Did you people see the same film I saw?

A Masterpiece!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

The Man Who Cheated Himself is directed by Felix E. Feist and written by Seton I. Miller and Phillip MacDonald. It stars Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt, John Dall and Lisa Howard. Music is by Louis Forbes and cinematography by Russell Harlan.Ed Cullen (Cobb) is a cop who is having an affair with wealthy Lois Frazer (Wyatt). When Lois, in a fit of panic shoots dead her husband, it cause Cullen no end of grief. You see, he was there as well, a witness to the crime...Don't forget to change your will.This is a film noir entry that contains most of the elements that form that brand of film making. Something of an under seen - and undervalued - piece, it manages to rise above a few minor itches to play out as potent. Cullen (Cobb excellent) gets spun into a vortex of self inflicted trouble on account of his eye for a dame, essayed by a cast against type Wyatt. Both are unfaithful, she's unreliable and he's quick to break his own laws with dishonesty and a corruptible soul.Things spice up when Cullen's younger brother, Andy (Dall), himself a police officer, joins his brother in investigating the "now" mysterious murder case. So we have a family crisis brewing as the younger Cullen tries to crack the case, all while his elder brother tries to throw him off the scent of his own complicity. Wonderful, because like a few other great noirs (Scandal Sheet, The Big Clock et al) we have a protagonist effectively investigating himself. And with the brothers being polar opposites in life values, it keeps things simmering nicely in the intrigue pot.The dialogue is often clip like and the police procedural aspects are finely played with believable strokes. Close calls come and go as the detective work lurches from almost solved and closed to "hang on a minute something smells fishy here" , while tricky collusion's smile like a Cheshire cat. The great Russell Harlan (Gun Crazy/Riot In Cell Block 11) continually keeps things moody with shadows and low lights, whilst simultaneously bringing to life the splendid San Francisco locations. None more so than for the finale filmed out at a derelict and decrepit Fort Point, a perfect setting for noir if ever there was one (Hitchcock and Boorman thought so too!).Wyatt is just about convincing enough as a femme fatale, but you can't help but ponder what one of the true noir actresses could have done with the role. While you can't get away from the fact that really both Cullen and Frazer simply had to front up for a self defence case at the beginning and there would have been no hassle. But as weak as that aspect is, there wouldn't have been this noir tale to tell, all of which is crafted with careful and knowing hands by Feist (Tomorrow is Another Day). 7.5/10

This is a good crime noir, it's surprisingly better than I was guessing it would be. The film grabbed my attention from the start until it ended, so I know I found enjoyment watching it.Two brothers: The older, Ed, likes his police work as a homicide detective and staying single while going after beautiful women - the fast, single type of life. The younger, Andy, is just starting out as a homicide detective and works with his brother, he is the type that likes a wife and good home - the simple family life.The older brother, Ed, is secretly seeing another one of his beautiful women and this one is rich and married - soon to divorce. One night the husband comes back home and the wife kills him while her boyfriend detective Ed was there and witnessed what really happened. Ed tells her "The truth would get you 20" and helps to cover up what happened. Guess who is assigned to the case: Ed and his younger brother Andy.9/10

I've heard film historians describe film noir as being about a man destroying himself because of sex. That certainly is the case here where police lieutenant Lee J. Cobb witnesses the society girl (Jane Wyatt) he's in love with frantically kill her husband whom she believes is about to try and kill her. Rather than arrest her, he aids and abets her, which creates suspicion with his younger cop brother (John Dall). Younger brother quickly begins to suspect the truth, and in trying to cover up his protection of Wyatt, Cobb inadvertently destroys himself in the process.It is entirely obvious what is going to transpire here, but it is so much fun watching all the pieces fall into place. It is also interesting to see "Father Knows Best" mother Jane Wyatt play a not-so-nice character, a far cry from the majority of the film heroines she played, dating back to the original "Lost Horizon". Cobb certainly wins sympathy for what he does to protect the woman he loves (who most certainly would end up betraying him if she had the chance) and his performance is excellent. This is one of those little "sleeper" films that deserves re-discovering for a crafty screenplay and the little details that are sometimes looked over yet end up being pivotal when included. Here, that comes with each and every character, even the minor ones, including Dall's fiancée, Lisa Howard, an airport security guard, and several witnesses.

The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)"Yes, for one thing, a dame."A fast, curious, edgy crime film that depends on a fabulous, simple twist, which you learn right at the start and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The clash of two cops who are brothers begins innocently, and turns and builds in a very believable way, as the details of a murder are revealed. By the end, with a fabulous scene below the Golden Gate Bridge, it's a chase scene of pure suspense.Lee J. Cobb (more usually a brilliant secondary character) takes the lead as a cop who does his job with steady weariness, and yet when faced with a woman he loves too much, puts everything in danger. He's just perfect in his role, right to the last scene when you see him look down the hall with the same feeling he has at the beginning of the film. His kid brother played by the slightly quirky John Dall ("Gun Crazy") is all virtue, almost to the point of sweet sadness. And the two main women play believable supporting roles (especially Cobb's love-interest, who is selfish and panicky to just the right degree). This Jack M. Warner production was released by Fox but by the looks of it, it can't be quite a full budget feature movie, and because of that it is relentless and edgy, with no time for polish or emotional depth. Cameraman Russell Harlan ("Blackboard Jungle" and much later "To Kill a Mockingbird") does a brilliant job with great angles and framing. It isn't elegant, but it's visually sharp. Throw in a talented but little known director, Felix Feist, and some top shelf editing (by David Weisbart, one of absolute best) and you have just the mix you need for a small film much larger than life.This is a film noir in the usual sense of style, but also in substance--a lead male who is alienated and casting about for meaning in life, and a lead female who leads him astray.But in the end, what's it about? Crime? No. Love? Yes. The only subject that matters.Cobb: "Do you think I'd throw that away on a sucker play like this?"Dall: "Yes, for one thing, a dame."