Niagara (1953 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Niagara | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster |
|
| Directed by | Henry Hathaway |
| Produced by | Charles Brackett |
| Written by | Charles Brackett Richard L. Breen Walter Reisch |
| Narrated by | Joseph Cotten |
| Starring | Marilyn Monroe Joseph Cotten Jean Peters Max Showalter |
| Music by | Sol Kaplan |
| Cinematography | Joseph MacDonald |
| Editing by | Barbara McLean |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | January 21, 1953 (U.S.A.) |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$ 1,250,000 |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Niagara (1953) is a dramatic thriller color film noir directed by Henry Hathaway. Unlike other noirs of the time, Niagara was shot in Technicolor and was one of 20th Century Fox's biggest box office hits of the year. The drama features Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, and others.[1]
Although it was not written as a star vehicle for Marilyn Monroe, she would dominate the film nonetheless. Along with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire, it solidified Monroe's status as a bona fide box office draw.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
On a delayed honeymoon (they have, in fact, been married three years), Ray and Polly Cutler (Casey Adams and Jean Peters) arrive at their Niagara Falls area cottage for some romance and relaxation. However, when they arrive they find out that their reserved cabin is in fact occupied by another couple, George and Rose Loomis (Joseph Cotten and Marilyn Monroe). They politely offer to take another cabin, but the two couples become unavoidably tangled as time goes on.
The Cutlers quickly catch on to the Loomis' bizarre relationship. Rose is much younger than George, who appears to have problems with depression, paranoia and anger management. It is even implied that he may have just been released from a mental hospital. Things become further complicated when Polly happens upon Rose kissing a young man named Patrick (Richard Allan). Both Cutlers also witness George's rage first hand the following evening after he cuts his hand while breaking a record and then trashes his hotel room.
It turns out that George has correctly assumed that Rose is cheating on him. Even worse is that she is planning his death with the assistance of Patrick, hoping to frame it as an accident. When the murder is completed, Patrick will put in a request at the neighboring bell tower. Rose and Patrick's "song" will play and Rose will know George has been killed. When she does hear these bells after her husband's planned disappearance, she assumes the murder has taken place.
In truth, it is George who has killed Patrick and gotten wind of their terrible plan. Rose discovers this when she goes to identify her husband's body and promptly passes out on the floor. She later becomes so frantic that she has to be sedated and kept in a hospital until further notice. In the meantime Polly also discovers George is alive by an unfortunate happenstance. She tries to communicate this to Ray but he believes she is imagining things. Despite this she reports what she has seen to the police and they begin to search for this new fugitive.
During the Cutler's second visit to the falls with some friends, George follows Polly, who sees him and is frightened. In trying to get away from him she nearly slips and falls but George saves her and pulls her into a private area where no one can see them. It is here that he tells Polly that Patrick was killed in self-defense, having attacked him with a wrench (this seems true, since George has a noticeable wound on the side of his head). He begs Polly to help him escape this and start his life over again. "Let me stay dead," he pleads. Polly tells him to take his hands off of her and leaves him there.
A frantic Rose escapes from the hospital that is holding her and tries to make her way back over the border and into the U.S. She quickly discovers that George is following her and she tries to escape by entering the bell tower and calling the police. She is unsuccessful and George kills her in a rage, ironically underneath the very bells that played her signal song days before. The moment he does this he is filled with regret. Even worse, he finds he is locked inside the building. He stays with the body. "I loved you, Rose. You know that," he tells her. In the morning he escapes.
Meanwhile, the Cutlers and their friends are continuing their vacation on a boat. Ray is concerned about Polly's temperament, especially since she has been affected by the murder. Upon returning to shore, the group leave to do some errands. What they do not know is that George is waiting nearby to steal the boat and escape to the U.S. himself. While he tries to start it Polly returns. "Get off this boat! Get off this boat!" George begs. Instead they struggle and Polly is knocked unconscious. Not wasting time, George starts the boat and escapes, but not without the police pursuing him.
Upon regaining consciousness George asks Polly if she is all right. It is clear he has no wish to harm her and has only acted out of desperation. Polly entreats him to turn himself in, but he admits that he has murdered Rose and that there is no turning back. Shortly after the boat runs out of gas and begins to drift into rapids leading to the falls. Polly tries to jump out and escape but George pulls her back. "You'll be torn to pieces," he says. He then begins to break out the bottom of the boat and partially sink it so it will run aground before it reaches the edge.
This proves difficult, but before reaching the falls the boat happens to come near a large boulder. George quickly helps Polly take hold if it. He watches her gain her footing and climb to safety. He then drifts away and goes over the edge in the boat, killing him.
Polly is rescued by helicopter and is reunited with her husband. They thank the police and leave the scene, arms around one another.
[edit] Background
It is alleged that this film was a partial inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. This could perhaps be seen in the Bell Tower sequence. The film has also been described as Hitchcockian.
The producers used the following tagline when marketing the film:
- A raging torrent of emotion that even nature can’t control.
[edit] Cast
- Marilyn Monroe as Rose Loomis
- Joseph Cotten as George Loomis
- Jean Peters as Polly Cutler
- Casey Adams (also known as Max Showalter) as Ray Cutler
- Denis O'Dea as Inspector Starkey
- Richard Allan as Patrick
- Don Wilson as Mr. Kettering
- Lurene Tuttle as Mrs. Kettering
- Russell Collins as Mr. Qua
- Will Wright as Boatman
[edit] Critical reception
When the film was released, The New York Times praised the film, if not the acting. They wrote, "Obviously ignoring the idea that there are Seven Wonders of the World, Twentieth Century-Fox has discovered two more and enhanced them with Technicolor in Niagara ...For the producers are making full use of both the grandeur of the Falls and its adjacent areas as well as the grandeur that is Marilyn Monroe...Perhaps Miss Monroe is not the perfect actress at this point. But neither the director nor the gentlemen who handled the cameras appeared to be concerned with this. They have caught every possible curve both in the intimacy of the boudoir and in equally revealing tight dresses. And they have illustrated pretty concretely that she can be seductive—even when she walks. As has been noted, Niagara may not be the place to visit under these circumstances but the falls and Miss Monroe are something to see."[2]
Critic Robert Weston also hailed the film and wrote, "Niagara is a good movie for noir fans who crave something a little different. Be warned, the film was shot in glorious Technicolor, not black and white, but still boasts an ample share of shadows and style...Undoubtedly, the best reason to see Niagara is just as trailer promised: for the scenery. There's some terrific location work that showcases the breathtaking aspects of the Falls before the city evolved into a tawdry Canadian answer to Atlantic City; and of course, there's a gal name Marilyn Monroe, burgeoning at her humble beginnings."[3]
The staff at Variety wrote, "Niagara is a morbid, cliched expedition into lust and murder. The atmosphere throughout is strained and taxes the nerves with a feeling of impending disaster. Focal point of all this is Marilyn Monroe, who's vacationing at the Falls with hubby Joseph Cotten...The camera lingers on Monroe's sensuous lips, roves over her slip-clad figure and accurately etches the outlines of her derriere as she weaves down a street to a rendezvous with her lover. As a contrast to the beauty of the female form is another kind of nature's beauty - that of the Falls. The natural phenomena have been magnificently photographed on location."[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Niagara at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ The New York Times. "Niagara Falls Vies With Marilyn Monroe," film review, January 22, 1953. Last accessed: December 27, 2007.
- ^ Weston, Robert. Film Monthly, film review and analysis, August 24, 2001. Last accessed: December 27, 2007.
- ^ Variety. Film review, 1953. Last accessed: February 2, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Niagara at the Internet Movie Database.
- Niagara at Allmovie.
- Niagara at the TCM Movie Database.
- Niagara at Film Noir of the Week.
- Niagara at F Court.
- Niagara at DVD Beaver (includes images).
- Niagara at Hitchcock Geek (includes images that compare Niagara with Vertigo).
|
|||||
