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Daisy Kenyon (Fox Film Noir)
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Editorial Reviews:
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Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 03/11/2008 Run time: 99 minutes Rating: Nr
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Otto Preminger's Daisy Kenyon is an unsung beauty from Hollywood's golden age, a remarkably good and intelligent movie that's all the more gratifying because it could so easily have come out formulaic and sappy. In 1947 it was regarded (and implicitly shrugged off) as a "women's picture" or, more specifically, a "Joan Crawford picture." But there's more going on here. This was shortly after the Oscar for Mildred Pierce revived the actress's career, and the nature of a Crawford picture was changing since she had entered her (gasp) 40s. New York careerwoman Daisy (a magazine illustrator) is trying to break off her longtime affair with a high-profile lawyer and family man (Dana Andrews), and tentatively beginning a relationship with an attractive WWII veteran and widower (Henry Fonda). The men's roles are as important as Crawford's, and neither man is entirely what he first seems--Andrews a self-centered manipulator in all arenas, Fonda a poetic New Englander who used to design boats. Enough ambivalence, wounded psyches, and intimate violence surface to make the movie a kissing cousin to film noir... albeit a variation of noir in which no gun is pulled. Noir also leaks in through the gorgeous Fox craftsmanship. Leon Shamroy's lustrous lighting paints the characters and their studio-made, persuasively three-dimensional environs with insinuating shadow, while still serving director Preminger's penchant for fluid camerawork and mise-en-scène that doesn't dictate our attitudes toward the characters. The production is a model of Hollywood professionalism at every level, and the three star performances are each atypical and complex, with Crawford more restrained and thoughtful than we're accustomed to seeing her. And speaking of model performances, plan to rewatch the film while listening to the commentary by Foster Hirsch, author of the excellent critical biography, Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would Be King; Hirsch is especially sharp on Preminger's stylistic choices and the underappreciated Dana Andrews. --Richard T. Jameson
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Daisy Kenyon (Fox Film Noir)
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User Comments About Daisy Kenyon (Fox Film Noir)
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This so-so film is absolutely not a film noir and is boring and silly. I give two stars simply because it has Dana Andrew in it. I cannot stand Crawford but Her fans will love it. I thought Andrew and Fonda could save it.NOPE.
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This movie is so Joan Crawford. Joan ,Joan. She was so beautiful. I especially like the men in her life. I liked how different they were ,yet how so a like.This film has everything from child abuse to the triangular love affair.Through it all Daisy remains her strong independent self.
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DULL AND VAPID. ONE OF JOAN'S WORST FILMS
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Thus, the entire plot is unbelievable and as such, it does not impress because one feels no empathy or sympathy for the characters. . This film is not an example of a good one. The mood is atmospheric and the lighting is dark as film noir should be.
Fonda himself hated this picture and his role and only agreed to appear in it to complete his contractual obligation for Fox. Few of Joan's Crawford's films were good. A good movie makes one root for its protaganists. First this is a bland soap opera through and through.
I agree with the reviewer who said that Crawford had no sex appeal (despite her being a nymphomaniac in real life) and absolutely no chemistry with her leading men. One could care less how this film turns out. The screenplay lacks focus and direction and all the characters except for Fonda's are unlikeable. That's about as "noirish" as it gets. She is also unflatteringly photographed in a lot of scenes (you can actually see blemishes and her freckled skin).
The "noirish aspect" of this film is indeed present but Director Otto Preminger's handling of the material is incompetent. The film is worth a look if you haven't seen it but I know almost definitely that this is one film I have no desire to watch again.
The problem is one cannot understand why Crawford would want Andrews who is as stale as cardboard. It starts off completely dull and does not improve.
There is nothing in the screenplay to explain his motivation or his attraction to her. Another problem is the question of why Fonda is enamored of her.
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This is one of Joan Crawford's finest performances. A super scene at The Stork Club, full of atmosphere and famous personalities making cameo appearances. Otto Preminger directs with a sure, professional hand. They both excel in their roles. You won't be disappointed.
Production values are great. Of course a key light does follow Joan highlighted her expressive eyes in many scenes, but other than that, the whole production is top drawer. Andrews was just off of LAURA and Fonda had just returned from the War. She was too old to play Daisy and she knew it, but she saw a chance to give a controlled, sincere performance. She fought for and got two of the hottest male stars of the time, Dana Andrews and Henry Fonda.
This is a MUST for Crawford fans. Ruth Warrick is also a plus as Andrew's neurotic wife. Look for John Garfield seated at the bar sipping a drink.
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If you want bonafide film noir, look elsewhere. This "Fox Film Noir" series release is misleading. Despite starring Mildred Pierce's Joan Crawford, re-teaming Otto Preminger and Dana Andrews (Laura, Fallen Angel), and featuring Martha Stewart (In a Lonely Place), this film is by no means a "film noir," but it is a fine and enjoyable (but pretty much routine) vehicle for Joan Crawford, on loan-out to Fox from WB during her post-Mildred Pierce comeback phase, as a working "girl" torn between two lovers. Dana Andrews and Henry Fonda, as her suitors, an unhappily married wealthy lawyer with two daughters and a widowed WWII veteran/boat designer, are clearly fulfilling studio contract duties with this film and neither of them seems very inspired by their roles, but they get the job done and Joan Crawford is always fun to watch. If you like 1940s women's films, you'll enjoy watching this movie.
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