Among the Living **** (1941, Albert Dekker, Susan Hayward, Frances Farmer, Harry Carey Sr, Gordon Jones) – Classic Movie Review 7224

‘What horrible fascination did this monster have for women?’ Director Stuart Heisler’s 1941 Paramount Pictures black and white thriller Among the Living is a pleasurably different film noir suspense double-bill programme filler about Jekyll and Hyde-style twin brothers in a small town.

One of them is an insane calculating murderer, Paul Raden, who escapes from his strait jacket in a secret room, arrives back in town and embarks on a serial-killing binge. The other is a terrified nice local man, his identical twin brother John.

Among the Living is all very well played by Dekker in both roles, and, also heading a cast to relish, Susan Hayward, Frances Farmer, Harry Carey Sr and Gordon Jones.

With tense handling from Heisler and splendidly atmospheric Gothic noir cinematography from minor master Theodor Sparkuhl, this is a little gem. It runs just 67 minutes, and, just for once, another half hour would have improved it.

Also in the cast are Jean Phillips, Maude Eburne, Frank M Thomas, Harlan Briggs, Archie Twitchell, Ernest Whitman, Dorothy Sebastian and William Stack.

The screenplay by Lester Cole and Garrett Fort is based on a story by Brian Marlow and Lester Cole.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7224

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