Two Smart People
Two Smart People | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jules Dassin |
Screenplay by | Leslie Charteris Ethel Hill |
Story by | Ralph Wheelwright Allan Kenward |
Produced by | Ralph Wheelwright |
Starring | Lucille Ball John Hodiak Lloyd Nolan |
Cinematography | Karl Freund |
Edited by | Chester W. Schaeffer |
Music by | George Bassman |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $1 million[1] |
Box office | $1.2 million[1] |
Two Smart Peopleis a 1946 Americanfilm noircrimedrama filmdirected byJules Dassinand starringLucille Ball,John Hodiak,Lloyd NolanandHugo Haas.[2]It was produced byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer.It was one of a number of noirs starring Hodiak.[3]
Plot
[edit]Ace Connors (John Hodiak) is acon manwho has half a million dollars inbondshidden in acookbook.When he tries to sell a bogus oil investment to Dwight Chadwick (Lloyd Corrigan) at aBeverly Hillshotel, Dwight's attractive friend, Ricki Woodner (Lucille Ball), intervenes with a scam of her own.
Ace is about to go to prison for his part in the theft of the bonds. He arranges a deal to reduce his sentence by testifying, angering his former partner in crime, Fly Feletti (Elisha Cook, Jr.).
A cop, Bob Simms (Lloyd Nolan), is assigned to accompany Ace on the train from Los Angeles to New York. The passengers include Ricki, who is falling for Ace and wants to help, and Fly, who wants to keep Ace from making it to New York.
Along the way, Ace and Ricki manage to get off the train in New Orleans to enjoyMardi Grastogether. When they do, Ace leaves the book at a costume shop, confident no one will notice it until he returns for it. During a romantic moment around midnight, Ace reveals to Ricki where he's hidden the bonds. Fly makes his move, but Simms is able to beat him to the draw. Ace fears that con artist Ricki has taken it on the lam with his dough, but she turns up, ready to wait for Ace till he's out ofSing Sing.
Cast
[edit]- Lucille Ballas Ricki Woodner
- John Hodiakas Ace Connors
- Lloyd Nolanas Bob Simms
- Hugo Haasas Seïnor Rodriquez, Dept. of Agriculture
- Lenore Ulricas Maria Ynez, Inn of the 4 Winds
- Elisha Cook, Jr.as Fly Feletti
- Lloyd Corriganas Dwight Chadwick
- Vladimir Sokoloffas Monsieur Jacques Dufour
- David Cota as Jose
- Clarence Museas Porter
- Erwin Kalseras Franz
- George Calliga as Stewart
- Fred Nurney as Victoire
- Fred Toonesas Clarence
- Shelley Wintersas Princess
Box office
[edit]The film earned $871,000 in the US and Canada and $328,000 elsewhere causing MGM a loss of $252,000.[1]
Reception
[edit]When the film was released the film critic forThe New York Timespanned it, writing, "Except for a lively and colorful series ofMardi Grassequences inNew Orleans,which are introduced quite late in the picture,Two Smart Peopleis an otherwise dreadfully boring hodgepodge about love and the confidence racket... John Hodiak and Lucille Ball are the principals and they are painfully defeated by the script at almost every turn. Lloyd Nolan as the patient sleuth fares a little better, however. But in addition to its pedestrian plot,Two Smart Peoplealso suffers from lack of competent direction. "[4]
References
[edit]- ^abcThe Eddie Mannix Ledger,Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- ^Two Smart Peopleat theTCM Movie Database.
- ^Spicer p.140
- ^The New York Times,film review, February 15, 1947. Accessed: July 13, 2013.
Bibliography
[edit]- Spicer, Andrew.Historical Dictionary of Film Noir.Scarecrow Press, 2010.