The Dark Past

The Dark Past is a 1948 American psychological thriller film noir directed by Rudolph Maté, and starring William Holden, Nina Foch, and Lee J. Cobb. The film, released by Columbia Pictures, is a remake of Blind Alley (1939), also released by Columbia, and based on a play by American playwright James Warwick.[1]

The Dark Past
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRudolph Maté
Produced byBuddy Adler
Written byMalvin Wald
Oscar Saul
Screenplay byPhilip MacDonald
Michael Blankfort
Albert Duffy
Based onBlind Alley
1935 play
by James Warwick
StarringWilliam Holden
Nina Foch
Lee J. Cobb
Music byGeorge Duning
CinematographyJoseph Walker
Edited byViola Lawrence
Color processBlack and white
Production
company
Columbia Pictures
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • December 22, 1948 (1948-12-22) (New York City)
  • February 27, 1949 (1949-02-27) (United States)
Running time
74 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Police Dr. Andrew Collins (Lee J. Cobb) tells a detective that he believes that he can help to turn a young suspect away from crime. Though an extended flashback, he illustrates his claim with the story of how he came to work for the police.

While Collins (at the time a college professor), his wife, and son head to their vacation cabin, convicted murderer Al Walker (William Holden) escapes from prison after capturing and killing the warden. Collins is entertaining three guests when Walker, his girlfriend Betty (Nina Foch), and two partners break in and hold the family, guests, and servants hostage. With the servants tied in the basement and the others upstairs guarded by Betty and the other criminals, Collins observes Walker's behavior downstairs closely, explaining that his profession has trained him to do so.

When Fred Linder (Steven Geray), a friend of Collins, comes to return a hunting rifle, he tells Collins about the prison escape but notices that Walker is hiding in the room. Pretending to leave, Linder grabs the rifle, but Walker struggles with him, wounding Linder. Before and after this incident, Collins has noticed that Walker is drawn to some of his books on psychoanalysis and the subconscious. Betty, who is told to watch Collins while Walker sleeps, tells the professor that Walker is prone to nightmares (visualized in negative film images) where he is standing under a leaking umbrella with a paralyzed hand and trapped behind bars.

When Walker awakens, Collins suggests analyzing his dreams, and Walker agrees. With Collins' guidance, Walker remembers a scene from his childhood, where he hid under a table in a bar and witnessed his father shot by the police. The trauma was intensified because the young Walker had told the police where to find his father and because his hand was covered with his father's blood, which leaked through the table above him. Collins tells Walker that recovering the lost memory means that his nightmares will not return and that he will no longer be able to kill.

One of the servants having managed to escape and notify the police, the cabin is surrounded. Walker seems ready to shoot it out, but finds that he cannot pull the trigger. When the film returns the opening present-day scene, the police detective agrees to let Collins analyze the young suspect they had been discussing.

Cast
Nina Foch and Lois Maxwell in The Dark Past

Reception

Critical response

When the film was released the film critic at The New York Times gave the film a positive review writing, "William Holden is excellent as the dream-shackled gunman, who is at once ruthless, nervous and explosively dangerous but who grudgingly complies with the doctor's 'screwball' tactics. As counterpoint is Lee J. Cobb's equally fine portrait of the unflustered scientist who is dedicated to 'curing people not killing them.' And, Nina Foch does a competently restrained job as the gangster's moll, who learns he's suffering from an Oedipus complex. The doctor's house guests, including Steven Geray, Adele Jergens and Wilton Graff, and their captors, especially Berry Kroeger, give unobtrusive but neat characterizations. Neat, too, is the word for this small but well-made Christmas package."[2]

More recently, film critic Dennis Schwartz gave the film a mixed review stating the film was well acted, but called the film "pure Hollywood hokum."[3]

References
  1. The Dark Past at IMDb.
  2. The New York Times, film review, "William Holden Plays Gangster in The Dark Past, Columbia Film at Ambassador", December 23, 1948. Accessed: July 9, 2013.
  3. Schwartz, Dennis. Ozus' World Movie Reviews, film review, April 16, 2001. Accessed: July 9, 2013.
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