Moonrise (1948)

German KMM 2018 DVD edition


1948 "Moonrise" directed by Frank Borzage is low budget B movie produced by one of the legendary Hollywood 1940's
Powerty Row studios - Republic Pictures. These studios that made many of the great Film Noir B quickies of it's time, and
some of my favourite films of the genre were made by a Powerty Row studio.

"Moonrise" has gained something of a Cult reputation as one of the great one's of the genre, a typical dark and depressing
melodrama and with Dane Clark as a suitably miserable and overstrung hero, or anti-hero. Dane Clark is great as Danny, a
guy filled with anguish and rage, a man harassed and picked at all his life and he's almost, but only almost, as miserable as
Tom Neal's Al Roberts in Edgar G. Ulmer's 1945 B studio Film Noir Masterpiece "Detour".

Gail Russell as Gilly Johnson, and Allyn Joslyn as the Sheriff

Daniel Hawkins (Clark) grew up as a southern mountain boy whose father had been executed for murder. Growing up he was
always picked at and remorselessly harassed by the other kids, the worst one being rich boy Jerry (played by Lloyd Bridges
as a grown-up). As a grown man Danny is still miserable feeling looked down upon, and in a fight he accidently kills Jerry.
He hides the body and for the rest of the film he's plagued by feelings of Guilt. He looks almost as pained as Tom Neal did in
"Detour".

But, where the poor Al Roberts in "Detour" met The Harpye Woman from Hell (read more about Detour on my Film Noir page)
Danny have had some luck when he starts dating Jerry's ex-girlfriend (as Jerry is dead) the teacher Gilly (Gail Russell), a great
beauty and a nice girl. When Jerry's father organizes a search for his son, the body will surely be found, and Danny is waiting
for the inevitable. The Doom. Will Danny be chased into the woods by armed men and bloodhounds or will he give himself up ?

Gail Russell in the role as Gilly was fine and likeable, and extremely beautiful. She slightly resembles Serbian ex-pro tennis player
Ana Ivanovic. Poor Gail (1924-1961) had a tragic life and died of alcoholism only 36 years old. She was so nervous when acting
in an early film that she had to have some drinks to calm her nerves, and that way she got hooked.

The film in 4:3 fullscreen original ratio, black & white, DD 1.0 english mono audio, region 2, no extras

 

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