I Wake Up Screaming

I Wake Up Screaming
1941 - 20th Century Fox
Directed By H. Bruce Humberstone



SYNOPSIS

When up and coming model/ actress Vicky Lynn (Carole Landis) is murdered, her former agent Frankie Christopher (Victor Mature) is accused. Police release him for lack of evidence, and he sets out to find the real killer. Along the way, Christopher falls in love with the model's sister Jill (Betty Grable) and is followed by a sinister police inspector (Laird Cregar) who's sure he did it.



MY THOUGHTS

One of the earliest film noirs is a very exciting whodunit.

The film was released just 2 weeks after The Maltese Falcon, the film considered the first true film noir, and the two couldn't be more different. A pivotal supporting role from Elisha Cook Jr. is really the only thing the two have in common, apart a common theme of obsession. Here, Vicky Lynn is the center of the obsession (much like the Maltese Falcon itself.) Mature and Grable's characters have their own different ways they show that obsession as do the police inspector, the has-been actor and the newspaper columnist.

Laird Creger is the standout performance of the film. His soft-spoken yet creepy and sinister voice emanating from such a huge body adds menace and weight (no pun intended, well maybe a little) to the film. He's reminiscent of a late-career Marlon Brando, just not as aloof.

The visuals are primo film noir. The use of shadows (crucial to the noir style) are effectively used here, especially during the interrogation scenes, and when Christopher is hiding near the climax, waiting for the killer to reveal himself. Interesting camera angles also add some uniqueness to the storytelling.

The script was based on a book and uses flashback which was rare for films of the era. Citizen Kane is often considered the first film to feature flashbacks and was released just 6 months prior to this.
The film does sag a bit in the second half, as it turns to a love story. The film runs less than 1:30, so it doesn't sag for too long and the film is over before the love story drifts into sappiness. It would have been a better if the love story was muted a bit and the filmmakers focused more on the cat and mouse game between Frankie Christopher and the cops.

The title is misleading and would fit a horror film much better than this one. No one screams. However, Victor Mature does wake up in one scene. But, the title is catchy and does draw interest.

It may not be one of the most well-known film noirs, but I Wake Up Screaming is a solidly entertaining film and should be sought out by noir fans.