Black & White World

You can tell by the lines I'm reciting, I've seen that movie too.

film noir

Monday, September 02, 2002

They Won’t Believe Me (1947)

Larry Ballantyne (Young), on trial for the murder of his wife (Johnson), lays out for the jury the detailed story of how he used his wife for money, cheated on her with at least three different women, humiliated her and finally left her—but didn’t actually kill her.

Interesting and well-told tale of a conniving bastard and the people he destroys along the way, whether intentionally or not.  And yet, my sympathies were always with Young’s character.  Some actors have a rare knack for playing scumbags in such a charming way, you can’t help but like them.  Film noir is not usually my cup of tea, but this one drew me in right away.

Larry Ballantyne knows he’s scum and is consumed with self-hatred because of it.  In the final analysis, the jury’s verdict means nothing to him, because he’s already weighed the evidence against himself.  The final scene, which I won’t give away, was a surprise that I didn’t see coming.