The problem was, nothing of any substance was given to the events that kept happening. New subplots turned up, bribes, plot twists, double crosses, it just kept happening and happening. Okay, time for trial, some final irony, then the movie's over - only that it isn't. Something was always happening, and there was plenty of suspense/overblown MGM music blaring out of the speakers at any given moment. It wasn't that the pace was slow, it moved speedily. Other than that, things seemed to be moving in place very smoothly. The reviewer who noted MGM's dramatic lighting of Turner is right: it's ridiculous, but it does come with the territory I guess.

I wasn't being blown away, but I did start getting immersed in the cunning 'noir 101' plot. Then my mood brightened when it actually started becoming very engaging. Compared to the benchmarks of the genre, I didn't have extra high hopes for this movie. I wasn't expecting a classic film noir along the lines of 'Double Indemnity' or 'Out of the Past' when I finally got around to watching The Postman Always Rings Twice, and for awhile, I thought I might have been wrong. Of the supporting cast, Hume Cronyn stands out and is strong in the role of a lawyer. She plays her part pretty well, with expressive eyes and some breathless moments. The scenes of her on the beach at night with Garfield help evoke a forbidden feeling. Lana Turner is gorgeous, though at 25 seems ridiculously paired with the 53 year old Cecil Kellaway (even with the explanation the script provides). On the other hand, there are some nice moments, particularly when murder is being considered or attempted, but I don't want to spoil it.

Later on we're hit with a succession of rapid (and convenient) plot devices, and the film borders on melodrama. Another problem is director Tay Garnett, who is uneven in his story-telling, starting with the beginning of the illicit romance, which is implausibly abrupt. Of course we have the production code to blame for some of this, and certainly for neutering the references to rough sex present in Cain's novel. At times the film feels staged, as if the characters are going through the motions, instead of feeling all-consuming passion and prepared to murder for it. Part of the problem with 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' is that John Garfield is a little soft in the role of Frank the drifter, and I didn't feel real heat between him and Lana Turner. A decent enough classic film noir and Lana Turner is stunning, but it lacks a hard edge.

The postman always rings twice book