A night club owner becomes infatuated with a torch singer and frames his best friend/manager for embezzlement when the chanteuse falls in love with him.
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Reviews
I love this movie so much
What makes it different from others?
Excellent adaptation.
Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
When the Chicago singer Lily Stevens (Ida Lupino) arrives at the Jefty Road House hired by the owner Jefferson T. 'Jefty' Robbins (Richard Widmark), the manager Pete Morgan (Cornel Wilde) gives a cold reception to her. Jefty asks Pete, who is his best friend, to drive Lily to the local hotel. However Pete drives her to the train station instead and asks Lily to go back to Chicago. She refuses to go and her performance is successful in her debut. Soon Pete changes his opinion towards Lily and the accountant and cashier Susie Smith (Celeste Holm) informs that the public has increased not only in the roadhouse, but also in the bowling alley. Jefty feels attraction for Lily, but when he travels, Lily and Pete fall in love with each other. When Jefty returns, he brings a marriage license and proposes Lily; however she dumps him and Pete and she decide to travel to Chicago and leave the town. However Jefty frames Pete and reports a hake theft to the police. Pete is arrested and found guilty by the jury. However Jefty proposes to the judge that Pete continues to work for him instead of going to the prison. What is the intention of Jefty? "Road House" is an engaging film–noir with a storyline of unrequited love and obsession. Ida Lupino has an impressive performance, singing with a wonderful husky voice. The first performance of the famous song "Again" is the soundtrack of "Road Movie" sang by Ida Lupino. This film is also the third appearance of the outstanding Richard Widmark and his insane smile on the cinema. Cornel Wilde and Celeste Holm complete the dream cast of this unknown gem. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "A Taverna do Caminho" ("The Tavern on the Way")
A great noir featuring Ida Lupino and three other actors. That's irony if anybody asks you because the other three actors are Richard Widmark, Cornel Wilde and Celeste Holm who would tower over anyone else but had the misfortune to come up against Ida Lupino in a performance she equalled only eight years later when she played Marion in The Big Knife. I stumbled on this gem years ago and I've been trying unsuccessfully to find it on DVD but then I found it on youtube albeit with Greek subtitles and it was as good as I remembered. Widmark was still obliged - a contractual obligation for all I know - to display his psychotic laugh and sociopath tendencies but for roughly half the running time he was allowed to display other aspects of his talent whilst Celeste Holm makes the most of a thankless 'good egg' role. A fine movie of that rare breed they've forgotten how to make.
The employees of a road side nightclub become involved in a love quadrangle, leading to tension. Lupino is fine as the tough saloon singer, even warbles a few songs at the piano. Wilde is the earnest but hunky fellow she is attracted to, much to the dismay of Widmark (who likes Lupino) and Holm (who likes Wilde). As was often the case early in his career, Widmark plays a psycho with a maniacal laugh, overacting to the hilt. Holm is given little to do but she does it well enough. The script is contrived and melodramatic, but Negulesco creates a nice film noirish atmosphere, culminating in an exciting finale in fog-filled woods.
This could have been a top-notch film noir classic if it wasn't for Ida Lupino's god-awful singing, made even more laughable by everyone in the film waxing rhapsodic over her re: how fabulous she was. Flat, off-key, talking thru most of it - you name it. Neither sexy nor torchy. Even the worst Grade D picture singers sound better. Can't help but feel that once again, another example of a star's ego ending up ruining what could have been a very nice little film.Cornel Wilde does his usual shtick, which rarely changes film-to-film; but as usual, Richard Widmark shines in a role that he does best.But all in all, a nice little film.