The Dark Past 1949 DVD - William Holden, Lee J. Cobb, Nina Foch FILM NOIR

Description: Item Description KILLER PERSONALITY Al Walker (William Holden) is a ruthless killer serving time in prison, and has become the leader of the band of thugs who have planned an escape. He murders the Warden (who they've taken hostage) just for kicks. He decides the gang will NOT hold up in one of the empty vacation homes nearby but one with people in it. This way, he figures, the cops won't suspect where they are hiding. As luck would have it, the home happens to be owned by a psychiatrist, Dr. Collins (the great Lee J. Cobb) who works to discover "The Dark Past" of convict Walker. His home is filled with quite a few characters, as Dr. Collins and his family are hosting a dinner party. Soon, all of them are prisoners and hoping that the gang doesn't kill them while Dr. Collins plays a mental game of cat and mouse with the troubled Walker - who is increasingly unstable as he's waiting for a ride that doesn't arrive when it's supposed to. Although a remake of 1939's Blind Alley, for a film made in 1948 The Dark Past has a rather ground-breaking plot. The concept that crime in youth could perhaps be explained and treated by psychiatric means was still quite radical at that time. Interest in the subject matter was on the rise as a result of the trauma soldiers suffered in World War II and the problems they faced coming home. Holden is terrific as the on-the-edge convict tortured by partial hand paralysis and a recurring nightmare from an incident in his childhood; young, pretty Nina Foch is his girlfriend who loves him but is terribly hurt by his actions. Lee J. Cobb shines as usual as the methodical hero who uses his brains to overcome his adversary's brawn. Nowadays we are much more informed on psychological issues, and some will probably see this film as a somewhat primitive exercise, but The Dark Past has many elements that have stood the test of time surprisingly well. Director Rudolph Maté stays extremely close to the original production of Blind Alley (directed by Charles Vidor), with some scenes so closely developed that you could very easily swap them in the earlier film. I think this film is actually a bit better than the original largely due to the performance of Cobb and William Holden's more realistic and less sensationalist performance. REGION 0 - WILL PLAY WORLDWIDE INTERACTIVE MENUS / SCENE SELECTION 1949 / BLACK & WHITE / FULLSCREEN (4:3 Ratio) / ENGLISH / 75 MIN DVD ART WITH INSERT AS SHOWN. A GREAT COLLECTOR'S ITEM - AND A GREAT GIFT FOR ANY FAN OF CLASSIC FILMS! PLEASE NOTE: THIS PRODUCTION HAS NEVER BEEN AVAILABLE ON DVD AND IS NOT AVAILABLE IN STORES. This is not an "official" release or copy thereof. All media came from public domain sources. This is a good-quality copy with interactive menus and packaging designed by myself. This DVD is boxed exactly as pictured above, and is brand new and factory shrink-wrapped. All screenshots are taken directly from the DVD. All files used in the production of this DVD are not in violation of copyright laws or Ebay guidelines. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DVD is professionally assembled & shipped to you straight from the factory - no low quality stick-on labels or homemade burns! Any defective disks happily replaced! Please allow 3 business days for shipment to be sent out. Orders within the United States will usually arrive within one week of purchase but I have seen it take up to 10-15 days during Christmas time. International orders can sometimes take up to 14 to 21 business days. If you are unhappy for any reason, please contact me before posting negative feedback! I have a 100% satisfaction policy and will gladly iron out problems. I love these neglected films and have spent years tracking down quality copies! I aim to give these films the loving attention they deserve, with quality packaging and interactive menus. I'm always on the hunt for rare & neglected gems so check back often! I'm happy to answer any and all questions you may have! Just drop me a line!

Price: 12 USD

Location: Sparks, Nevada

End Time: 2024-07-20T03:17:14.000Z

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