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Dark City

Charlton Heston , Lizabeth Scott    Unrated   DVD
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
Price: CDN$ 24.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 25. Details
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Hollywood Welcomes Charlton Heston Dec 1 2010
By A. Wheeler TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dark City is a solid film noir that introduces Charlton Heston in his first Hollywood starring role. We can see in this why Charlton Heston became a major star: he exudes the charisma and strength of character of a leading man, and the pedigree of a handsome man with an above average physique. We see in this film that Heston is a good actor, but more importantly, the camera loves him. When he is on the screen, the viewer is simply seduced by his presence.

The film is about a group of seedy gamblers, all played by solid character actors, and led by Charlton Heston's character. They find a mark in Don DeFore, very effective in a small but crucial role, and set him up in a couple of poker games to take him for $5,000 that he was supposed to deliver on behalf of a group he represented. Five grand was alot of money in 1950, and as a consequence, in a moment of despair and remorse, he commits suicide.

This is when the film gets interesting, since even though Don DeFore was a mild and docile character in the film, he had a domineering brother with a serious mean streak, and as it turns out, an old fashion idea of justice. He goes about murdering the gamblers who caused his brother's suicide, until we are left with Heston trying to figure out how to save himself from his homicidal nemesis. The film does a good job of creating an ominous suspense, and it is clever how it goes about portraying the vengeful brother of the suicide victim.

I have to admit that I found the involvement of Heston's character with DeFore's widow in the film rather strange and a bit out of character for the kind of man Heston was playing, but I suppose the film makers used it as a vehicle to show the change in Heston's character and how he attempts to redeem himself for what he has done.

I am a great admirer of Lizabeth Scott, but in my opinion she is wasted in this film. She does get to sing a couple of tunes, and she's not bad doing it. But, her role in this film is more eye candy than anything else, and I have seen her in much better roles in other film noirs. Ultimately, this film is Charlton Heston's, and Heston's alone.

This was an enjoyable film to view, and this film being Charlton Heston's first leading role, just ads a major bonus. A solid film noir with a timeless quality.
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Amazon.com: 3.9 out of 5 stars  15 reviews
48 of 50 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Charlton Heston's Film Debut Jun 8 2010
By Donald H. Stewart - Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dark City is Charlton Heston's first film. He plays the role of Danny, an overly determined revenger, who spends the film tracking down the killer of the 4 members of his poker game gone bad, one by one. Lizabeth Scott plays Fran Garland, Danny's under appreciated singer at the local Nightclub which Danny frequents. She delivers 5, yes 5 songs, one of which is the best rendition of That Old Black Magic available. This is one of Lizabeth Scott's best films - even though she does not have a gun in her purse!!. A fine supporting cast of Paramount Contract Players of that era help move things along-Jack Webb, Harry Morgan, Don Defore, Ed Begley, Dean Jagger, Mike Masurki, and of all people, Vivica Lindfors. Aside from being a Charlton Heston film premier, this is a MUST for any Lizabeth Scott fan.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Heston's debut as a tough guy in film noir Sep 2 2010
By Larry VanDeSande - Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD
I am very pleased to see "Dark City" finally made it to DVD via Amazon. I haven't seen this film in some years. The last recall I had of it was when that other Dark City was released a few years ago, the insipid mystery about aliens chasing people around on an imaginary set.

This "Dark City" is about crime lords in the 1940s, a card game, some lost money, a double cross, a dame and some other stuff. It doesn't have a great script. Heston was 25 when this film was released; it was his first major film. Far from being an ingenue or a beginner, he exhibits all the same electric charm and animal attraction that made him a leading man in films as varied as Ben-Hur, Airport 75, El Cid, Planet of the Apes, The Ten Commandments and Soylent Green for more than then next half-century.

Heston is aided here by some of the best character actors of the 1950s -- Harry Morgan and Jack Webb, who went on to stardom in television's "Dragnet" series -- as well as Ed Begley and Don DeFore. It isn't the greatest revenge movie ever made but Heston is dynamite, as always, as he rivets viewer attention in every scene. One of the best is the opening credit with Heston walking into the frame. Dynamite! Thanks for finally bringing this gem back to us!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Strong Hollywood Debut for Charlton Heston as a Tough-Talking Gambler. Aug 16 2010
By mirasreviews - Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD
"Dark City" was Charlton Heston's first Hollywood film, and it's easy to see why he became a star. Heston projects a strong persona as Danny Haley, an Ivy-leaguer and war hero without the status those things might imply. Danny co-owns a bookie joint with older, gruffer Barney (Ed Begley). One evening, when Danny visits his girlfriend Fran (Lizabeth Scott) in the downscale club where she sings, he meets Arthur Winant (Don DeFore), a friendly athletic director in town on business. Arthur hangs himself after losing his company's money in a poker game to Danny's weasely associate Augie (Jack Webb). Then Barney is murdered. Danny, Augie, and police Captain Garvey (Dean Jagger) suspect that someone is seeking revenge for Arthur's death, and Danny and Augie will be the next targets.

Charlton Heston does a good tough guy with emotional baggage. It makes me wish he'd done more movies in the film noir mold. "Dark City" makes use of noir conventions, but its tone softens after an hour. And being pursued by a homicidal maniac is prosaic by film noir standards. It could be said that Danny is being pursued by his conscience, but that is even further from noir themes. Pop culture critic Carl Macek remarked that "Dark City is a vision of the noir world without the emphasis of the noir ethos." That about says it. It's a solid thriller that's intermittently noir. Heston is a strong presence. Lizabeth Scott gets to sing a lot but Fran is beneath her talents. Beautiful Viveca Lindfors plays a modestly-attired widow. And Jack Webb is always spot-on as a small-time creep. The print and sound on the 2010 Olive Films DVD are good. No subtitles or bonus features.
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