Nora Prentiss (1947)

The Good Doctor Talbot (Kent Smith) is dead. Murdered, in fact. Let’s go back in time to see how this all transpired. The stayed 40-something family man begins to grow tired of his predictable, boring life. A chance encounter with a 30-ish nightclub singer (Ann Sheridan) turns everything upside down.

Not terribly noir-ish, but I will allow it. What I cannot abide is that the IMDb description is a third act spoiler. I know the film is pushing 75, but that is unnecessary. End Rant.

Kent Smith appeared in both of Val Lewton’s Cat People films and I found his manner stiff, but here it fits the character. He is something of a stick in the mud, punctual and reliable. While Ann Sheridan sparkled five years earlier in The Man Who Came to Dinner (my Christmas pick), she seemed a little shop-worn here. Still, pretty and exciting to the dependable dad. Her club friend is played by Robert Alda, better known as Hawkeye’s dad.

I don’t remember how Nora Prentiss got onto my radar (and thus my DVR), maybe TCM ran a piece glowing about her performance. But I found the story kinda flat. There are some good reveals (better if they’re not spoiled for you), but I didn’t feel the chemistry and didn’t care about the characters. It’s a medium drama with some interesting story elements that left me kinda blah. AMRU 3.