RKO Radio Pictures
Not part of a collection.
They Won't Believe Me
He lived a lie that led him from one disastrous love to another!
On trial for murdering his girlfriend, philandering stockbroker Larry Ballentine takes the stand to claim his innocence and describe the actual, but improbable sounding, sequence of events that led to her death.
- Original title
- They Won't Believe Me
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- —
JPV852
May 1, 2021 · via TMDB
Decent, if not also a bit slow, film noir crime-drama, features some fine performances by Robert Young and Susan Hayward. Had fun with the numerous amounts of irony including ending. Should also note this is the original 95-minute version, seen on home video for the first time in 20 years (re-issue version was only 80-minutes). **3.5/5**
John Chard
Nov 13, 2014 · via TMDB
Touched by the hand of God/Satan. They Won't Believe Me is directed by Irving Pichel and adapted to screenplay by Jonathan Latimer from a story by Gordon McDonell. It stars Robert Young, Susan Hayward, Jane Greer and Rita Johnson. Music is by Roy Webb and cinematography by Harry J. Wild. Larry Ballentine (Young) is on trial for murder and he tells his story in flashback. Three dames and fate does not a good mix make. "She looked like a very special kind of dynamite, neatly wrapped in nylon and silk. Only I wasn't having any. I'd been too close to one explosion already. I was powder shy". A splendid slice of noir drama is put together by a group of film makers who knew how to make the noir style of film making work. The story has all the requisite ingredients to lure the interested viewers in, twists and turns, vipers and snipers, dialogue so sharp you could cut a steak with it, and a love rat protagonist (Young splendid in a break from his normal roles) being toyed with by Old Noir Nick and his friend The Fate. In true noir tradition the plot is a little "out there", the middle section drags at times, while Harry Wild's cinematography doesn't kick in till a good hour into the play (worth the wait though!). But this is a little noir treasure waiting to be seen by more people. It's not unknown, the cast list ensures that is not the case, but in film noir circles it doesn't often crop up for discussion. It should, for it's tricky and devilish and pays off with a finale straight out of noirville. 8/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Robert Young
Larry Ballentine
Susan Hayward
Verna Carlson
Jane Greer
Janice Bell
Rita Johnson
Greta Ballentine
Tom Powers
Trenton
George Tyne
Lieutenant Carr
Don Beddoe
Thomason
Frank Ferguson
Mr. Cahill
Harry Harvey
Judge Charles Fletcher
Byron Foulger
Henry Bascombe (uncredited)
Lillian Bronson
Aunt Martha Hines (uncredited)
Janet Shaw
Susan Haines (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict
Man at Piano Concert (uncredited)
Chet Brandenburg
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Steve Carruthers
Theatre Patron (uncredited)
Anthony Caruso
Tough Patient (uncredited)
Ellen Corby
Screaming Woman in Courtroom (uncredited)
Anne Cornwall
Screaming Woman in Courtroom (uncredited)
Dot Farley
Emma (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum
Man at Piano Concert (uncredited)
Jack Gargan
George (uncredited)
William Gillespie
Waiter (uncredited)
Sol Gorss
Gus (uncredited)
Wilton Graff
Patrick Gold (uncredited)
Fred Graham
Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood
Sheriff (uncredited)
Carl Kent
Chauffeur (uncredited)
Paul Maxey
Speed Bowman (uncredited)
Mathew McCue
Juror (uncredited)
Matt McHugh
Tiny Old Man (uncredited)
George Morrell
Rancher (uncredited)
Milton Parsons
Court Clerk (uncredited)
Lee Phelps
Bailiff (uncredited)
Irving Pichel
Man in Courtroom (uncredited)
Jack Rice
Tour Conductor (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgway
Theatre Patron (uncredited)
Harry Strang
Ryan (uncredited)
Irene Tedrow
First Woman (uncredited)
Martin Wilkins
Jamaican Sailor (uncredited)
Albert S. D'Agostino
Art Direction
Eugene Joseff
Other
Irving Pichel
Director
Joan Harrison
Producer
C. Bakaleinikoff
Music Director
Roy Webb
Original Music Composer
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The Intermission
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You Only Live Once
The Web
Plunder Road
The Fugitive Kind
They Live by Night
Party Girl
The Dark Corner
Caught
Fallen Angel
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The Truth About Emanuel
Jul 16, 1947
