Classic Hollywood was not known for bold experiments, and it was a rare occurrence when major stylistic innovations were more likely within certain genres like film noir, since they were more grounded in real life and, therefore, less expensive and lower-risk. One of the most unusual films of the era was Lady in the Lake, the 1946 crime film directed by Robert Montgomery.
The film is based on the 1943 novel The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler, the fourth in the series about Los Angeles private detective Philip Marlowe. The plot begins when Marlowe (played by Montgomery), tired of his low-paid work, tries to switch careers to crime writing and submits a story to a publishing house owned by Derace Kingsby (played by Leon Ames). His assistant, Adrienne Fromsett (played by Audrey Totter), however, actually uses the opportunity to hire him to locate Crystal Kingsby, her boss’s wife, who has gone missing. Marlowe accepts, partly because he is attracted to Adrienne, although she clearly has romantic designs on her boss. His investigation leads him to various locations in California where he encounters gigolos, corrupt police detectives, and multiple murders.
The film is built on Montgomery’s relatively simple but revolutionary idea. He wanted to mimic the first-person narrative of Chandler’s novels not only through the protagonist’s narration but by having the entire plot shown from the protagonist’s point of view. This technique, advertised by MGM as the biggest technical innovation since the introduction of talking pictures, was achieved with innovative dolly moves. Montgomery, who narrates the film and plays the protagonist, is almost never seen on screen, except when Marlowe sees his own reflection in a mirror. MGM, however, was not bold enough to commit fully to this approach. The studio forced Montgomery to record an introductory scene in which he addresses the audience and explains what they are about to see, and later he breaks the fourth wall again to clarify plot points. This, in many ways, compromises the original concept and disrupts the narrative rhythm.
The script by prolific pulp writer Steve Fisher made several changes to Raymond Chandler’s original screen adaptation. The intention was to shorten and simplify the plot, but it nevertheless remained convoluted and was often overshadowed by the film’s technical novelty. Montgomery was solid but unremarkable in his role, seemingly paying more attention to his work behind the camera. Audrey Totter was far more impressive as the archetypal film noir anti-heroine, who acts like a femme fatale but whose ultimate moral alignment remains ambiguous until the end. Montgomery directed the film competently, but much of his work was undermined by having the plot unnecessarily revolve around Christmas, and, even more noticeably, by David Snell’s musical score, which is more akin to a classical oratorio than typical film noir scoring.
Lady in the Lake is, despite some experiments not fully succeeding, mostly successful and can be recommended to fans of film noir and offbeat works of Classic Hollywood.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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