Hollow Triumph
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| Hollow Triumph | |
|---|---|
 Hollow Triumph VHS cover |
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| Directed by | Steve Sekely |
| Produced by | Paul Henreid |
| Written by | Murray Forbes (novel) Daniel Fuchs |
| Starring | Paul Henreid Joan Bennett Eduard Franz Leslie Brooks John Qualen |
| Music by | Sol Kaplan |
| Cinematography | John Alton |
| Distributed by | Eagle-Lion Films Inc. |
| Release date(s) | August 10, 1948 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 83 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Hollow Triumph, also known as The Scar, is a black-and-white film released in 1948. The film, considered film noir, was directed by Steve Sekely and stars Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett.
John Muller (Henreid), medical school dropout and brilliant crook, plans a holdup at a night spot. The robbery goes bad and the mobsters running the place know exactly who tried to rob them. Muller decides to leave town and lie low. While hiding out from the mob, he takes an office job recommended by his straight-as-an-arrow brother but he quickly decides that working for a living is nor for him. An opportunity for a big score comes to mind when he finds out that he's the exact look-a-like of a local psychiatrist - the only difference is the doctor has a large scar on the side of his face. He plans to kill the man and take over his life.
He takes a photo of the doctor and uses it as a guide when he cuts a large scar onto the side of his face. Unfortunately, the developers of the photo reversed the negative and now Muller has the scar on the wrong side. He decides to go through with the plan anyway and no one notices the difference. The only one who knows his secret is the doctor's secretary, whom he starts an affair with. After seeing patients for a few days and going through the doctors personal papers, Muller finds out that the doctor had no money. In fact he has a huge gambling debt with the mob. Muller tries to take off but he's mistaken for the doctor and killed - all the while pleading to his killers he was not the man they thought he was.
[edit] Critical reaction
Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style notes "As in many of these B thrillers, the plot is contrived although the film's conclusion is as downbeat as any noir film since Scarlet Street.
[edit] References
- ↑ Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward (1992). Film Noir An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style. The Overlook Press. ISBN 0-87951-479-5.
