In a Lonely Place

1950
Director: Nicholas Ray
Columbia

Cast
Humphrey Bogart – Dixon Steele
Gloria Grahame – Laurel Gray
Frank Lovejoy – Det. Brub Nicolai
Carl Benton Reid – Capt. Lochner
Art Smith – Mel Lippman
Jeff Donnell – Sylvia Nicolai
Martha Stewart – Mildred Atkinson

Novel: Dorothy B. Hughes
Adaptation: Edmund H. North
Screenplay: Andrew Solt


It's been a while since hollywood screenwriter Dixon Steele has had a hit. While at a restaurant, prodding from his agent and a director get Dixon to reluctantly agree to adapt a popular novel into a screenplay. Dixon invites a checkroom girl, Mildred Atkinson, who has read the book back to his place so she can tell him the story.

Mildred's enthusiastic retelling of the book in no way inspires Dixon to actually want to read it. He gives her a bit of money and directs her to a cab stand nearby.

Mildred is murdered and Dixon is the prime suspect given he was the last known person to see her and his long history of volatile behavior and assaults.

Dixon's neighbor, Laurel Gray, gives him a tighter alibi by lying a bit to the cops because she likes his face. Laurel has recently moved into the apartment building after a breakup.

Dixon and Laurel begin a romance, and he gets enthusiastic about writing again. All is well until Laurel experiences firsthand Dixon's quick temper and penchant for violence. She begins to doubt his innocence and fears she may need to flee from another man.

• • • • •

In most noirs the accused protagonist avoids the cops and actively tries to prove their innocence, Dixon just gives his statement to the police and is done with it. This is a noir that doesn't concern itself with the murder, only how it strains Dixon's temperament and fosters Laurel's doubt and ultimately leads to their undoing.

The movie has a great climax.

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