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The Dark Corner (Fox Film Noir) | 
 enlarge | Director: Henry Hathaway
Actors: Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, William Bendix, Mark Stevens, Kurt Kreuger
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $7.98
You Save: $7.00 (47%)
New (42) Used (11) from $7.91
Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 29906
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 99 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD2226918D
UPC: 024543169185
EAN: 0024543169185
ASIN: B000B8380A
Theatrical Release Date: April 9, 1946
Release Date: December 6, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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Product Description
The capitvating story about a businessman & his girlfriend on the run from an assassin. Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 12/06/2005 Starring: Lucille Ball Clifton Webb Run time: 99 minutes Rating: Nr
Amazon.com
The Dark Corner can't seriously be proposed as a great film noir, but it's one that people cherish. For one thing, it's unique in having Lucille Ball--who has absolutely no "splainin'" to do--as the smart, resourceful, devoted secretary of beleaguered private eye Mark Stevens. Lucy actually rates top billing, with Clifton up-to-his-old-Laura-tricks Webb and William vicious-brute-in-a-white-suit Bendix also getting their names above that of the hero in the credits. In this, there's a certain justice; they all deliver the goods, whereas Stevens seems a tad lightweight as the hardnose, Phil Marlowe type cracking wise and punching his way through the mean streets. His character comes burdened with more backstory than usual for movie detectives; this time, the case the private eye has to solve is his own. The intriguingly convoluted screenplay (by Jay Dratler, who co-wrote Laura, and Bernard Schoenfeld, from a story by Leo Rosten) takes hold like a vise and sustains the tension even though, by rights, its credibility should be shrinking with each passing reel. Henry Hathaway's direction is crisp, and the cinematography by Joe MacDonald (who would next shoot John Ford's My Darling Clementine) is both pungent and gorgeous. With Cathy Downs, Kurt Kreuger, and Reed Hadley, who plays a police detective here but more often supplied the voiceover on Fox's semidocumentary thrillers and Anthony Mann's T-Men. --Richard T. Jameson
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| Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...
next time, I'm watching it alone November 22, 2008
D. K. Stokes
It's a 1940s film noir about a hard-boiled PI Galt (Mark Stevens) and his devoted and gutsy secretary Kathleen (Lucille Ball).
Galt's an ex-con who'd been set up by his former partner, Jardine, but he's (mostly) put it behind him. Except that it looks like Jardine isn't done with him.
As it turns out, someone's trying to provoke Galt into killing Jardine, and when that doesn't work, they up the ante. Through it all, Kathleen is not only right there by his side believing in him, but also coming up with smart suggestions when he's ready to give up.
Galt is a little more human than most 40s hard-boiled movie detectives--he shows emotions and doubts more than others I've seen. Whether that's due to the actor, the director, or the script, though, I couldn't say.
Even though the movie was made 5 years before I Love Lucy's debut, Lucille Ball's character was the star. She was smart and practical, and she was feminine without being fragile. And no, she wasn't funny--it wasn't a comedic role, and she still played it very well. Get over it.
It's not the best film noir I've ever seen--though I enjoyed the PI and his secretary very much, the other story, about Jardine, Jardine's lover, her husband, and his henchman, was a little confusing, and it took me until nearly the end of the movie before I figured out what the heck they were doing, and why we cared.
Of course, part of my confusion could have come from watching it over two nights, with 3 males, who consider fight scenes the only parts of movies that you need to be absolutely quiet for. Grrrrr. (And please, if someone can explain the logic of why it's perfectly okay to talk while characters are discussing the plot, but you must be silent during fight scenes when there's nothing to hear, I'd be really grateful--this is a question that's bugged me for years.)
 Fun Film Noir! April 29, 2008
K. R. Nagele
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Good performances and a good film noir movie for Mark Stevens and Lucille Ball. Has a great cast!
 Good noir, but could have been much better July 19, 2007
B. Sloane (Los Angeles, CA USA)
"Dark Corner" is a perfect example of a B noir: strong in parts (gorgeous cinematography, some good acting, effective writing) but weak in others (sloppy editing at times, Clifton Webb's pallid re-creation of "Laura"'s Waldo Leidecker, and an ending that seems tacked on). But even with the inconsistent quality, there are unexpected pleasures to be found, as in most noir films. Among my favorites: the snappy, natural way Mark Stevens and Lucille Ball flirt on their first date; the grace-note humor in several scenes (e.g. an eavesdropping movie cashier, the weird little girl with the slide whistle); a brief but satisfying encounter with jazzman Eddie Heywood.
I like "Dark Corner", but it cries out for the extra care that a bigger budget would have provided. Oh well, they can't all be "Laura"!
A Great Little Noir July 4, 2007
Chroesus (Cleveland,OH)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A private dick in deep trouble, a beautiful secretary, Clifton Webb is
playing his role to the hilt and there seems to be no way out for our de-
tective hero. Plenty of dark atmospheric background.
This movie has everthing you need for a thrilling nights entertainment
in the "Dark City". It's a well acted and perfectly paced story seasoned with action and some surprisingly stark violence.
The DVD is crisp and clear, excellent video and sound quality. I liked
the commentary that comes on the dvd and find this to be a movie every noir fan should own.
The Dark Corner - Fox Film Noir July 3, 2007
P. L. Renoudet (Burbank, CA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Though we tend to associate Film Noir with Warner Brothers pictures, many of the excellent examples of the genre were made by Twentieth Century Fox. "The Dark Corner" is one of these. The titles give top billing to Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, and William Bendix - but the star of the film is Mark Stevens, an underrated actor who could play hard-bitten parts as well as anyone. The camera follows him around as the plot of the movie unfolds. Clifton Webb does his usual excellent job in a part reminiscent of his role in "Laura."
William Bendix, known for both his comedic roles as well as his tough guy parts, throws his weight around and gets thrown around in this one, and Lucille Ball, who gets the undeserved star billing, is quite good in a straight part. She shows none of the "Lucy" zany qualities that she became famous for in later years.
In my opinion, Mark Stevens should have had a bigger career. I wonder what happened!
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