| The Chase | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Arthur Ripley |
| Produced by | Seymour Nebenzal |
| Screenplay by | Philip Yordan |
| Story by | Cornell Woolrich (novel The Black Path of Fear) |
| Starring | Robert Cummings Michèle Morgan Steve Cochran |
| Music by | Michel Michelet |
| Cinematography | Frank F. Planer |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | November 16, 1946 (United states) |
| Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Chase (1946) is an American film noir, shot in black and white, directed by Arthur Ripley. The screenplay (adapted by Philip Yordan) is based on the Cornell Woolrich novel The Black Path of Fear. This film is now in the public domain and released by Alpha Video.[1]
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This dream-like film noir is about Chuck Scott (Robert Cummings), a World War II vet now a penniless drifter tormented by bizarre dreams, who takes a job as driver to Eddie Roman (Steve Cochran), a vicious gangster. Roman tests his new driver, Scott, by assuming control of his car from the back seat. Unbeknownst to Scott, Roman has an accelerator installed in the rear passenger compartment so that he can "take over" the vehicle whenever he wants. This bizarre trick not only unnerves his new driver but also Roman's right-hand man, Gino (Peter Lorre).
Scott passes the test and gets the job. But things get tough for Scott when he falls in love with the gangster's wife, Lorna (Michele Morgan), who has attempted to kill herself because life has become unbearable with her sadistic husband. The two run off together to Cuba and a bizarre chase begins wherein Scott is framed for a murder and must therefore avoid both Roman and the police.
Finally, at a point when Scott is able to clear his name, he is thrown back into the nightmare in a surprising twist.
Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style by Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward notes: "Phantom Lady excepted, The Chase is the best cinematic equivalent of the dark, oppressive atmosphere that characterizes most of Cornell Woolrich's best fiction."[2]
The film was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.[3]
It was released on DVD in the US from Alpha Video on July 22, 2003.[4]