Michèle Morgan in her killer wardrobe. Image: IMDb
We (yours truly) are pretty vocal when we dislike a movie’s ending.
We have endless ideas about how filmmakers could have brought the film to a better conclusion – and just never mind we’ve never made a film ourselves. Why should lack of experience interfere with being an expert?
But when we recently saw the film noir, The Chase (1946), we were excited to see two endings.
Let’s back up a bit. Robert Cummings plays an unemployed military veteran who is hired as a chauffeur by a ruthless gangster (Steve Cochran). Cummings, at first, is unaware of Cochran’s underworld status, because he himself is an Honest and Decent fellow.
But his moral fibre starts to unravel when he meets Cochran’s beautiful but troubled wife (Michèle Morgan). He falls in love with her, poor slob, and when he agrees to travel to Cuba with her, he sets in motion a tragic and irreversible chain of events.
Or maybe he doesn’t. Maybe the Tragic Events are Cummings’s hallucinations, a by-product of his wartime trauma. Maybe he gets a second chance at a Fateful Evening, and his choices – some different, some not – lead to a different outcome.
Tantalizing, isn’t it? Because who says you have to have one ending to a movie?
Remember, kids, crime doesn’t pay. Image: 366 Weird Movies
The Chase has been criticized for being slow and confusing. Some critics say the hallucination scenario is weak, but we like it. We like the uneasiness of it, and how it makes us Wary of Cummings, a character in whom, until that moment, we had implicit trust. Is Cummings mentally unstable? Why does he develop an obsession with clocks? Why does his memory fail him?
We normally aren’t a fan of dream plot devices, because they can cheapen a film. But we think it adds to the strangeness of The Chase, which already has some disquieting aspects.
First, Peter Lorre. Lorre plays Cochran’s menacing assistant, and even though he’s short in stature, he exudes power and shrewd villainy. Without Lorre, Cochran’s character would be a mediocre thug; with Lorre, he’s the executive type – someone who controls the world around him.
Secondly, the film has an unsettling atmosphere that never lets you feel comfortable. You feel like you’re always looking over your shoulder.
Thirdly, it’s a violent film. Even though it was released in 1946, there’s an early scene where Cochran hits his manicurist, and this act drills fear into his staff and the audience.
So, we have a war vet who may or may not possess all his Faculties, a powerful gangster, and Peter Lorre. This film gives you your Money’s Worth.
Peter Lorre in one of the two endings. Image: Mubi
The Chase is an adaptation of the 1944 novel, The Black Path of Fear, by American author Cornell Woolrich. Woolrich worked in Hollywood, without much success, as a scriptwriter in the late 1920s. However, he found his Niche when he started writing crime fiction in the 1930s.
Filmmakers had a few obstacles to work around. One was making changes to the story for approval vis-à-vis the Production Code; hence the hallucination business. They also wanted to sign Joan Leslie to star opposite Cummings, but her studio, Warner Bros., refused to loan her out. Thirdly, production was delayed during the summer of 1946 when electrical workers at RKO went on strike.
This film was submitted to the 1947 Cannes Film Festival, but has since, sadly, fallen into the public domain, and we all know what happens to movies Then.
Even though The Chase has a low audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (42%), and the Public Domain issue notwithstanding, we think you might like it. There’s enough originality – plus two endings – to keep you engaged.
The Chase: starring Robert Cummings, Michèle Morgan, Steve Cochran. Directed by Arthur Ripley. Written by Philip Yordan. Nero Films, 1946, B&W, 86 mins.
This film sounds super cool, Ruth. Thanks for the swell review! 🙂
By the way, I’m hosting a blogathon in honor of Kim Novak’s 89th Birthday in late February. Would love to have you join us! Here’s the link if you’re interested:
And let’s not forget the exquisite beauty of Michele Morgan. I wish she had made more movies. She’s also wonderful in The Fallen Idol with Ralph Richardson
This is one of my favorite noirs, with a down-on-his-luck everyman dangerously falling for his sociopathic boss’ wife. The duo of Cochran and Lorre is one of the best, with each feeding off the other’s evil, and you don’t know exactly when they’re going to explode.
I suspect the dream sequence was used, in part, to avoid some challenges with the censors (similar to Lang’s The Woman in the Window). I’m glad Michèle Morgan was cast; se seems better suited to her character than Joan Leslie.
Two endings is something a lot of films would benefit from. If I had a dollar for every time I said, “Dang, if they’d just ended it there, it would have been perfect!” or “If they’d only done X”–I’m an armchair director!
Haha – I’m an armchair director too. I always have ideas, so it was fun to see two different outcomes being mashed together. This film has become a new fave.
I’m not sure about the violence but I am loving the psychological trip of this film. The unreliable character, the uncertainty, the unsettling atmosphere… Sounds like a must see. Thanks!
I’m with you! I discovered The Chase during my dialysis years. (Thanks to YouTube for providing distractions.) It confused me. It sometimes annoyed me. However, I kept returning to it because it also fascinated me. And talk about atmosphere!
Silver Screenings 
I realy like this blog. Amazing 😁
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Thanks so much! I was thinking the same thing about yours. 😄
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I love reading your reviews. It’s like being with you and visiting over a cup of tea or hot cocoa.
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Thanks, Marilyn! How are you? Happy New Year!
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Wow … looks fascinating. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this one … will have to hunt it up. Always loved Robert Cummings!
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Robert Cummings is pretty fab, isn’t he? He has some great scenes in this film.
It’s been too long since I visited your beautiful works online, so I’ll be dropping by soon. Best wishes for 2022!
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This film sounds super cool, Ruth. Thanks for the swell review! 🙂
By the way, I’m hosting a blogathon in honor of Kim Novak’s 89th Birthday in late February. Would love to have you join us! Here’s the link if you’re interested:
https://theclassicmoviemuse.wordpress.com/2022/01/04/announcing-the-kim-novak-blogathon-an-89th-birthday-celebration/
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Ooh – I just saw the announcement on your site, and I’m in! I’ll drop by later with a topic.
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Fabulous! Looking forward to hearing your choice 🙂
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I love your review, and the movie sounds fascinating. I’ve never seen it, but I’ll have to remedy that soon.
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It’s a crazy movie, but I like the ambiguity. It’s not a film soon forgotten.
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This does sound interesting. Thank you, Ruth! 🙂
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I hope you get the chance to see this, Debbi. I’d love to know what you think.
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This does sound such a good film, and I like the two endings idea… wish more films did this.
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Me too. This film packs a lot of adventure in its short run time. A real gem, in my opinion.
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Definitely sounds it from your lovely description!
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And let’s not forget the exquisite beauty of Michele Morgan. I wish she had made more movies. She’s also wonderful in The Fallen Idol with Ralph Richardson
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I’ve not seen The Fallen Idol, but I have it on my Must Watch list. I bet she’s fabulous with Ralph Richardson.
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I do think the multiple endings idea is always a fun one to explore. I especially enjoyed it in the movie “Clue” 🙂
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Oh right – I forgot about “Clue”. It’s been way too long since I saw that gem.
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Such a great movie – I try to watch it every Halloween!
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I haven’t seen it but would be interested to. I like both hallucinations/dreams and the idea of multiple endings!
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It’s a neat, mind-bending idea. Would love to hear your writerly take on it if you get the chance to see it.
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This is one of my favorite noirs, with a down-on-his-luck everyman dangerously falling for his sociopathic boss’ wife. The duo of Cochran and Lorre is one of the best, with each feeding off the other’s evil, and you don’t know exactly when they’re going to explode.
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Agreed. The chemistry between Cochran and Lorre is superb. I had no expectations going into this film, but it’s become one of my faves too.
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I suspect the dream sequence was used, in part, to avoid some challenges with the censors (similar to Lang’s The Woman in the Window). I’m glad Michèle Morgan was cast; se seems better suited to her character than Joan Leslie.
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Oh yeah, Michèle Morgan brings glam mystery to her role. Leslie would have been a fine choice, but Morgan made the character memorable.
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Two endings is something a lot of films would benefit from. If I had a dollar for every time I said, “Dang, if they’d just ended it there, it would have been perfect!” or “If they’d only done X”–I’m an armchair director!
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Haha – I’m an armchair director too. I always have ideas, so it was fun to see two different outcomes being mashed together. This film has become a new fave.
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I’m not sure about the violence but I am loving the psychological trip of this film. The unreliable character, the uncertainty, the unsettling atmosphere… Sounds like a must see. Thanks!
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It’s an underrated gem, to be sure. I like how it establishes the main character as The Good Guy, then pulls the rug out.
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You know I love a good pulling-the-rug-out. This is on my TBW list for sure. Thanks!
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I’m with you! I discovered The Chase during my dialysis years. (Thanks to YouTube for providing distractions.) It confused me. It sometimes annoyed me. However, I kept returning to it because it also fascinated me. And talk about atmosphere!
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Oh yeah, this film is drenched in atmosphere. And Amen to YouTube for providing these kinds of underrated gems.
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