Review of Tension (1949) by Aldo G — 14 Aug 2016

Failed film noir, yet nonetheless a treat for fans of the genre. Director John Berry and cinematographer Harry Stradling Sr.deliver the goods with gorgeous, stark visuals. Berry lays the femme fatale archetypes on thick: the platinum blonde who is bored and seeks adventure with other men, the boozy saxophone music every time she appears and her double-crossing antics.

Audrey Totter plays the role of Claire Quimby with relish. Married to a boring pharmacist who can only offer her love and a home Totter wants out. Hubby Warren Quimby, played by Richard Basehart, can't stop her from running off with another man so he devises an elaborate plot to kill her lover so he can have her back.

This is where the picture starts to stumble. Mr. Quimby begins to fall for another woman and the sparks never fly. Hard to believe that Basehart can't generate fireworks with the glamorous Cyd Charisse, but it's a script flaw and Berry's directing can't overcome the missing passion on the page.

Berry's also doesn't deliver the suspense the film's title promises. Despite all this I enjoyed Tension and recommend it for lovers of the genre. There's enough to admire here and make one wonder what could have happened to director Berry's moviemaking career had he not been forced to flee the United States a couple of years after making this movie because he was fingered as a communist.