Paramount Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Among the Living
What horrible fascination did this monster have for women?
A mentally unstable man, who has been kept in isolation for years, escapes and causes trouble for his identical twin brother.
- Original title
- Among the Living
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- —
John Chard
Nov 8, 2013 · via TMDB
For five thousand dollars, I'm not afraid of anything, not even death! Among the Living is directed by Stuart Heisler and written by Garrett Fort and Lester Cole. It stars Albert Dekker, Susan Hayward, Harry Carey and Frances Farmer. Music is by Gerard Carbonara and cinematography by Theodor Sparkuhl. Dekker plays identical twins, John and Paul Raden. Paul was believed to have died when he was just 10 years old, in reality he had been traumatised and went insane and was locked up in a secret room at the Raden Mansion. When John returns for his father's funeral, he learns of Paul's existence, more so when Paul escapes and is out and about in Radentown... 1941 saw the release of Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, High Sierra and I Wake Up Screaming. Films that mark an important point in the progression of what would become known as film noir, both thematically and as a visual style. Elsewhere there were some horror movies which would stand the test of time as classic productions, films such as The Wolf Man and The Black Cat are still massively popular today. Down in the lesser known file is Among the Living, a picture that blends both horror and noir for considerable rewards. It's a slice of Southern Gothic which nods appreciatively to classic horror conventions from the previous decade (eg: the Frankenstein connection is hard to ignore but handled skillfully), and it even has social commentary bursting forth from its seams, but it's with the photographic style where it becomes a must see for film noir enthusiasts. Heisler (latterly The Glass Key/Storm Warning) and Sparkuhl (also The Glass Key) shoot the picture by way of German Expressionism, where certain scenes and photographic compositions anticipate the noir style before it became the norm. From the feverish and frantic exuberance of a club scene, to a chase scene through menacing shadowed streets that end with murder, there are classy slices of noir before we even get to the crushing finale where Radentown is gripped by its own greed and insanity problems. Dekker is terrific, managing to give each twin their own identity without relying on costuming for the viewers to tell the difference. His man child portrayal of Paul is heartfelt and perfectly troubling, yet always tasteful. Hayward is socko gorgeous as a vampish nymph who latches onto Paul to feather her own nest, while Farmer provides the sort of solid support she was capable of before her own personal problems would derail her potential career. The psychological aspects of the pic are simplistic, of course, while viewing it now it's impossible to not get a sense of it being cliché heavy as regards the "twins" axis of plotting, but this is well paced, very well acted and beautifully photographed. If you can track down a decent print of it, then it's a must see for anyone interested in the influences and subsequent trajectory of film noir. 8/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Albert Dekker
John Raden / Paul Raden
Susan Hayward
Millie Pickens
Harry Carey
Dr. Ben Saunders
Frances Farmer
Elaine Raden
Gordon Jones
Bill Oakley
Jean Phillips
Peggy Nolan
Ernest Whitman
Pompey
Maude Eburne
Mrs. Pickens
Frank M. Thomas
Sheriff
Harlan Briggs
Judge
Archie Twitchell
Tom Reilly
Dorothy Sebastian
Woman in Cafe
William Stack
Minister
Rod Cameron
—
Eddy Chandler
—
Lane Chandler
—
Catherine Craig
—
Jim Farley
—
Christian J. Frank
—
Kit Guard
—
Frank Hagney
—
Chuck Hamilton
—
John Kellogg
—
Ethan Laidlaw
—
James Millican
—
Clarence Muse
—
Ella Neal
—
Blanche Payson
—
Keith Richards
—
Lee Shumway
—
Harry Tenbrook
—
George Turner
—
Delmar Watson
—
Richard Webb
—
Theodor Sparkuhl
Director of Photography
Stuart Heisler
Director
Sol C. Siegel
Producer
A Toast to the Host
The strange case of detective Jones
El sabor de Natasha
Vertigo
A Bad Summer
Double Indemnity
M
The Night of the Hunter
The Third Man
Silmät hämärässä
The Maltese Falcon
Out of the Past
The Big Heat
Strangers on a Train
Mildred Pierce
The Big Sleep
Gilda
Key Largo
Night and the City
The Killers
Scarface
Sudden Fear
Bad Day at Black Rock
The Lady from Shanghai
Ride the Pink Horse
Nightmare Alley
Thieves' Highway
Crime Wave
D.O.A.
The Long Arm
Mystery Street
Murder by Contract
Somewhere in the Night
The Long Memory
The File on Thelma Jordon
The Big Steal
Nowhere to Go
Gunman in the Streets
Secret Beyond the Door
Cry Terror!
Killer's Kiss
Johnny O'Clock
La muerte camina en la lluvia
The Great Flamarion
IRMA
Decoy
The Guilty
Fear in the Night
Bewitched
Real
Circumstantial Evidence
The Hot Month of August
Americana Kamikaze
Dryland
Good neighborhood
Humpty Dumpty's Last Stand
The Asphalt Jungle
The Naked City
He Ran All the Way
You Only Live Once
The Web
The Dark Mirror
Plunder Road
Nightfall
They Live by Night
Each Dawn I Die
Conflict
T-Men
The Glass Key
Indemnity
They Made Me a Fugitive
Hollow Triumph
Force of Evil
Caught
The Blue Gardenia
The Verdict
A Kiss Before Dying
Sleep, My Love
Chief of Station
Maniac
The Escapist
Black Widow
The MacKintosh Man
The Dark Past
The Truth About Emanuel
The Quiller Memorandum
The Apology
Dec 12, 1941
New York City, New York
Dec 19, 1941
