Tonight's Movie: Crack-Up (1946) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

CRACK-UP (1946), a somewhat confusing yet also very enjoyable RKO film noir, will be released on Blu-ray next week by the Warner Archive Collection.

I first saw this film via the Warner Archive DVD a decade ago. Both then and now I found the film not completely successful, yet despite that I still like it very much. It has a great cast, wonderful atmosphere, and some snappy dialogue to offset a sometimes murky plot.

As the movie begins, art expert George Steele (Pat O'Brien) staggers into a museum, seemingly drunk, having a breakdown, or both. He claims he's been in a horrific train wreck, but Detective Cochrane (Wallace Ford) says no train wrecks have been reported...

Despite his violent arrival at the museum, George is allowed to go home thanks to Traybin (Herbert Marshall), a British art expert who happens to be present; Traybin convinces the police that letting George go home would be the best thing for all involved.

George quickly begins piecing together what actually happened to him, aided by his girlfriend Terry (Claire Trevor). He takes another train ride...and eventually realizes something strange is going on which may involve forgeries of famous paintings.

As alluded to above, CRACK-UP has a great deal going for it, starting with the cast. Some critics have felt O'Brien is miscast as a man of the arts, but the entire point of his character -- who had saved art stolen by the Nazis, a la THE MONUMENTS MEN (2014) -- is that he's a rebel who doesn't quite fit in the art world. His lectures stir controversy among the museum experts and board members.

Steele is also a skilled technician when it comes to using x-rays to help identify forgeries, which also fits in with O'Brien's "everyman among the arts" character.

Trevor as the supportive girlfriend is on screen a great deal, though she doesn't have a great deal to actually do other than sling some great lines of dialogue. Despite her character's lack of "action," her screen presence is a valuable asset to the movie.

As for the urbane Marshall, I couldn't remember from my last viewing whether he was a good guy or a villain; the way his character is played, he could go either direction, and I was satisfied with the ultimate reveal.

Among the supporting cast I particularly liked Mary Ware as a seemingly timid "good girl" museum employee who turns out to be more than expected. Ware had a brief career; I plan to seek out the Hopalong Cassidy Western HOPPY'S HOLIDAY (1947) in which she had a role.

Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford, Damian O'Flynn, Dean Harens, and Edward Gargan round out the cast.

Beyond the cast and the dialogue by a trio of writers, the movie also has trains and the mid-'40s obsession with psychology going for it. Although at times it's a bit challenging to follow -- including not knowing for sure if the train crash was real or imagined -- I find it a quite enjoyable way to spend 93 minutes.

The movie was directed by Irving Reis and filmed in black and white by Robert De Grasse.

The Warner Archive's Blu-ray is from a 4K restoration of the original camera negative. It looks and sounds terrific.

Disc extras include the "Crime Does Not Pay" short PURITY SQUAD (1947), featuring a host of familiar character actors, and the trailer.

My fellow film noir and crime film fans should enjoy spending time with this one too. Recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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