Saturday, March 2, 2013

Dangerously They Live - Garfield and Fiends

This post is part of the John Garfield Blogathon, hosted by Patti of They Don’t Make ’Em Like They Used To, running from March 1st through March 4th, 2013. Enjoy!

In 1941, John Garfield’s often-turbulent life was in transition—and this was before World War 2 sent the whole world reeling!  Having achieved stage stardom in New York City’s Group Theatre with his performance in Awake and Sing, then moving on to bigger Broadway success as the title character in Clifford Odets’ Golden Boy, and then becoming a movie star with the Lane Sisters in Four Daughters in 1938, Garfield was on a roll—until William Holden got the the Golden Boy role in the 1939 movie version that our man Garfield had created on the Great White Way!  Warner Bros. stepped in with the sweet consolation prize of a long-term contract.  But according to Richard Harland Smith at TCM's Web site, Garfield wasn’t really feeling it with his next projects, such as The Sea Wolf, in which Garfield was billed below co-stars Edward G. Robinson and Ida Lupino.  So Garfield kicked his agents at Lyon & Lyon to the curb, joining forces with super-agent Lew Wassermann and business manager Bob Roberts to help Garfield set up his own production company.

Smiling Jane Graystone, visiting the U.S. for the first time, looks forward to a vacation chock full of baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolets….
…until Eddie Mars turns up! Didn’t that bounder
learn his lesson in The Big Sleep?!
Smith makes an excellent case that Garfield was eventually drawn to Dangerously They Live (DTL) (1941) because the script by writer/producer Marion Parsonnet (Gilda; My Forbidden Past; I’ll Be Seeing You) surely would have appealed to him because he was a member of the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League long before America entered World War 2 in December, 1941.  No doubt Garfield enthusiastically approved of the film’s uncompromising depiction of German agents wreaking havoc in the free world; I sure would!

Directed by Robert Florey (from Murders in the Rue Morgue; The Cocoanuts; Meet Boston Blackie; TV’s Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Dick Powell Theatre), we meet our heroine, Jane Graystone (Nancy Coleman in her film debut; she also co-starred in Kings Row; Mourning Becomes Electra; The Gay Sisters; and TV’s Ryan’s Hope), a lovely lass with a slight British lilt in her voice.  Jane seems to be checking out the sights and sounds of The Big Apple as she checks in with another British gent. What’s with all the U.K. visitors? Is there a Doctor Who Con in town?  But judging from the men giving Jane the hairy eyeball as she innocently grabs a cab, our heroine will be forced to confront the aforementioned Big Apple's worms lurking in our otherwise fair city!

Hmm, I’m kinda liking the way Dr. Mike Lewis
displays his bedside manner!
Before you can say, “Where’s Traveler’s Aid?,” a henchman identified as John (John Ridgely of The Big Sleep; The Man Who Came to Dinner; Air Force) hangs around the the British Export Bureau.  Somehow I don’t think John's there to buy Travelers Cheques. Sure enough, Jane’s cab driver deliberately smashes the car into a wall, with a little help from from the fiendish cabbie.  Pandemonium reigns, and Jane is brought to the hospital as evil John and his cabbie cohort beat a hasty retreat!

Enter chipper, cocky-yet-likable Dr. Michael “Mike” Lewis (Garfield), as he gives Jane a through examination:

Jane: “I’ve got all my arms and legs and everything?”
Mike: “Yes, and believe me, they’re worth keeping.”
Dr. Mike looks forward to treating temporary amnesia victim Jane
like other doctors look forward to Christmas!
Nice to know he’s serious about his work!
As Mike admits Jane to the hospital, our anxious damsel-in-distress can’t remember a thing about herself.  Mike’s examination of his pretty new patient indicates temporary amnesia all right, giving Mike a perfect opportunity to fully examine a temporary amnesia patient, something he’s apparently been wanting to do for ages. How’s that for on-the-job training?

Before long, Mike gets a visit from Jane’s dad, John Goodwin (Moroni Olsen of The Glass Key; Pride of the Marines, also starring Garfield; and Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious) turns up to aid his darling daughter.  Looks like a real fatherly, pillar-of-the-community type…but Jane doesn’t recognize him, either, and she swears the photos he brought to help kick-start her memory aren’t doing the trick, either.  It’s gradually dawning on our stalwart sawbones that Jane’s scared, and not just because of this alleged amnesia!  She finally gets alone with Mike — no, not because of his bedside manner or his attractive tush:

Jane: “You’re a good doctor, but you weren’t there when I was born, and I was.  That’s not my father.”

Mike (humoring her): “Now take it easy.  Everything will be all right.”

Jane:  “Yes, if you’ll stop humoring me and listen!  I work for British Intelligence, and that man is not my father.  He and his gang are trying to find out what I know.  Would you do me a favor?  Keep your eyes and ears open, and please never be far away from me?”

Call me paranoid, but Jane’s Dad strikes me as creepy,
not fatherly. Maybe he needs cuddlier glasses!
Mike does so, and during Jane’s hospital stay, she and Mike get to know and become increasingly fond of each other during their otherwise increasingly sinister predicament. But now Jane must keep the amnesia gambit going, or it’ll be curtains for both of them—and we don’t mean the drapes in the Psychotic Game Room! In the meantime, at least Mike and Jane can enjoy the lovely melody “You’re Not So Easy to Forget” in the background.  If fans of MGM’s Thin Man movies listen carefully, they’ll hear that song in the final Thin Man movie, Song of the Thin Man (1947).  It’s a nice touch, considering the film’s amnesia motif!

Dr. Mike and Head Nurse Johnson (Lee Patrick from The Maltese Falcon; Auntie Mame; Vertigo) discuss who’s going to pay for Jane’s hospital tab:
Mike: “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it.”
Head Nurse Johnson:   “With what?”
Mike:   “Don’t tell me you prefer blood.”
Head Nurse Johnson: “Not yours; I like it red.  Did you find out who she is yet?”
Mike: “No, she can’t remember a thing.”
Head Nurse Johnson:
“I don’t know what a brilliant student of mental diseases would do to find out a girl’s name, but I’d check her laundry mark.”


Mike:  “Not bad, Sherlock—but they may be in Chinese.”
Hmm, could it be mere coincidence that Jane’s laundry mysteriously goes AWOL soon afterward?  Are Head Nurse Johnson and/or the other busy little elves at the hospital just being unwittingly overzealous about putting away patients’ clothes, or is there something more sinister afoot?  If this story wasn’t set in 1941, I bet there would be lawsuits galore!

When it comes time for Jane to leave the hospital, it seems she and Mike just might catch a break:  Mike’s older colleague, Dr. Ingersoll (Raymond Massey from Abe Lincoln in Illinois; The Woman in the Window; Arsenic and Old Lace) agrees to let Mike come home with Jane to help her emotional healing—where we find out for sure that Dr. Ingersoll is, to borrow a line from cartoonist Mark Martin of CBG’s 20 Nude Girls 20, a “bad mans!”  Mike and Jane’s lives get more fearful and paranoid every day.  Seems Jane’s faux dad Mr. Goodwin and Dr. Ingersoll are really Nazi scum, and they’re tormenting the poor groundskeeper,  Mr. Steiner (Christian Rub from You Can’t Take It With You; he’s also the voice of Geppetto in Walt Disney’s Pinocchio), who’s under these creeps’ collective thumb.  With the villains packing heat and doing a fine job of keeping our heroes under control and away from anyone who could help them  (their most potent weapon seems to be the aforementioned Hairy Eyeball), the war of nerves alone makes escape harder than getting Alicia Huberman out of Alex Sebastian’s house in Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious!  Where are Humphrey Bogart and his tough yet lovable Runyunesque pals from All Through the Night when you need them?!

Jane and her protector Mike couldn't be safer in Dr. Raymond Massey’s care; after all, he’s Honest Abe Lincoln! Then again, he was also evil Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace! Yikes!






Aha! It’s the ol’ Halifax trick, like in Across the Pacific!

In today's news, minor accident on Fifth Avenue leads to romance!

33 comments:

  1. Awesome write-up of "Dangerously They Live," Dorian! You have an incredible way with words!!

    I love the stills you provided. And, of course, your delightful captions for each of them are perfect.

    Not sure what a therapist would say about this, but I have to admit I prefer Mr. Garfield in his rough-around-the-edges anti-hero kind of roles, as opposed to the "good guy" he portrays here. I think of myself as conservative and very proper, yet there I am, liking the "bad boys" more than the "good" ones.

    This was a wonderful addition to the blogathon. Thank you so much for participating. I have enjoyed the opportunity of getting to know you!!

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    1. Patti, thank you, and kudos galore for not only conceiving and organizing your splendid Blogathon saluting the great John Garfield, but also for the heart and soul of it all! Although I never had the pleasure of meeting your late friend Lori, I know she must have been an amazing, loving person, and I bet she's smiling in Heaven at the wonderful way you've put all this together! You should be very proud!

      You're right, DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE's hero is relatively squeaky clean innocent compared to the more complicated fellas Garfield usually portrays. I've always figured that was part of his sex appeal. Daydreaming about "bad boy" types is usually more fun than actually having to live with them, but I've know a few fellas who've managed it! :-D

      Thanks, too, for your enthusiastic praise for my post about DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE! I'm delighted you enjoyed my comments and pictures, and I'm glad you got a kick out of my playful caption quips. By the way, we have my husband Vinnie to thank for the animated GIF with Garfield's fiery exit GIF; Vinnie is my GIF go-to guy on such things! :-D I'm glad this Blogathon brought us together in friendship. You're always welcome to drop by TALES OF THE EASILY DISTRACTED (TotED for short) and say hello via the magic of the Internet any time!

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  2. Wonderful piece, this, Dorian! This movie sounds like it could have qualified for the Not-Quite Hitchcock Blogathon from last year. Great captions on the screencaps as well. Will be keeping a Hairy Eyeball out for this one.

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    1. Jeff, thanks a million for your kind praise of my DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE post! I agree with you: this movie definitely would have been perfect for, as you put it so wittily, our Not-Quite Hitchcock Blogathon from last year! Glad you got a kick out of the "Hairy Eyeball," too! :-) Always happy to have you join the chat here at TotED; drop by anytime!

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  3. This is an awesome review, to a film I have not yet seen. This film sounds right up my alley with all its great twists and turns.

    Also, I'm curious to see John Garfield, play a doctor..

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    1. Dawn, I know what you mean; terrific though John Garfield always is onscreen, he wouldn't have been the first actor I'd think of to play a dedicated young doctor. But that's what I found endearing about Garfield in this role: his blend of cockiness and dedication is never far away! :-D Thanks so much for your enthusiastic comments!

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  4. Dorian, I will definitely aim to see this one - it sounds very interesting, and a shame it isn't on DVD.It sounds like the sort of film where I might have a job following the plot, but I will look forward to trying. Enjoyed your review and your choice of stills! Judy

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    1. Judy, thanks for your positive comments about my DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE blog post! Sometimes the plot takes a tiny bit of keeping up with, but since the film is only 77 minutes long, it's easy to watch it again to catch up! :-D

      DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE sometimes turns up on TCM here in the U.S., so keep an eye on your local TV listings. Thanks again, Judy, and feel free to visit us here at TotED anytime!

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  5. Dorian, Have not this but it has been on my list of films to watch. There are couple of other Garfield films I have not seen (BLACKWELL's ISLAND, SATURDAY'S CHILDREN and WE WERE STRANGERS) on TCM tomorrow as part of his birthday celebration. Needless to say, the DVR is set. Terrific review as always!!!

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    1. John, many thanks for your kind feedback on DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE! I think you'd enjoy its paranoid suspense sprinkled with wry humor, while never letting viewers forget that war has broken out, and those Nazi creeps are gonna get it, big-time! I'm also looking forward to John Garfield day tomorrow as part of 31 Days of Oscar, as I'm sure many of us are! :-D

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  6. Say it isn't so. Ray Massey as a "dirty fiver"!?

    Only you could get in a mention of "Dr. Who" in a piece on a wartime thriller. Kudos.

    I haven't seen this, but look forward to Garfield as a straight-ahead good guy. The bad boy from "Four Daughters" doesn't wear quite as well as he once did for me.

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    1. Caftan Woman, beaucoup thanks for your kind kudos! I too am was stunned to see Raymond "Honest Abe" Massey's character playing a "dirty fiver." On the positive side, I'll admit to being ever impressed at Massey's acting range!

      I'm tickled that you got a kick out of my DOCTOR WHO quip, too; we fans must support each other! :-)

      I agree with you that as much as I enjoy Garfield's more complicated characters, it was refreshing to see Garfield as a relatively uncomplicated good guy in DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE. For me, "bad boy" types get old fast (especially for those who have to live with them in real life!). Besides, here at Team Bartilucci HQ, we're more into lovable eccentrics! :-D

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  7. Thanks for a powerful review of a film I aim to see. John as a doctor, hmmmm.....sounds dangerous.....

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    1. Chick, many thanks for your positive comments about DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE! Wouldn't you love to check out Dr. John Garfield's special hospital plan? ;-D Hope you'll have a chance to see and enjoy the movie!

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  8. I've seen this film but I'm not really sure if it occurred to me at the time that John Garfield was in it. Your review of it really made chuckle though, love the pics too!

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    1. Victoria, I'm delighted that you got a kick out of my playful take on DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE! If you're a fan of both John Garfield and suspense films with a sense of humor, this is worth seeking out; it turns up on TCM every so often. Thanks for your praise! :-D

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  9. I'm going to have to see DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE. My mother used to swoon over Garfield. And you know, you just can't trust a man with a face like Raymond Massey's. It sounds like a total suspenseful romp through the noir woods. Thanks again for all the little tidbits you impart to us... I like Holden's performance in Golden Boy, but I do agree that Garfield was handmade for the part...Joey MonsterGirl

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    1. Joey, you Monster Girl you, your dear mom clearly raised you right with her love of John Garfield! While I agree Garfield wuz robbed when it came to casting William Holden and not Garfield for the movie version of GOLDEN BOY, I think he got the last laugh in some ways (if not others).

      I got a kick out of your comment "And you know, you just can't trust a man with a face like Raymond Massey's." Massey could be quite the chameleon, the ol' slyboots! Despite my playful captions and general cheekiness in this post, you're right that DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE truly is, as you put it so well, "a suspenseful romp through the noir woods." I hope you catch up with it, Pal Joey; I think it would be up your dark alley! :-D

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  10. Hey, Dorian, this may be an amazing movie. The one Garfield made before, The Sea Wolf, was very good, yet, by wht I've read, he wasn't very pleased. Besides the attracting plot, the pieces of dialogue you put in the post are very witty.
    Don't forget to read my contribution to the blogathon! :)
    Kisses!

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    1. Le, I'm always delighted to read your reviews and comments, and thanks for your kind praise! Thanks for your praise about my witty captions! I understand that Garfield was frustrated by THE SEA WOLF because his credits in the film were lower than co-stars Edward G. Robinson and Ida Lupino. That changed soon! I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to your comments earlier, but I'm having trouble with the Translator feature. As soon as I get that working, I'll be delighted to comment on your John Garfield post! Thanks so much for your patience with me!

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    2. Hey, Le, I was able to translate your comments at Critico Retro! Thanks for your help!

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  11. Hi Dorian, great post! and as always I love your sense of fun. I will definately have to hunt down this film, John Garfield as a cheeky Dr I'm there :)

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    1. Alyssa, thanks so much for your upbeat comments! Much as I enjoy John Garfield's more serious movies, it's also fun to watch him get down with his playful side in DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE. Now THERE'S a movie doctor with a bedside we can get behind! ;-D

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  12. One of the great tragedies is that, if it wasn't for TCM, John Garfield (and probably Raymond Massey as well) would be unknown in this day and age (I fully expect to live long enough to hear someone scratch their head and wonder who this "John Wayne" or "Paul Newman" character is).

    OK, DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE immediately gets bumped up several notches on my "Films I Must See" List if only for the fact that Robert Florey directed MEET BOSTON BLACKIE (a movie I'm particularly fond of). Plus I'm one of those people who feel that every Raymond Massey performance must be seen at least once. Yeah, I know . . . but I'm foolish that way.

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    1. Michael, I'm happy as a new puppy that you're taking the time to join the DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE fun and frolic, and even more delighted since you're a fan of Boston Blackie as well (as I mentioned in my recent WONDER MAN review at TotED)! Luckily there are still TCM and other stalwart classic movie channels rearing their heads, including Fox Movie Channel. Judging by the increasing numbers of younger classic movie fans, and bloggers like all of us here, we can all do our bit to help spread the word about not only DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE, but all of birthday boy John Garfield's memorable films so that, as you put it so well, your movie fans won't ever need to explain who John Garfield is -- or John Wayne, Paul Newman, Raymond Massey, or Danny Kaye, for that matter! Thanks for joining the powwow, my friend!

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  13. I'm not that familiar with John Garfield's work, but I was surprised to read he wasn't a bad boy in this film.

    Great screen caps! Your blog is always such a treat.

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    1. Ruth, when I first found out about DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE, I was just as surprised as you when I realized John Garfield was playing a clean-cut good guy - and a doctor, no less - instead of his usual moody, broody characters (not that there's anything wrong with that :-)), and doing a swell job of it, for my money. It's further proof that Our Man Garfield has range! :-) Beaucoup thanks for your kind praise for my cheeky screen caps, Ruth; you're the best! :-D

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  14. Terrific review, as always, Dorian. A fun film to read about and it sounds like a fun film to see as well. I'll have to keep an eye out. You know how much I love hunting Nazis in the 1940's movies. "Take that, you vile Nazi scum!!"

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    1. Thanks for your most welcome comments about DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE, Yvette! You're a gal after my own heart: like you, I love films where those no-good Nazi scum get their heinies (HA!) handed to them, big-time, especially in the early 1940s! Nobody better mess with the U.S.! :-D

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  15. Excelente teu blog Parabéns,Grande abraço.SU

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  16. Hooray for the translator feature, which came out as "Excellent Your blog Congratulations!" Thanks, Suzane! :-D

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  17. Haven't seen this one and now need to. Another great post!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed my DANGEROUSLY THEY LIFE post, CFB! Thanks for your kind praise, and I hope you'll soon have a chance to watch and enjoy DTL and soon! :-D

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