Out In The Film Noir Night- Barbara Stanwyck’s Witness To Murder

DVD Review

Witness to Murder, Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Merrill, George Sanders, United Artists, 1954

The last time the name Barbara Stanwyck appeared in this space she and Fred MacMurry were plotting, plotting big time, to murder her husband for his life insurance policy (and other considerations left unsaid ) in the film adaptation of James M. Cain’s Double Indemnity. Times have changed for Ms. Stanwyck though as here in Witness To Murder she off-handedly witnesses what she believes is a murder of a woman by a man in the apartment building across from her one night. And, unlike in Double Indemnity where everybody and their brother (and sister) KNOWS she and Fred did the deed here she cannot get anyone to believe her. Especially when the mad man who actually did the deed was a Svengali –like mastermind, an alleged ex-Nazi (although that de-nazification program stuff after World War II didn’t seem to take in his case), played by George Sanders.

Now the problem with accusing someone of murder, murder most foul , who actually did the deed is that unless and you have a body you are in trouble trying to pin the rap on him. Moreover, yelling bloody murder about the guy is going to, well, put him off-balance especially when he is lined up to marry into some serious California dough. So you might as well say Ms. Stanwyck’s life just got very complicated, very complicated in deed when she takes a small stand for some rough justice in this wicked old world. Worst this murderer is so smooth that the cops, the guys who are supposed to live to solve dastardly crimes are practically taking up a collection for the poor guy and are ready putting her in the loony bin, for good. Really. Of course one cop, the love interest cop played by Gary Merrill is not going to let a smart, sassy, good-looking woman go under without a fight. So you know in the end that this case will get solved and old Mr. Smoothie will get his just desserts. But doesn’t Ms. Stanwyck have a case for dereliction of duty or something against those nay-saying cops.