In A Lonely Place (1950)
is where a hat-check girl (Martha Stewart) was murdered and her body unceremoniously dumped, but as it turns out this is barely a background detail in what ultimately becomes an almost-Hitchcockian Suspicion (1941) like story. This, however, is not a film overly concerned about protecting a handsome leading man’s carefully crafted, studio persona, and coyness in playing his directorial hand is nowhere in evidence in Nicholas Ray’s work, (though similarly, an alternate and bleaker conclusion was at one time also considered and apparently, for personal reasons and not due to studio interference, was changed.) Supposedly a veiled autobiographical portrait of the relationship between Gloria Grahame and director Nicholas Ray, this is a dark and disturbing film, but also very funny at times. (Robert Warwick as an alcoholic has-been is hardly the single comedy relief element.) The story instead becomes that of a candle which by virtue of burning brighter burns out that much quicker. Sure, H