The Scarlet Hour ** (1956, Carol Ohmart, Tom Tryon, Jody Lawrance) – Classic Movie Review 7488

Director Michael Curtiz assembles a fine cast for his minor 1955 film noir The Scarlet Hour, but the cast is largely wasted on the fairly turgid story of an adulterous wife (Carol Ohmart) and her infatuated lover (Tom Tryon)’s murderous scheming as she lures him into an ill-fated jewelry heist. The sexy blonde starlet Carol Ohmart (1927–2002) gets her big break in her movie debut as ‘Paulie’ Nevins. James Gregory plays the husband Ralph Nevins and Jody Lawrance also stars as Kathy Stevens.

Carol Ohmart (1927–2002).

A bizarre amalgam of very considerable talents just cannot fully save this intriguing and watchable but rather badly plotted crime melodrama from mostly coming apart at the seams. Though based on an amusing story called The Kiss Off by Frank Tashlin, this movie is sadly a mainly unsuccessful later addition to the Academy Award-winning director Michael (Casablanca) Curtiz’s prolific output.

Watch out for the scene-stealing appearance by Elaine Stritch (in her movie debut, aged 31) as a successful gold-digger named Phyllis Rycker. Nat ‘King’ Cole sings Ray Evans and Jay Livingston’s song ‘Never Let Me Go’.

Also in the cast are E G Marshall, Edward Binns, Scott Marlowe, Billy Gray, Jacques Auberchon, David Lewis, Johnstone White, James Stone, Maureen Hurley, James Todd, Barry Atwater, Benson Fong, Richard Deacon and Almira Sessions.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7488

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Jody Lawrance also stars as Kathy Stevens.