Road House (1948)

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Margaret Gruen (story) and
Oscar Saul (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 September 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

A night club owner becomes infatuated with a torch singer and frames his best friend/manager for embezzlement when the chanteuse falls in love with him.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Trip | Torch Singer | Parole | Judge

Cast

Ida Lupino	...	Lily Stevens
Cornel Wilde	...	Pete Morgan
Celeste Holm	...	Susie Smith
Richard Widmark	...	Jefferson T. 'Jefty' Robbins
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Arthur
Robert Karnes	...	Mike
George Beranger	...	Lefty
Ian MacDonald	...	Police captain
Grandon Rhodes	...	Judge
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Louis Bacigalupi	...	(uncredited)
Edgar Caldwell	...	Man (uncredited)
Robert Cherry	...	Pinboy (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Man with Newspaper / Court clerk (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Policeman at Road House (uncredited)
Jack Edwards Jr.	...	Man (uncredited)
Charles Flynn	...	Policeman at Bus Depot (uncredited)
Robert Foulk	...	Policeman at Road House (uncredited)
Douglas Gerrard	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Geraldine Jordan	...	Woman (uncredited)
Don Kohler	...	Man (uncredited)
Jack G. Lee	...	Sam - Bartender (uncredited)
Lee MacGregor	...	Man (uncredited)
Marion Marshall	...	Millie (uncredited)
James Metcalf	...	Mr. Green (uncredited)
Tom Moore	...	Foreman (uncredited)
Kathleen O'Malley	...	Woman (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	Desk clerk (uncredited)
Blanche Taylor	...	Woman (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Policeman at Bus Depot (uncredited)
Cecil Weston	...	Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Negulesco

Writing credits
Margaret Gruen		(story) and
Oscar Saul		(story)
Edward Chodorov		(screenplay)

Produced by
Edward Chodorov	....	producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge		(as Cyril Mockridge)

Cinematography by
Joseph LaShelle

Film Editing by
James B. Clark

Art Direction by
Maurice Ransford
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Kay Nelson

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Catherine Reed	....	hair stylist
Bill Riddle	....	makeup artist
Myrl Stoltz	....	hair stylist
Thomas Tuttle	....	makeup artist (as Tom Tuttle)

Production Management
Sid Bowen	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Dudley	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Cliff Maupin	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Leo McCreary	....	grip (uncredited)
Roger Shearman	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Earle Hagen	....	orchestrator
Lionel Newman	....	musical director
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (as Herbert Spencer)

Other crew
Rose Steinberg	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Panasonic Disc Manufacturing  transfer (2008 DVD)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #13093) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Three of the people involved in this production - studio head Darryl F. Zanuck, director Jean Negulesco and star Ida Lupino - had previously worked for Warner Bros. In fact, despite the commercial success of his last Warners film, Johnny Belinda (1948), Negulesco had just been fired from Warners when Zanuck signed him to Fox and offered him Road House.

Quotes:

Pete: Now, baby, I'm not trying to rush you.
Lily: [Slaps his face] Silly boy!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Inventing the Abbotts (1997)

Soundtrack:

Elsa's Dream (Einsam in trüben Tagen)

"Again, this couldn't happen again..."

The main attraction here are the amazing performances by Ida Lupino, and Richard Widmark. Jean Negulesco was able to capture it all in this tale of passion gone wrong.

Lily Stevens arrives at Jefty's Road House to entertain in the lounge area. Jefty, has offered her 250 a week, a sum that in Pete Morgan's estimation is a lot more than the place can afford. Pete offers money to send Lily back to Chicago because he senses she will bring chaos between him and Jefty, the man who has been generous to him and who, he feels, will fall again for this chanteuse of mysterious origins.

Thus begins one of the best films of that era. It's a noir because of the elements, but actually it might be considered a semi-noir since it's not an obvious one.

Ida Lupino had a way for 'talking' her songs at the Road House. She had a style that got to the lounge patrons that heard her sing. Her interpretation of "It's a quarter to three" is done faultlessly. Her voice, a combination of alcohol and the cigarettes she positions at the piano's lid while singing, contribute to create a portrait of the sultry woman she is. She sings "Again" twice; her rendition of that song makes it impossible for anyone else to sing it without comparing it to what Ms. Lupino did with it, much better!

Richard Widmark was the favorite looney in the 40s. His acting was always an exercise on intensity. He always played the weird roles on the screen. In "Road House" he appears almost normal until he realizes that Lily will never love him. He has to get his revenge on Pete who has stolen Lily's affection away from him. Jefty will stop at nothing in order to get her back. Thus he accuses Pete Morgan, his loyal friend, of stealing the week's receipts.

Cornel Wilde plays a passive role as Pete. He too falls for the charms of Lily, but at the same time, Lily wants him because she sees in him her own salvation from joints and a ticket to a normal life. Celeste Holm is the other principal. Her role is not as well defined. She should be resentful of Lily, but she is a kind soul who accepts the fact that Pete never loved her. Ultimately, she is the one who solves the puzzle of the missing money.

"Road House" should be seen more often.