They Won't Believe Me (1947)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Irving Pichel

Writers:

Jonathan Latimer (screenplay)
Gordon McDonell (story)

Release Date:

16 July 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Drama

Tagline:

The way SHE loved a Man could lead in only one direction - DOWN!

Plot:

On trial for murder, Larry Ballantyne regurgitates an unbelievable story. He recounts how he philanders...

Plot Keywords:

Trial | Murder | Car Crash | Flashback | Suicide

Cast

Susan Hayward	...	Verna Carlson
Robert Young	...	Larry Ballentine
Jane Greer	...	Janice Bell
Rita Johnson	...	Greta Ballentine
Tom Powers	...	Trenton
George Tyne	...	Lieutenant Carr
Don Beddoe	...	Thomason
Frank Ferguson	...	Mr. Cahill, Defense Attorney
Harry Harvey	...	Judge Charles Fletcher

Runtime:

95 min | USA:80 min (re-release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #11890)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Verna mispronounces the hero's address as Bendedict's Canyon--in reality, a well-known wealthy Los Angeles community really called Benedict (no possessive) Canyon.

Quotes:

Larry Ballentine: This is more than just a trip to Montreal.
Greta Ballentine: I know.
Larry Ballentine: I'm leaving... for good.
Greta Ballentine: Did you remember to pack your gold cufflinks?

It won't end up in many Top Ten Noir movies lists, but it's still entertaining enough.

Robert Young plays a gigolo type on trial for murder. In flash back he tells his story, and things are not necessarily what they appear to be. Despite some criticisms accusing him of being miscast I thought Young was convincing enough and played the role well. Sure, Robert Mitchum or Dick Powell would have been preferable, but I didn't think it was that much of a problem. The three major women in Young's life are played by Susan Hayward, Rita Johnson, and my favourite Jane Greer (who subsequently co-starred with Robert Mitchum in two great films 'Out Of The Past' and 'The Big Steal' in the late 1940s). All three are very good. 'They Won't Believe Me' is a minor Noir picture, but is still entertaining enough. The most memorable thing about it is the unexpected shock ending, which would be too corny to pull off these days, but is very effective in the context of the movie. A much more interesting Robert Young picture from this era is 'Crossfire', in which he co-stars with Roberts Mitchum and Ryan. 'They Won't Believe Me' isn't as compelling as that, but it's worth watching.