RKO Radio Pictures
Not part of a collection.
The Company She Keeps
Emotion swept them like a tidal wave!
A lady con artist sets out to steal her parole officer's fiance.
- Original title
- The Company She Keeps
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- —
John Chard
Nov 30, 2013 · via TMDB
The Parole Paranoia. The Company She Keeps is directed by John Cromwell and written by Ketti Frings. It stars Lizabeth Scott, Jane Greer and Dennis O’Keefe. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca. Released from prison after serving two years, Mildred Lynch (Greer) changes her name to Diane Stuart and sets out for a new start in Los Angeles. Assigned a friendly parole officer, Joan Willburn (Scott), who finds Diane work in a local hospital, Diane struggles to take to Joan and suffers from paranoia as to how the public are going to perceive her. Things get considerably murkier when Diane begins a love affair with Joan’s boyfriend, Larry Collins (O’Keefe)… A waste of potential, a film featuring two noir darlings and one tough guy noir actor should have more about it than merely playing out as a weak willed melodrama. The annoyance is further compounded by the fact that ace cinematographer Musuraca works his magic for many passages of the story, putting tightly fitted noir visuals to scenes involving prison cells and the darker recesses’ of the hospital where Diane works. In fact the last twenty minutes, guff laden ending not withstanding, is worth time spent with picture purely because of Musuraca. It’s not as if the acting is bad, where even though I agree wholeheartedly with those who think Greer and Scott should have swapped roles, both the girls do good work here, as does O’Keefe, who has the problem of having both Greer and Scott lusting after him! But nobody is done any favours by Harline’s score, the usually skilled composer lays over the top of proceedings a score that would be more at home in a 1940s romantic comedy. Where there should be intelligent observations on the justice system, and the problems of parolees fitting back into society, there is instead a love triangle that lacks any suspense or a semblance of edginess, the writer evidently afraid to spice things up and do justice to the noir potential of the idea. Fans of the leading ladies and Musuraca should just about find it watchable, but frustration is almost certainly guaranteed as well. 5/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Lizabeth Scott
Joan
Jane Greer
Diane
Dennis O'Keefe
Larry
Fay Baker
Tilly
John Hoyt
Judge Kendall
James Bell
Mr. Neeley
Don Beddoe
Jamieson
Bert Freed
Smitty
Irene Tedrow
Mrs. Seeley
Marjorie Wood
Mrs. Haley
Virginia Farmer
Mrs. Harris
Eric Alden
Sergeant of Detectives (uncredited)
Parley Baer
Steve (uncredited)
Lela Bliss
Window Shopper (uncredited)
Gail Bonney
Nurse (uncredited)
Beau Bridges
Obie, Boy at Train Station (uncredited)
Jeff Bridges
Infant at Train Station (uncredited)
Helen Brown
Nurse Helen Johnson (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire
Cliff Martin (uncredited)
David Clarke
Detective Barkley (uncredited)
John Cromwell
Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Frances Curry
Rosabelle (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing
Man Viewing Line-Up (uncredited)
Don Dillaway
Victim at Lineup (uncredited)
Edith Evanson
Mrs. Holman (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum
minor role (uncredited)
Kathleen Freeman
Josie, Parolee with Children (uncredited)
Paul Frees
Judge's Clerk (uncredited)
Jack Gargan
Hospital Attendant (uncredited)
Theresa Harris
Lilly Johnson (uncredited)
Gertrude Hoffmann
Mrs. Kaufman (uncredited)
Victoria Horne
Marcia Guston (uncredited)
Colin Kenny
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Kate Drain Lawson
Mrs. Spencer (uncredited)
Ruth Lee
Matron (uncredited)
George Magrill
Man in Racetrack Montage (uncredited)
Adrienne Marden
Amy Bower (uncredited)
Charles McAvoy
Counterman (uncredited)
Torben Meyer
French Restaurant Maître d' (uncredited)
Harold Miller
Train Station Passenger (uncredited)
Frances Morris
Mrs. McLean (uncredited)
Harry 'Snub' Pollard
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Joey Ray
Ricci (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Erskine Sanford
Planetarium Guide (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo
Departing Train Passenger (uncredited)
Kenneth Tobey
Rex Fisher (uncredited)
Virginia Vincent
Annabelle Bird (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim
Pete (uncredited)
Albert S. D'Agostino
Art Direction
Nicholas Musuraca
Director of Photography
Michael Woulfe
Costume Design
John Cromwell
Director
John Houseman
Producer
C. Bakaleinikoff
Music Director
Leigh Harline
Original Music Composer
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Jan 6, 1951
