"I can't walk out Harry. You'll have to do the walking."
This is the story of one man and three women. The man in question, stockbroker Larry Ballentine (Robert Young), is on trial for the murder of one of those three. A flashback takes us to when it all started. Larry was having an affair Janice Bell (Jane Greer), a delicate rose, who is falling in love with Larry but conflicted by the fact that he's still married. The wife in question, Greta (Rita Johnson), has no plans on letting Larry go. Their marriage was more of a financial arrangement for Larry. But when Greta hears that Larry is about to travel to Montreal with his new flame, she tags along to shake off Janice. At work, Larry falls for an employee at the brokerage, Verna (Susan Hayward). Verna is very different from both Janice and Greta, something that excited Larry greatly. When Verna and Larry plot an escape, a way for Larry to finally get a divorce without sacrificing his financial situation, things take a turn for the worst.
Directed by Irving Pichel, They Won't Believe Me (1947) is a captivating film noir and a must see for anyone who loves this style of filmmaking. Produced by Joan Harrison for RKO, this was her first sole producer credit (learn more about Harrison here.) It flips the femme fatale trope on its head presenting us with what TCM's Eddie Muller calls an "homme fatale." Robert Young as Larry has all the traits you would expect from a femme fatale but in a male role. And a credit to Harrison's handling of the project, the female characters are fleshed out and just plain interesting. They Won't Believe Me is based on a story by Gordon McDonnell and adapted to the screen by Jonathan Latimer. The ending is abrupt and a little ambiguous, a way to get around strict Hays Code guidelines of the time.
RKO re-released They Won't Believe Me in 1957 to play as a double bill in theaters. They cut 15 minutes from the film creating a new 60 minute version. The complete movie was elusive for years. Prints languished in archives but the public only ever saw the cut version. Thanks to the Warner Archive's George Feltenstein who championed the restoration, this film noir is now available in its entirety. The Warner Archive collection has released a new Blu-ray restored in 1080p HD from a 4K scan of the original nitrate print. This restoration premiered at the 2021 virtual TCM Classic Film Festival back in May.
If you haven't seen They Won't Believe Me yet, you're in for a real treat. I found myself really engrossed with this one. It hits all the marks I expect a good film noir should. There are a few twists and turns but nothing is over the top. For me, I really enjoyed the different elements like the court room trial, the escape to the countryside, the backdrop of the stock market, the Caribbean cruise, etc. There's a lot going on but it's so streamlined and seamless that it just flows. I'll definitely be watching this one again and again.
Warner Archive Wednesday - On (random) Wednesdays, I feature titles from the Warner Archive Collection. Thank you to Warner Archive for sending me copy of They Won't Believe Me (1947).