The Dark Corner

"Save your lipstick, girls, he plays for keeps."

1946 1h 39m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 73

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Ex-con turned private investigator Bradford Galt suspects someone is following him and maybe even trying to kill him. With the assistance of his spunky secretary, Kathleen Stewart, he dives deep into a mystery in search of answers.

“Save your lipstick, girls, he plays for keeps.”

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Cast

Lucille Ball
Kathleen Stewart
Clifton Webb
Hardy Cathcart
William Bendix
Fred Foss
Mark Stevens
Bradford Galt
Kurt Kreuger
Anthony Jardine
Cathy Downs
Mari Cathcart
Reed Hadley
Frank Reeves
Constance Collier
Mrs. Kingsley

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Henry Hathaway
Writers: Jay Dratler, Bernard C. Schoenfeld, Leo Rosten
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

80 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Henry Hathaway, shot by Joseph MacDonald. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Cyril J. Mockridge. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor J. Watson Webb Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Lucille Ball and Clifton Webb and William Bendix carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Save your lipstick, girls, he plays for keeps.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0038453 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 73 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Henry Hathaway directs. Joseph MacDonald behind the camera. Cyril J. Mockridge scores. J. Watson Webb Jr. cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Henry Hathaway, shot by Joseph MacDonald. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Cyril J. Mockridge. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor J. Watson Webb Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Lucille Ball and Clifton Webb and William Bendix carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Save your lipstick, girls, he plays for keeps.".
7IMDB entry: tt0038453 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 73 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Joseph MacDonald
Original score: Cyril J. Mockridge
Editing: J. Watson Webb Jr.
Costume design: Kay Nelson
Makeup / hair: Ben Nye
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Dark Corner (1946)

Also by

Henry Hathaway

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-03-28
★ 6/10
Mark Stevens is "Brad Galt" a newly arrived New York PI trying to set up anew after serving jail time after being famed by his erstwhile partner "Jardine" (Kurt Kreuger). A visit from the local police "Reeves" (Reed Hadley) sets him on edge and before long he realises that someone is out to get him again! Aided by his secretary "Kathleen" (Lucille Ball) - who is a considerably more effective investigator - they decide to find their antagonist before he prevails. It's quite a decently paced crime thriller. Ball is on good form and bonds quite well with the handsome, boyish, Stevens and a couple of contributions from Clifton Webb and his henchman William Bendix keep the story interesting, if not exactly intriguing, for a while. It is a bit too long, but still worth a watch.

Production companies