May along withSteve Cochran,who was borrowed from Sam Goldwyn.Peter Lorrejoined the cast in June.

Also according toVariety,production was delayed by an electrical workers' strike atRKO'sCulver Citystudio.

Reception

The Chasewas entered into the1947 Cannes Film FestivalinCannes, France. Critic Gene Arieel ofThe Hollywood Scene' wrote: "The Chasehas flaws, to be sure, but it has additionally a good share of suspense and excitement. "He also noted that" the performances are indispensably good. "

Leyen Decker ofThe Independentnewspaper wrote: "The Chaseis fascinating and suspenseful but falls back on the familiar dream solution as the easiest way out, and the audiences will be confused and disappointed. "

In a retrospective review inThe New York Times,J. Hobermanwrote: "The Chaseis nothing if not arty. Mrs. Roman is dressed and posed as if she were one of the subjects ofCecil Beaton’s Surrealist-inflectedVogueportraits. "

Legacy

Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward write inFilm Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style:"Phantom Ladyexcepted,The Chaseis the best cinematic equivalent of the dark, oppressive atmosphere that characterizes most ofCornell Woolrich's best fiction. "

The story was adapted for television in 1954. In 1957, Steve Sekeley was reportedly preparing a version of the novel for United Artists, but the project did not materialize.

Home media

The film is in thepublic domain,which has led to many substandard releases. In 2012, it was restored by theUCLA Film and Television Archive,a version that has been released onDVDandBlu-raybyKino Lorberin the U.S. It includes an audio commentary by Canadian directorGuy Maddinand two 1940s radio adaptations based on the source novel.

See also

• List of films in the public domain in the United States

External links

• The ChaseatIMDb
• The ChaseatAllMovie
• The ChaseatRotten Tomatoes
• The Chaseon RetroFlix
• The Chaseat theTCM Movie Database
• The Chaseat theAFI Catalog of Feature Films
• The Chaseis available for free viewing and download at theInternet Archive

Streaming audio

• The Black Path of FearonSuspense:August 31, 1944
• The Black Path of FearonSuspense:March 7, 1946