Tonight's Movie: Nightmare (1956) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Tonight I wrapped up watching Kino Lorber's Dark Side of Cinema XVII collection with NIGHTMARE (1956).

NIGHTMARE, like the set's other films VICE SQUAD (1953) and BLACK TUESDAY (1954), stars Edward G. Robinson. And like those films, I found it interesting and enjoyable.

To be sure, NIGHTMARE has flaws, starting with a sometimes-draggy script by director-screenwriter Maxwell Shane, but it also has several "plus" factors, including the great Mr. Robinson himself. Overall, I enjoyed the movie despite its problems.

NIGHTMARE is a remake of FEAR IN THE NIGHT (1946), which was also written and directed by Shane. In each case the script was based on a story by the prolific Cornell Woolrich.

Just last weekend, as it happens, I saw two other films based on Woolrich stories, the Argentinian movies NEVER OPEN THAT DOOR (1952) and IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE I WAKE (1952). This year I've seen at least two other films inspired by Woolrich's writing.  He had incredible influence on the film noir and crime film genres.

NIGHTMARE has one of the wilder Woolrich stories I've seen filmed -- probably even crazier than one of my favorite Woolrich tales, NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES (1948), which also starred Robinson.

New Orleans musician Stan Grayson (Kevin McCarthy) wakes up from a terrible nightmare in which he killed someone. As Stan calms down, he's taken aback when he notices things like blood on his hand and a mark on his neck which hadn't been present before he went to bed.  

Stan can't shake the feeling that his dream was real...especially when a key he'd only seen in his dream appears in his room.

The disturbed Stan confides in his brother-in-law Rene (Robinson), a police detective, but Rene brushes off Stan's fears as overwork or stress. Rene warns Stan not to upset his pregnant wife Sue (Virginia Christine), Stan's sister, with his wild story.

As Stan struggles on the verge of an emotional breakdown, circumstances lead to Rene and Stan learning about a murder outside New Orleans which seems to have details which match Stan's nightmare. Rene is initially upset and believes his brother-in-law may be a murderer, but as more facts reveal themselves, Rene realizes something quite different may have happened...

Shane's script is a somewhat draggy 89 minutes; not that Stan doesn't have the right to be worried, but his whining and sullen behavior aren't fun to watch, and the script gets a bit repetitive as Stan tries to convince his disbelieving brother-in-law something sinister has happened.

The film takes off and becomes more engrossing about midway through, when the true story begins to reveal itself and Rene goes into detective mode, offering Stan support and hope instead of snapping at him.

Despite the imperfect script, NIGHTMARE has a number of plus factors going for it, starting with location work in New Orleans. The film seems to use a mix of back projections and actual shooting in Louisiana; I hope to learn more on that topic from the commentary track by Jason A. Ney.

The movie also has some very good jazz music and singing, with trumpet player-conductor-arranger Billy May playing Stan's boss as well as performing with singer Connie Russell, who plays Stan's girlfriend Gina.  The music gives the film a different vibe from the norm, and I enjoyed that aspect.

As a fan of Virginia Christine I also enjoyed her in a nice role as Rene's wife. The subplot with her expecting a baby after several years of marriage -- and being very hungry as a result -- is sweet.

NIGHTMARE was filmed in black and white by Joseph F. Biroc. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the film's look, but it's a nice, crisp print. The Blu-ray is from an HD master from a 2K scan of the 35mm fine grain.

In addition to the previously mentioned commentary track, there's a gallery of three trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

While none of the films is this collection are perfect, I found each of them interesting and enjoyable, and I recommend this set. Fans of Edward G. Robinson will find it especially rewarding having the chance to watch some of his lesser-known but worthwhile films of the '50s.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.

Tweet