If this is indeed an example of film noir, it is definitely "noir lite" - tastes crappy, less filling. What's next? Will The Wizard of Oz become the next noir sleeper? Suspense is more of a chick flick where a budding romance can't happen because the woman is married. The main problem I had with this movie was the juvenile script. It is a slap in the face to any normal adult. There were too many preposterous, unbelievable things that happened in this film. Where do I begin?
1. How the hell does Joe Morgan (a dirty, abrasive, unlikeable man) be allowed to enter the office of the Ice Follies without knocking and get a job instantly? Then, because of ONE idea, he gets promoted to be Harry's assistant. Then, he makes a pass at the owner's wife. Then, he takes over the business while Mr. Leonard goes to Chicago. Then, he takes over Mr. Leonard's wife. Huh? What!?! It's absolutely ridiculous. It's an insult to any paying customer. There is no way this could EVER happen in real life. It's just too unbelievable. Plus, Joe is just an ignorant jerk that runs roughshod over everybody. In normal life, he would be shunned and sent packing.
2. Why do the Leonard's allow Joe to come in and take over their lives? They have everything - a gorgeous and modern penthouse, a cabin in the mountains, fame, and prestige. Mr. Leonard didn't get all this by being stupid and letting people control him (especially a greasy nobody like Joe). It just doesn't make sense. It's too unbelievable.
3. Some dame from Chicago amazingly hears about Joe's success in L.A. and comes to see him. She gets a room across the hall from Joe. When she sees him, he gives her the brush off, but she continues to stay in the room pining away for this grease-ball. He repeatedly pushes her away, but she stays! What?! Never - no way. It would never happen. Plus, where does she get the money to stay there all this time? She doesn't work, and the film doesn't address this.
4. Near the end, Mr. Leonard comes to see Joe in Joe's office, which used to be Mr. Leonard's office. Joe kills him and stuffs him into a roll top desk (pretty amazing that he could fit in there - maybe he was one of those Shriners that come piling out of that little car at the circus). Anyway, Joe has the desk chopped up by the janitor and burned in the basement furnace. Huh? Did I miss something here? If the janitor chopped up the desk, he would definitely see Mr. Leonard's body. Later, we see the furnace and the door is too small for the desk to fit through, so the janitor must've seen the body. It just doesn't make sense and it is never addressed in the movie. Also, Joe tells Roberta that he murdered Mr. Leonard because Leonard was "needling me from behind a gun". Huh? You're telling me that Joe with NO gun overpowered and killed somebody that has a gun? Sorry, can't believe it. Having achieved what he has in life, there is no way that Mr. Leonard can be the bumbling, stupid, incompetent fool he is in this movie. It just doesn't happen that way. Again, it's just too unbelievable.
5. Joe's old flame who is now living across the hall from him gets some dirt on Joe in the form of a letter. She confronts him with it and he slaps her around. This damning letter is never mentioned again. It was supposed to contain info on why Joe left NYC in such a hurry, but it's never revealed why. Then, this dame puts a round of slugs into Joe at the end of the movie. What!?! Why didn't she use the letter against him? Why was this letter ever brought into the film? It makes no sense. Joe's mysterious past hinges on this letter, and we're left high and dry. All the shots talking about Joe's past and this letter are absolutely useless - just like the script - USELESS!
6. At the end, when Roberta is going to jump through the circle of knives, Joe loosens one of the screws that holds one of the knives in place. The only problem is that there are thousands of people in the audience that can see him do this! WHAT!?! Give me a break! It's so ridiculous, that it's insulting. Maybe if Joe was in the dark while Roberta was lit with a spotlight, I could deal with it. But, just like in most of this flick, the lighting is too bright and even.
Anyway, I could go on and on, but I'm starting to get carpal tunnel syndrome. The title is Suspense, but there isn't much (any) suspense here. The script is atrocious and unbelievable. The sets are nice, and for a Monogram film it looks pretty good. BUT, if you want to see real noir, go watch Kiss of Death, Detour, Kiss Me Deadly, Murder My Sweet, etc.
1. How the hell does Joe Morgan (a dirty, abrasive, unlikeable man) be allowed to enter the office of the Ice Follies without knocking and get a job instantly? Then, because of ONE idea, he gets promoted to be Harry's assistant. Then, he makes a pass at the owner's wife. Then, he takes over the business while Mr. Leonard goes to Chicago. Then, he takes over Mr. Leonard's wife. Huh? What!?! It's absolutely ridiculous. It's an insult to any paying customer. There is no way this could EVER happen in real life. It's just too unbelievable. Plus, Joe is just an ignorant jerk that runs roughshod over everybody. In normal life, he would be shunned and sent packing.
2. Why do the Leonard's allow Joe to come in and take over their lives? They have everything - a gorgeous and modern penthouse, a cabin in the mountains, fame, and prestige. Mr. Leonard didn't get all this by being stupid and letting people control him (especially a greasy nobody like Joe). It just doesn't make sense. It's too unbelievable.
3. Some dame from Chicago amazingly hears about Joe's success in L.A. and comes to see him. She gets a room across the hall from Joe. When she sees him, he gives her the brush off, but she continues to stay in the room pining away for this grease-ball. He repeatedly pushes her away, but she stays! What?! Never - no way. It would never happen. Plus, where does she get the money to stay there all this time? She doesn't work, and the film doesn't address this.
4. Near the end, Mr. Leonard comes to see Joe in Joe's office, which used to be Mr. Leonard's office. Joe kills him and stuffs him into a roll top desk (pretty amazing that he could fit in there - maybe he was one of those Shriners that come piling out of that little car at the circus). Anyway, Joe has the desk chopped up by the janitor and burned in the basement furnace. Huh? Did I miss something here? If the janitor chopped up the desk, he would definitely see Mr. Leonard's body. Later, we see the furnace and the door is too small for the desk to fit through, so the janitor must've seen the body. It just doesn't make sense and it is never addressed in the movie. Also, Joe tells Roberta that he murdered Mr. Leonard because Leonard was "needling me from behind a gun". Huh? You're telling me that Joe with NO gun overpowered and killed somebody that has a gun? Sorry, can't believe it. Having achieved what he has in life, there is no way that Mr. Leonard can be the bumbling, stupid, incompetent fool he is in this movie. It just doesn't happen that way. Again, it's just too unbelievable.
5. Joe's old flame who is now living across the hall from him gets some dirt on Joe in the form of a letter. She confronts him with it and he slaps her around. This damning letter is never mentioned again. It was supposed to contain info on why Joe left NYC in such a hurry, but it's never revealed why. Then, this dame puts a round of slugs into Joe at the end of the movie. What!?! Why didn't she use the letter against him? Why was this letter ever brought into the film? It makes no sense. Joe's mysterious past hinges on this letter, and we're left high and dry. All the shots talking about Joe's past and this letter are absolutely useless - just like the script - USELESS!
6. At the end, when Roberta is going to jump through the circle of knives, Joe loosens one of the screws that holds one of the knives in place. The only problem is that there are thousands of people in the audience that can see him do this! WHAT!?! Give me a break! It's so ridiculous, that it's insulting. Maybe if Joe was in the dark while Roberta was lit with a spotlight, I could deal with it. But, just like in most of this flick, the lighting is too bright and even.
Anyway, I could go on and on, but I'm starting to get carpal tunnel syndrome. The title is Suspense, but there isn't much (any) suspense here. The script is atrocious and unbelievable. The sets are nice, and for a Monogram film it looks pretty good. BUT, if you want to see real noir, go watch Kiss of Death, Detour, Kiss Me Deadly, Murder My Sweet, etc.