Cinema's Dark Side Collection: Impact / Second Woman / They Made Me A Criminal

Three Film Noir gems by top directors: THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL: Busby Berkeley, known mainly as a dance director, took a big chance with this tough little drama; his second feature after signing to MGM. The story, basically a remake of 1933's THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JIMMY DOLAN, chronicles the flight of a hard-drinking boxer (John Garfield) suspected of murder. While hiding out on an Arizona farm, he befriends the juvenile delinquents working there, and finds meaning to his life. Unfortunately, a persistent detective (Claude Rains) is on his trail, and closing in fast. Berkeley put his innovative choreography skills to good use in the fight and action scenes, and with the help of solid performances from his actors (especially the Dead End Kids, surprisingly affecting in non-comedy roles) established himself as a director capable of more than just musicals.
IMPACT: Brian Donlevy stars in this hard boiled noir as Walter Williams, a wealthy industrialist who is unfortunately also a cuckold. Desperate to get rid of him, his two-timing young wife, Irene, and her lover plan Walter's death, only to have their scheme go horribly awry. Walter survives, and ends up in Larkspur, Idaho with a nasty case of amnesia that begins to clear when he sees stories about his own death in the newspaper. Having fallen in love with a girl in Idaho, Walter goes back to his wife to confront her, only to be charged with murder himself. Filled with smart, arch dialogue, back stabbing women, and numerous plot twists, IMPACT is a hugely entertaining noir. SECOND WOMAN: Robert Young (FATHER KNOWS BEST) stars here as Jeff Cohalan, a young man whose wife was murdered while they were on their honeymoon, and who is plagued by strange accidents and visions of her death. He meets a beautiful young woman on a train, Ellen (Drake), and it becomes apparent that the two are very attracted to one another. Ellen soon learns about Jeff's past and is quickly drawn into his strange dark world, even when she begins to realize that Jeff may be much more dangerous than he seems. A stylish and riveting noirish thriller, THE SECOND WOMAN is an unjustly forgotten classic of the genre.