☆ ☆ ☆ ½
The Bigamist (1953) – I. Lupino
More of a
melodrama than a film noir, as directed by Ida Lupino who also takes one of the
three key roles – that of the “other woman”.
Edmond O’Brien (who featured in many noirs: The Killers, D. O. A., White
Heat) stars as Harry Graham who seeks to adopt a child with wife, Eve (Joan
Fontaine). This leads to an investigation into his background by fussbudget Mr.
Jordan (Edmund Gwenn, who gets a few in-jokes referencing his earlier role as
Kris Kringle here). The investigation uncovers Graham’s double life – and we
learn in flashback how he ended up also married to Phyllis (Lupino) while still
married to Eve. Possibly the film
encourages us to have sympathy for Graham who winds up in this plight because
he tries to be a nice guy – but Jordan and later the judge (and Lupino) never
let us forget that Graham’s own behaviour, a serious moral transgression and
betrayal, initiated the calamity that ensnared all three. Lupino is a steady
hand behind the camera and should have had more opportunities to direct.
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