Moonrise (film)
Moonrise is a 1948 American film noir crime film directed by Frank Borzage starring Dane Clark, Gail Russell and Ethel Barrymore.[2] It is based on the novel of the same name by Theodore Strauss.[3]
| Moonrise | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Frank Borzage |
| Produced by | Charles F. Haas |
| Screenplay by | Charles F. Haas |
| Based on | the novel Moonrise by Theodore Strauss |
| Starring | Dane Clark Gail Russell Ethel Barrymore |
| Music by | William Lava |
| Cinematography | John L. Russell |
| Edited by | Harry Keller |
Production company | Marshall Grant Chas. K. Feldman Group Productions |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $849,452[1] |
Plot
In a small southern town, Danny Hawkins (Dane Clark) is the son of a murderer who was hanged for his crimes. Throughout his childhood, he is haunted by his father's past and cruelly harassed by other children, including the bully Jerry Sykes (Lloyd Bridges). As a young man, Danny's only friend is Gilly Johnson (Gail Russell), who is falling in love with him, despite the fact that her boyfriend is Danny's chief tormentor, Jerry Sykes. After a particularly intense confrontation in the woods, during a dance, Danny and Sykes fight and, in self-defense, Danny kills him. He fears the same fate as his father and his behavior grows erratic and temperamental, puzzling Gilly. When Jerry's body is found and Sheriff Clem Otis (Allyn Joslyn), who suspects Danny acted in self-defense and is sympathetic, starts closing in, Danny becomes crazed. He nearly strangles the harmless mute Billy Scripture (Harry Morgan), who found Danny's pocket knife near the murder scene, and he jumps from a Ferris Wheel when he notices Otis following Gilly and him as they try to enjoy a date at the fair. While hiding out in the swamps, Hawkins visits his grandma (Barrymore), who tells him the truth about his father's crime. Hawkins realizes he is not tainted by "bad blood" and turns himself in to the police.
Cast
- Dane Clark as Danny Hawkins
- Gail Russell as Gilly Johnson
- Ethel Barrymore as Grandma
- Allyn Joslyn as Sheriff Clem Otis
- Rex Ingram as Mose Jackson
- Harry Morgan as Billy Scripture (as Henry Morgan)
- David Street as Ken Williams
- Selena Royle as Aunt Jessie
- Harry Carey Jr. as Jimmy Biff
- Irving Bacon as Judd Jenkins
- Lloyd Bridges as Jerry Sykes
- Houseley Stevenson as Uncle Joe Jingle
- Phil Brown as Elmer - Soda Jerk
- Harry Cheshire as J.B. Sykes (as Harry V. Cheshire)
- Lila Leeds as Julie
Reception
The New York Times wrote that "the book towers above the picture" despite its fidelity to the source.[4]
Accolades
Nomination: Moonrise received an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Recording (Daniel J. Bloomberg) in 1948.[5]
See also
References
- Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (1975). "The Economic Imperative: Why Was the B Movie Necessay?". In Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (eds.). Kings of the Bs : working within the Hollywood system : an anthology of film history and criticism. E. P. Dutton. p. 30.
- Moonrise at the American Film Institute Catalog.
- W., A. (March 7, 1949). "Moonrise (1948)". The New York Times. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- W., A. (March 7, 1949). "Moonrise (1948)". The New York Times. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- "The 21st Academy Awards (1949) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
External links
- Moonrise at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Moonrise on IMDb
- Moonrise at AllMovie
- Moonrise at the TCM Movie Database
- Moonrise: Dark of the Moon an essay by Philip Kemp at the Criterion Collection