Hollow Triumph [The Scar] *** (1948, Paul Henreid, Joan Bennett, Eduard Franz) – Classic Movie Review 3317

Director Steve Sekely’s well-done, sterling 1948 film noir Hollow Triumph [The Scar] stars Paul Henreid as medical school dropout John Muller, a thief and murderer desperately trying to escape the vindictive big-time gambler he stole from after a hold-up goes wrong, assumes a fake identity as Dr Victor Emil Bartok, a psychiatrist he resembles.

Alas for Muller, things promptly go from bad to worse when he finds out too late that psychiatrists can be criminals too.

Based on Murray Forbes’s novel, a tall tale becomes an engaging B-movie mystery thriller, with a tense atmosphere and a dark mood, and the ideal people to perform it: Henreid is just right and Joan Bennett is a great femme fatale, as Evelyn Hahn.

Okay, it may be a far-fetched, low-budget suspense thriller. But Daniel Fuchs’s screenplay is clever and there is always an abundance of tension and creepiness in Sekely’s direction, as well as the true noir touch of John Alton’s striking black and white cinematography.

Also in the cast are Eduard Franz, Leslie Brooks, John Qualen, Herbert Rudley, Mabel Paige, Charles Arnt, George Chandler, Sid Tomack, Alvin Hammer, Ann Staunton, Paul E Burns, Charles Trowbridge, Morgan Farley, Robert Bice, Henry Brandon, Cliff Clark, Sayre Dearing, Catherine Doucet, Eddie Dunn, Franklyn Farnum, Sam Finn, Joel Friedkin, Thomas Browne Henry, Tony Horton, Carmencita Johnson, Lyle Latell, Nolan Leary, Lucien Littlefield, Babe London, Jerry Marlowe, Constance Purdy, Cyril Ring, Benny Rubin, Dave Shilling, Tom Stevenson, Norma Varden, Jack Webb, Dick Wessel, Mack Williams, Florence Wix and Bud Wolfe.

Sekely was fired because of creative differences, production was shut down for a day, and then Paul Henreid took over, though Sekely keeps his director credit.

John Alton also memorably shot T-Men (1947), He Walked by Night (1948), The Amazing Mr X (1948), The Crooked Way (1949), Reign of Terror (1949) and The Big Combo (1955).

Hollow Triumph [The Scar] is directed by Steve Sekely, runs 83 minutes, is made by Bryan Foy Productions, is released by Eagle-Lion, is written by Daniel Fuchs, based on Murray Forbes’s novel, is shot in black and white by John Alton, is produced by Bryan Foy and Paul Henreid, is scored by Sol Kaplan and is designed by Edward L Ilou.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3317

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