You Don’t Believe Movies

 

I love films where the main character is not believed. When I started to think of films, my mind went blank except for “Gaslight” and “Rear Window” but there really so many more. With this in mind, I thought of these 3 films where no one believed the main protagonist nd here they are …

1. CHASE A CROOKED SHADOW-1958

I saw this film just the other day and really enjoyed it. It stars Anne Baxter as an heiress in Spain who lost her brother in a car accident a year ago and, recently, her father. When a young man shows up claiming to be her brother, she is dumbfounded especially that everyone believes this man ( Richard Todd)is her brother. She goes to the local police imploring that the young man is not her brother and the policeman ( Herbert Lom) starts to believe her. She believes that this man and the housekeeper he brings with him, are after her money, if only she could prove it. This is an intense film from the beginning especially the car speeding scene along a treacherous, winding road. What makes even more intense is that Richard Todd and Anne Baxter were the people in the car and Richard was driving! I would not have done that scene no matter what!

2. HUSH, HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE-1964

This was supposed to star Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as a kind of sequel to their big hit, “ Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” but, Joan was in one of her diva moments( one of many) and was fired which suited Bette just fine since they did not like each other. Bette plays a southern belle from a time that no longer exists. Everyone believes that she killed her fiancée 40 years ago, decapitated him, but there was insufficient proof to arrest her. Bette’s character, Charlotte was never the same and became a recluse in her fading mansion, but now her place is wanted by the State and has evicted her, but she is not going without. Fight. She writes to her cousin to help her and her cousin( played by Bette’s friend, Olivia DeHavilland) arrives who is fondly remembered by the people in the area including the country doctor, played by Joseph Cotton. They soon realize that Bette is sliding into madness and they are not sure what to do. This is a movie that I prefer over Baby Jane. Bette gives another great performance as the fragile Charlotte who professes her innocence but nobody believes her. The characters around her give their best including her dedicated maid played by the great Agnes Moorehead. It’s worth checking out.

3. BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING-1965

I saw this film years ago, when I still lived at home, when it was on at 2am and I could not turn away. Carol Lynley arrives in England with her 5 yr old daughter to spend time with her brother. She takes her daughter to school but when she goes to pick her up, nobody remembers seeing this girl. The mom, understandably, upset, contacts the police but no one remembers the little girl. When her brother supports everyone else, it begins to show that maybe the mom never had a girl, that she came to England alone. She prays that the police chief, played by Laurence Olivier, will believe her but it seems he feels she needs to see a rubber room. I realized that I questioned whether Bunny truly did exist. This is a taught thriller that keeps you on the edge of your feet and your own sanity. I need to revisit this film.

So, what films can you think of?

By the way, yesterday’s answer to which film won the Oscar…it was “Beauty and the Beast”, “ Be Our Guest” was nominated and that great song, “Tears In Heaven” never got a nomination…that is abhorrent in my opinion. The other songs that were nominated were, “ Belle” from “Beauty and the Beast”, “Everything I Do, I Do It For You” from Robin Hood and “When You’re Alone”  from Hook.

Yesterday and Today the sky looks like a sick apricot colour due to the fires in Northern Ontario. Breathing is horrible so, everyone affected by this, stay inside and stay cool.